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Activities: “How to use ‘to be’ and ‘to have’ in English?”

By: Erin Kuester
Associated Articles

These activities are part of our English Grammar series. The skills we are practicing here are covered in our article:

Activity 1: Emma’s Pen Pal

Emma’s class is writing pen pal letters to a class in Mexico. Below is Emma’s first letter to her new penpal, Juan. However, some of the verbs are missing, either main verbs or auxiliary verbs. Each missing verb can be completed with to beor to have.

Hello Juan!

My name Emma. I ten. I live in the United States, in Florida. Florida very hot in the summer, but my family loves going to the beach. In fact, we going to the beach next weekend! My brothers very excited because they just got new surfboards. After the beach, we will a bonfire at my grandparent’s house.

My house very small, but I love it! My family lived in this house for five years. We a big yard with lots of cool plants and a garden. We also a pool! I think next year my parents are going to add a slide to the pool. That will so cool!

Do you have any pets? I two dogs and three cats! One of our cats a stray before she lived with us, but I found her and now she her own pillow on my bed! Poor cat, she even fleas when I found her, but she all better now!

I hope you like this letter, and I can’t wait to hear from you!

Sincerely,

Emma

Activity 2: Forms of ‘to be’

Which form of to beshould be used in each sentence below? Remember that to becan be a main verb or an auxiliary verb!

  • Currently, I a journalist for the local newspaper.

  • Last night we watching a movie when you called.

  • The children listening to the teacher read a story.

  • When we adopted our cat, her name Fuzzy, but we changed it to Lucy.

  • The art class in room 502 this semester.

  • Sorry, I absent yesterday.

  • Next year my sister old enough to drive a car.

  • Shhh, the baby tired and needs to sleep.

  • The best place to go in the summer the beach.

  • I think you really cool!

  • I studying at the library right now.

  • I have twin brothers. They thirteen years old.

  • Last week you sitting at the wrong desk.

  • The students exhausted after gym class yesterday.

  • We waiting for the concert to start. It is scheduled to begin in five minutes.

Activity 3: Forms of ‘to have’

Which form of to haveshould be used in each sentence below? Remember that to havecan be a main verb or an auxiliary verb!

  • We to finish painting the fence before dark.

  • Yesterday, I just finished dinner when you called.

  • The kids a fun day at the amusement park last week.

  • You a stain on your shirt. Here, use this stain remover to fix it.

  • They been waiting for over an hour. Let’s get them a table.

  • My family two cars when I was a kid.

  • Sorry, I can’t meet then. I class at 4 p.m.

  • Ellen a big vegetable garden in her yard, so she is bringing tomatoes.

  • My grandparents visited over 30 countries.

  • Don’t show that movie. We seen it already.

  • I have twin brothers. They both red hair.

  • I like to color my hair bright colors. Last month I purple hair!

  • Our class taken three tests this week!

  • The third grade class twenty-two students this semester.

  • I a job interview later today.

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