To Be & Action Verbs – Exercises
Grammar Explanation
The verb to be describes a state, identity, condition, job, place, or feeling.
Examples:
She is tired.
They are teachers.
I am at home.
Action verbs describe something that a person or thing does.
Examples:
She writes emails.
They play football.
He drives to work.
Choose the correct verb. Click the blank to reveal the answer.
1. She ______ tired after work.
______.
is
a) runs [rennt]
b) is [ist]
c) writes [schreibt]
2. They ______ football every Saturday.
______.
play
a) are [sind]
b) play [spielen]
c) is [ist]
3. I ______ at home today.
______.
am
a) am [bin]
b) eat [esse]
c) drive [fahre]
4. He ______ an email to his boss.
______.
writes
a) is [ist]
b) writes [schreibt]
c) are [sind]
5. We ______ ready for the meeting.
______.
are
a) are [sind]
b) drink [trinken]
c) walk [gehen]
6. The children ______ in the garden.
______.
run
a) run [rennen]
b) is [ist]
c) am [bin]
7. This lesson ______ very useful.
______.
is
a) writes [schreibt]
b) is [ist]
c) plays [spielt]
8. She ______ breakfast at seven o’clock.
______.
eats
a) eats [isst]
b) is [ist]
c) are [sind]
9. You ______ very polite.
______.
are
a) speak [sprichst / sprecht]
b) are [bist / seid]
c) work [arbeitest / arbeitet]
10. He ______ to work by train.
______.
goes
a) is [ist]
b) goes [geht / fährt]
c) am [bin]
11. The office ______ closed today.
______.
is
a) opens [öffnet]
b) works [arbeitet]
c) is [ist]
12. They ______ English every evening.
______.
study
a) are [sind]
b) study [lernen]
c) is [ist]
13. I ______ interested in business English.
______.
am
a) am [bin]
b) read [lese]
c) call [rufe an]
14. She ______ her colleague every Monday.
______.
calls
a) is [ist]
b) calls [ruft an]
c) are [sind]
15. The students ______ quiet during the test.
______.
are
a) are [sind]
b) answer [antworten]
c) cook [kochen]
16. He ______ lunch in the cafeteria.
______.
has
a) has [isst / nimmt]
b) is [ist]
c) are [sind]
17. The weather ______ cold today.
______.
is
a) is [ist]
b) drives [fährt]
c) listens [hört zu]
18. We ______ to music after dinner.
______.
listen
a) listen [hören zu]
b) are [sind]
c) am [bin]
19. My sister ______ a doctor.
______.
is
a) teaches [unterrichtet]
b) is [ist]
c) runs [rennt]
20. The manager ______ the report carefully.
______.
reads
a) is [ist]
b) reads [liest]
c) am [bin]
21. I ______ late for class.
______.
am
a) am [bin]
b) send [schicke]
c) clean [putze]
22. They ______ the room before the meeting.
______.
clean
a) clean [putzen]
b) are [sind]
c) is [ist]
23. The answer ______ correct.
______.
is
a) moves [bewegt sich]
b) answers [antwortet]
c) is [ist]
24. You ______ very clearly.
______.
speak
a) are [bist / seid]
b) speak [sprichst / sprecht]
c) is [ist]
25. We ______ happy with the result.
______.
are
a) are [sind]
b) finish [beenden]
c) open [öffnen]
💬 Zu wissen, wann man „to be“ (am, is, are, was, were usw.) oder ein anderes Verb verwendet, hängt davon ab, was man im Satz sagen möchte.
Hier ist eine einfache Übersicht, die dir hilft, es zu verstehen:
💡 Verwende „to be“ (sein), wenn du:
1. 🧠 Einen Zustand, ein Gefühl oder eine Verfassung beschreibst
Beispiele:
She is happy. → Sie ist glücklich.
They are tired. → Sie sind müde.
I was nervous. → Ich war nervös.
2. 🧑🎓 Über Identität oder Rollen sprichst
Beispiele:
He is a doctor. → Er ist Arzt.
We are students. → Wir sind Studenten.
That was my brother. → Das war mein Bruder.
3. 📍 Einen Ort oder eine Position angibst
Beispiele:
The book is on the table. → Das Buch ist auf dem Tisch.
She was at school. → Sie war in der Schule.
