To Be (Am, Is, Are, Was, Were): When to Use It and When Not To?

One of the most fatal and common mistakes made by Indonesian speakers is overusing To Be. What does overusing To Be mean? It’s the habit of adding am, is, are to every sentence, even in places where it’s strictly forbidden.

Examples of major grammar sins:

• ❌ I am agree.
• ❌ She is go to school.
• ❌ We are study.

If you still find yourself doing this, you absolutely need to read this article to the end. Let’s straighten out the logic of To Be once and for all.

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The 5 Forms of “To Be”

“To Be” is like an avatar, it changes form depending on the subject and the time:

Time	I	He/She/It	You/We/They
Present (Now)	Am	Is	Are
Past (Before)	Was	Was	Were

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The Golden Rule: When to Use “To Be”?

There are only 3 conditions where you MAY (and MUST) use To Be. Anything outside of these? FORBIDDEN.

1. Before an Adjective, Noun, or Adverb

If what follows the subject is NOT a verb, then you MUST use To Be as a bridge.

• Adjective: Happy, Sad, Busy, Tired
  • ✅ I am happy. (Not “I happy”)
  • ✅ She is tired.
• Noun: Student, Doctor, Teacher
  • ✅ They are students. (Not “They students”)
  • ✅ He is a doctor.
• Adverb of Place/Time: Here, In the kitchen
  • ✅ We are in the kitchen. (Not “We in the kitchen”)

Formula: Subject + To Be + Non-Verb

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2. Before a Verb-ing (Ongoing Action)

If you want to say something is happening “right now,” you need the complete package: To Be + Verb-ing. Don’t separate them!

• ✅ I am eating.

• ❌ I eating. (Wrong, missing To Be)

• ❌ I am eat. (Wrong, missing -ing)

• ✅ They were sleeping.

Formula: Subject + To Be + Verb-ing

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3. Before a Verb-3 (Passive Voice)

If you want to make a passive sentence (something is being done to something), you need To Be + Verb-3.

• ✅ The rice is eaten by me.
• ✅ The car was washed yesterday.

Formula: Subject + To Be + Verb-3

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The Cardinal Sin: When NOT to Use “To Be”?

This is the most important rule: NEVER put To Be directly before a Base Verb (Verb 1).

• ❌ I am agree. -> The base verb is “Agree”. So just: I agree.
• ❌ She is like pizza. -> The base verb is “Like”. So just: She likes pizza.
• ❌ They are work here. -> The base verb is “Work”. So just: They work here.

Why do Indonesian speakers get this wrong so often? Because in Indonesian, verbs don’t change form. We’re used to translating the word “adalah” into To Be in our heads.

• Saya (adalah) setuju -> I am agree (WRONG!)
• Saya setuju -> I agree (CORRECT)

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Summary

Here’s an easy way to check. Look at the word after the subject:

1. Is it a Base Verb (Verb 1)? (Go, Sleep, Eat, Study, Agree)
   • YES: DON’T USE TO BE! Just say I go, She sleeps.
2. Does it describe an ongoing action (like adding “-ing” in English)?
   • YES: Use To Be + Ing. (I am going)
3. Is it passive (something is being done to the subject)?
   • YES: Use To Be + V3. (It is eaten)
4. Is it not a verb? (An adjective, a noun, or a location)
   • YES: Use To Be. (I am sad, He is a doctor)

Simple, right? So, promise yourself you’ll never say “I am agree” again! 😉