🇬🇧 English Lesson 2: To Be, Subject Pronouns & Basic Sentences
👤 Subject Pronouns
Subject pronouns tell you who is doing the action. In English, you must always use them (unlike Spanish or Italian).
| Singular | Meaning | Plural | Meaning |
|---|
| I | я | we | мы |
| you | ты / вы (all forms!) | you | вы (plural) |
| he | он (masculine person) | they | они |
| she | она (feminine person) |
| it | он/она (thing or animal) |
💡 Important notes for Russian speakers:
- English has no formal/informal "you" — just "you" for everyone. (Unlike French "tu/vous", Spanish "tú/usted", Russian "ты/вы")
- He = male person, she = female person, it = everything else
- You must use subject pronouns. Don't say "Is good" – say "It is good."
⭐ The Verb "To Be" (am, is, are)
"To be" is the most important verb in English. It's irregular, like "être" in French and "ser/estar" in Spanish.
📌 Conjugation of "to be":
| Subject | Conjugation | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| I | am | я есть | I am happy. |
| you | are | ты есть / вы есть | You are a student. |
| he | is | он есть | He is tall. |
| she | is | она есть | She is a doctor. |
| it | is | оно есть | It is a cat. |
| we | are | мы есть | We are friends. |
| they | are | они есть | They are at home. |
📌 Contractions (very common in spoken English):
- I am = I'm
- you are = you're
- he is = he's
- she is = she's
- it is = it's
- we are = we're
- they are = they're
🚫 Making Negative Sentences
📌 Add "not" after the verb "to be":
- I am not tired.
- You are not a student.
- She is not at home.
Contractions for negatives:
- is not = isn't
- are not = aren't
- am not = 'm not (no contraction like "amn't")
❓ Asking Questions
📌 Invert the subject and the verb "to be":
- You are happy. → Are you happy?
- She is a doctor. → Is she a doctor?
- They are at home. → Are they at home?
Question words:
- What is your name?
- Where are you from?
- Who is that?
- How are you?
📋 Summary – To Be Conjugation
| Subject | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|
| I | I am | I am not | Am I...? |
| he/she/it | He is | He is not / isn't | Is he...? |
| you/we/they | You are | You are not / aren't | Are you...? |
💡 Remember for Russian speakers:
- You MUST use subject pronouns in English. (Don't say "Is cold" – say "It is cold.")
- "To be" is used for location: "I am at home." (In Russian, no verb is used here)
- "To be" is used for age: "I am 25 years old." (In Spanish/French, "I have 25 years")