Common mistake: “You are a teacher?” — Correct: “Are you a teacher?”
To ask a question with 'to be' we put the verb first (Are you...?), and to make it negative we add 'not' after the verb (She is not...).
Negative and contraction
Subject
Negative
Contraction
I
am not
I'm not
He / She / It
is not
isn't
You / We / They
are not
aren't
Ben is tired after his trip.
Sofía and Kenji are ready for class.
Ben is not from Colombia. He is not tired now.
They are not at home. I am not late.
She isn't Japanese, and we aren't teachers.
Are you ready? Is Ben tired?
Where is Sofía? Why are they late?
Are you a student? Yes, I am.
Is Ben Colombian? No, he isn't.
Are they ready? No, they aren't.
Practice
___ you ready for the test? (Is, Are, Am)
Which question is correct? (Ben is British?, Is Ben British?, British is Ben?)
To make a question with 'to be', we put the verb before the subject: 'Are you...?'.
___ Sofía from Bogotá? No, she is from Medellín.
We ___ not at home right now.
Unscramble: you, Are, tired, ?
Find the mistake: She no is Japanese.
Kenji is a student. — Turn it into a question.
They are ready. — Make it negative (use 'not').
Are you a teacher? (Answer: Yes, I am. / No, I'm not.)
Listening
Kenji: Are you ready for the test, Ben?
Ben: No, I'm not! I am very nervous.
Kenji: Is it difficult?
Ben: It is not easy. Are you nervous too?
Kenji: No, I'm not. We are ready, don't worry.
Reading
Ben is not Colombian; he is British. Today he is tired because he is not used to the heat. 'Are you okay, Ben?' asks Sofía. 'I am not sick,' he says, 'but I am very hot!' Sofía laughs. They are good friends, and they are happy in Medellín.