Grammar SVC (Subject Pronouns + Be): I am a cook. 1 Beginner

Grammar

SVC (Subject Pronouns + Be): I am a cook.

With pronouns and the verb 'be,' you will be able to provide basic information about a subject.

Exercise 1

Sentence Practice

• I am a cook.

• Sally and I are cooks.
• We are cooks.

• You are a cook.
• You are cooks.

• John is a cook.
• He is a cook.

• Susan is a cook.
• She is a cook.

• Susan and John are cooks.
• They are cooks.

Grammar Focus

'I am a cook' is an example of a very basic sentence pattern in English: Subject + Verb + Complement (SVC). 'I' is the subject. 'Am' is the verb. 'A cook' is a subject complement. This lesson will focus on the subject and verb.

Subject

The subject is the first part of the SVC sentence "I am a cook". The subject is the focus of the sentence. The most basic kind of subject is a noun, i.e. a person (Sally), place (the park), or thing (a movie). Instead of nouns, we can also use personal subject pronouns.

These are the 1st person personal subject pronouns:

• I
• we (plural of 'I', can replace 'Sally and I')

This is the 2nd person personal subject pronoun:

• you (singular and plural)

These are the 3rd person personal subject pronouns:

• he (male person, can replace 'John')
• she (female person, can replace 'Sally')
• it (objects or animals)
• they (plural of 'he'/'she'/'it', can replace 'Sally and John')

Linking Verb 'be'

The linking verb is the second part of the sentence "I am a cook". It links (connects) the subject 'I' to information about the subject, 'a cook'. The most basic linking verb is 'be'.

In English, the subject is the most important part of the sentence. Verbs, such as 'be', change form to 'agree with' the subject. The forms of 'be' are: am, are, and is.

• I am a cook.

• You are a cook.
• We are cooks.
• They are cooks.

• He / she is a cook.
• It is a movie.

Tip

Just remember that most subjects use 'are'. Only 'I' and 'he/she/it' use a different form.

Abbreviations

When speaking, we often abbreviate (i.e. shorten) a word or phrase. Many phrases with linking verbs are abbreviated using an apostrophe ('):

• I am a cook → I'm a cook.
• We are cooks → We're cooks.
• You are a cook → You're a cook.
• They are cooks → They're cooks.
• He is a cook → He's a cook.
• She is a cook → She's a cook.
• It is a movie → It's a movie.

Exercise 2

Sentence Practice

First person

• I am a student.
• We are students.

Second person

• You are a singer.
• You are singers.

Third person

• He is a doctor.
• She is a doctor.
• They are doctors.
• It is a pen.
• They are pens.

Exercise 3

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with is, are, or am to complete the sentences.

1.I ___________  a soldier.

2. You___________  a painter.

3. She ____________  a cashier.

4. We ____________  barbers.

5. They ______________  waiters.

Exercise 4

Sentence Building

Provide information about yourself, a friend, and a family member. Use the correct form of the verb 'be'.

Introduce yourself

My name, [name]. → "My name is Chika."

• My name, [name].
• I, [job].

Introduce a friend.

He/she, [job] → "He is an engineer."

• My friend's name, [name].
• He/she, [job].

Introduce a family member.

My brother’s name, [name] → "My brother's name is Steven."

• My mother/father/brother/sister's name, [name].
• He/she, a [job].