4. 🛠️ Die passive Form verwendest
Struktur: to be + Partizip Perfekt
Beispiele:
The homework is done. → Die Hausaufgabe ist gemacht.
The window was broken. → Das Fenster wurde zerbrochen.
5. 🔄 Die Verlaufsform (Progressive/Continuous) verwendest
Struktur: to be + -ing-Form des Verbs
Beispiele:
I am studying English. → Ich lerne gerade Englisch.
They were playing football. → Sie haben Fußball gespielt.
✅ Verwende andere Verben (Aktionsverben), wenn:
Du eine Handlung, eine Tätigkeit oder etwas Aktives ausdrückst.
Beispiele:
I eat breakfast at 8. → Ich frühstücke um 8.
She runs every morning. → Sie läuft jeden Morgen.
We watched a movie last night. → Wir haben gestern Abend einen Film geschaut.
🎯 TIPP:
Wenn du fragen kannst:
„Was passiert?“ oder „Was macht jemand?“ → brauchst du wahrscheinlich ein Aktionsverb (z. B. essen, gehen, schreiben).
Wenn du beschreibst:
Wie etwas ist, wo etwas ist, oder was etwas ist → brauchst du wahrscheinlich „to be“ (sein).
English Verb Practice
🧠 Part 1: Choose the correct form of "to be"
1. I ______ tired after work.
was
a) is
b) was
2. She ______ at home yesterday.
was
a) am
b) was
3. We ______ hungry now.
are
a) are
b) were
4. They ______ in the park two hours ago.
were
a) is
b) were
5. It ______ cold outside.
was
a) was
b) are
6. He ______ a good singer.
is
a) is
b) are
7. You ______ my best friend!
are
a) is
b) are
8. The dogs ______ very loud last night.
were
a) was
b) were
9. This ______ my book.
is
a) are
b) is
10. The weather ______ terrible this morning.
was
a) was
b) is
🏃 Part 2: Choose the correct action verb
1. She ______ her lunch at 12.
eats
a) eats
b) plays
c) looks
2. I always ______ a book before bed.
read
a) read
b) sleep
c) go
3. They ______ football every Saturday.
play
a) play
b) see
c) make
4. He ______ to work by car.
drives
a) drives
b) watches
c) takes
5. We ______ a movie last night.
watched
a) watch
b) watched
c) watching
6. My brother ______ the guitar well.
plays
a) plays
b) looks
c) eats
7. I ______ to music when I study.
listen
a) listen
b) dance
c) clean
8. You ______ very fast!
run
a) run
b) write
c) walk
9. She ______ her homework in the kitchen.
does
a) does
b) looks
c) takes
10. The children ______ in the garden.
play
a) play
b) playing
c) played
🔁 Part 3: Choose: to be or action verb?
1. He ______ a teacher.
is
a) is
b) teaches
2. I ______ breakfast at 7.
eat
a) eat
b) am
3. We ______ tired after the trip.
were
a) are
b) go
4. She ______ French every day.
learns
a) learns
b) is
5. The children ______ in the garden yesterday.
were
a) were
b) play
6. You ______ a great dancer!
are
a) are
b) dance
7. They ______ TV right now.
are watching
a) are watching
b) is
8. He ______ a cake for his birthday.
baked
a) baked
b) was
9. I ______ very busy last week.
was
a) was
b) work
10. She ______ an email to her boss.
wrote
a) wrote
b) is
📚 Fragen bilden auf Englisch: Do vs. To Be
1. Die zwei Haupttypen von Fragen:
Englische Fragen folgen meist einem dieser Muster:
- Mit "to be" (am/is/are/was/were):
"Are you happy?" "Where is my book?" "Were they late?" - Mit "do/does/did":
"Do you like coffee?" "When does she arrive?" "Did they go?"
2. Wann verwendet man "to be"?
Diese Verben werden verwendet, wenn das Hauptverb im Aussagesatz "to be" ist:
Aussage: She is tired. → Frage: Is she tired?
Aussage: They were at home. → Frage: Were they at home?
Wird auch verwendet für:
- Present continuous ("Are you eating?")
- Passiv ("Was the book sold?")
3. Wann verwendet man "do/does/did"?
Diese Hilfsverben werden verwendet, wenn das Hauptverb ein anderes Tätigkeitsverb ist:
Aussage: She eats fish. → Frage: Does she eat fish?
Aussage: They went home. → Frage: Did they go home?
Wichtige Regeln:
- Do → I/you/we/they (Gegenwart)
- Does → he/she/it (Gegenwart)
- Did → alle Subjekte (Vergangenheit)
4. Satzbau bei Fragen:
| Typ | Struktur | Beispiel |
|---|---|---|
| To Be | [To Be] + Subjekt + ...? | Are you ready? |
| Do/Does/Did | [Do] + Subjekt + Grundform + ...? | Do they live here? |
| W-Fragen | W-Wort + [To Be/Do] + Subjekt + ...? | Where did you go? |
5. Häufige Fehler:
❌ Do you happy? → ✅ Are you happy? (Adjektiv benötigt "to be")
❌ Does she is a teacher? → ✅ Is she a teacher? ("to be" kann nicht mit "do" verwendet werden)
❌ Where you are going? → ✅ Where are you going? (invertierte Wortstellung)
6. Schnelltest:
Frage dich:
Wenn die Antwort "am/is/are/was/were" enthalten würde → "to be" in der Frage verwenden
Wenn die Antwort ein anderes Verb enthält → "do/does/did" verwenden
📚 Understanding English Questions: Do vs. To Be
1. The Two Main Question Types:
English questions typically follow one of these patterns:
- With "to be" (am/is/are/was/were):
"Are you happy?" "Where is my book?" "Were they late?" - With "do/does/did":
"Do you like coffee?" "When does she arrive?" "Did they go?"
2. When to Use "To Be":
Use these verbs when the main verb in the statement is "to be":
Statement: She is tired. → Question: Is she tired?
Statement: They were at home. → Question: Were they at home?
Also use for:
- Present continuous ("Are you eating?")
- Passive voice ("Was the book sold?")
3. When to Use "Do/Does/Did":
Use these when the main verb is any other action verb:
Statement: She eats fish. → Question: Does she eat fish?
Statement: They went home. → Question: Did they go home?
Key points:
- Do → I/you/we/they (present)
- Does → he/she/it (present)
- Did → all subjects (past)
4. Question Word Order:
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| To Be | [To Be] + Subject + ...? | Are you ready? |
| Do/Does/Did | [Do] + Subject + Base Verb + ...? | Do they live here? |
| Wh- Questions | Wh-word + [To Be/Do] + Subject + ...? | Where did you go? |
5. Common Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ Do you happy? → ✅ Are you happy? (adjective needs "to be")
❌ Does she is a teacher? → ✅ Is she a teacher? ("to be" can't use "do")
❌ Where you are going? → ✅ Where are you going? (inverted word order)
6. Quick Test:
Ask yourself:
If the answer would contain "am/is/are/was/were" → Use "to be" in the question
If the answer contains any other verb → Use "do/does/did"
❓ Part 4: Question Practice
1. ______ you happy yesterday?
Were
a) Was
b) Were
c) Are
2. Where ______ your keys?
are
a) is
b) are
c) was
3. ______ she like coffee?
Does
a) Do
b) Does
c) Is
4. What time ______ the movie start?
does
a) do
b) does
c) is
5. ______ they coming to the party?
Are
a) Is
b) Are
c) Do
6. Why ______ you crying?
are
a) is
b) are
c) do
7. ______ your brother play tennis?
Does
a) Do
b) Does
c) Is
8. How often ______ you exercise?
do
a) do
b) does
c) are
9. ______ there any milk left?
Is
a) Is
b) Are
c) Do
10. What ______ you doing last night at 8?
were
a) was
b) were
c) did
11. ______ you ever been to Paris?
Have
a) Has
b) Have
c) Did
12. When ______ the train arrive?
does
a) do
b) does
c) is
13. ______ I late for the meeting?
Am
a) Am
b) Is
c) Are
14. How many languages ______ she speak?
does
a) do
b) does
c) is
15. ______ you find your wallet?
Did
a) Do
b) Did
c) Have
16. What ______ your favorite food?
is
a) is
b) are
c) does
17. ______ they finish the project yet?
Have
a) Has
b) Have
c) Did
18. Why ______ he leave so early?
did
a) do
b) did
c) does
19. ______ there any problems yesterday?
Were
a) Was
b) Were
c) Did
20. How long ______ the flight take?
does
a) do
b) does
c) is