The word"be"

Status
Not open for further replies.

Rasheed.np

Banned
Joined
Oct 6, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Malayalam
Home Country
India
Current Location
Bahrain
Dear sir, i want know is there meaning it'self the word"be"? Somone told me no any meaning only the word, be. But i think there is meaning that is ,exist, remine,live. Can you explain,which is true?. Thanks.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Well, Rasheed, TheParser has kindly done the work for you this time, but in future please remember that we are not a replacement for a dictionary. We are happy to help you if you have problems with the dictionary definitions, but we expect you to make some effort first. Besides, using a dictionary is usually quicker than waiting for an answer in this forum
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Having seen the other thread you started because you weren't satisfied with the first answer, I would like to point out that you need to concentrate on your spelling of "dictionary".
 

Rasheed.np

Banned
Joined
Oct 6, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Malayalam
Home Country
India
Current Location
Bahrain
Re: The word"be

Dear sir ,if i have any doubts related my previous question or new ,which part should i post message here? Or in "quick reply"?
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Re: The word"be

Dear sir ,if [STRIKE]i[/STRIKE] I have any doubts related my previous question or a new one ,which part should i post[STRIKE] message[/STRIKE] here? Or in "quick reply"?
Click on 'Post Reply' to add a related question to this thread; start a new thread for an unelated question.

Please capitalise 'I', the first person pronoun.
 

Rasheed.np

Banned
Joined
Oct 6, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Malayalam
Home Country
India
Current Location
Bahrain
Related to The word"be"

Dear sir,Yesterday I asked a question about the word 'be'. But I am not satisfied with one answer that says 'Is your dictionary broken? I think it is a joke and is amazing. I would like to say My dictionary has no defect.He may not understood my question! May I repeat the question,'Is there meaning it'self (only) the word "be"? Like other words, get, take,put. We can see in dictionary meaning of 'be'-live,exist,remain. I think it has meaning itself.Ex."you must be at the police station tomorrow".In this sentence 'be'has strong meaning ,that present of the person is must. One educated man told me that' be' has no any meaning itself (only).I want know which is true? I would like to say an important that,as I am leaner of english,I am expecting your answers should be from experts of english not from any member like student and I want show your answer to that person as an evidence. Thanks.
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
Re: Related to The word"be"

Which do you think is more likely to be right- hundreds of dictionaries written by scholars and experts or this one person? Dictionaries are full of solid examples of the verb with various meanings.

Try this one
I think, therefore I am.

Am is not meaningless here- thinking proves that we exist. It is used as a philosophical proof of existence and the verb chosen to express existence is the verb be. Take the example TheParser gave from Shakespeare - To be or not to be - if be is meaningless, then what does this phrase mean?
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Re: Related to The word"be"

May I repeat the question,'Is there meaning it'self (only) the word "be"? Like other words, get, take,put. We can see in dictionary meaning of 'be'-live,exist,remain.
There is your answer!
One educated man told me that' be' has no any meaning itself (only).
As TheParser pointed out, sometimes it has no real 'meaning'. Some languages would use no verb at all in TheParser's first example.
I would like to say an important that, as I am learner of e English,I am expecting your answers should be from experts of e English not from any member like student
One of the joys of this forum is that non-teachers can sometimes give very useful insights into the workings of the language and the problems experienced by learners.
and I want to show your answer to that person as [STRIKE]an[/STRIKE] evidence
Some of us are what you might term 'experts'. That does not mean that everything we write must be taken as absolutely true. Mathematicians and scientists can prove that certain things are or are not true. All we linguists can say is that, on the evidence we have, it seems that a certain word is always used with meanings a,b,c,etc or that most native speakers do not use tense a to describe situation x. We know when we say that that the answer may be different next year.
 

Rasheed.np

Banned
Joined
Oct 6, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Malayalam
Home Country
India
Current Location
Bahrain
Uses of "to be"

Dear sir, I would like to thank you for your valuable services. May I know how to use "to be" commonly in passive. When we ask use of to be in web or somebody, They will answer rapidily ' I am a doctor, It was nice, He is a farmer. We can'nt find 'to be' in that examples. Here I am not asking such type uses,but sentences which included raelly the word 'to be'. See some ex. 1. Things to be eaten. 2.Medical projects to be executed. 3. They demant to be sent back. 4. The boy believed to be wearing a blue shirt.5. I am proud tm be Indian. 6.. He told me to be here at ten O' clock. 7. I was told to be there. Sir, would you mind if I asked some facts from those examples. ( 1) Is meaning of 'to be' same in all examples? (I dont think) (2) If not would you explain the meaning of each sentences ?(3) can say some times 'to be' is= to infinitive? ex. to talk , to play (4) Is 'to be' used commonly in passive ? What about He told me to be here?. Thanks very much.
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
The infinitive form of the word is "to be."

The conjugated forms in the present are:
I am
You are
He/she/it is

We are
You all are
They are

You won't see "be" in "I am a farmer" because it uses the the first person singular form.

There are times when we need to use the inifinitive, and then you will see the actual word "be." In most cases, you'll see am/is/are/was/were.
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
Re: Uses of "to be"

Dear sir, I would like to thank you for your valuable services. May I know how to use "to be" commonly in passive. When we ask use of to be in web or somebody, They will answer rapidily ' I am a doctor, It was nice, He is a farmer. We can'nt find 'to be' in that examples. Here I am not asking such type uses,but sentences which included raelly the word 'to be'. See some ex. 1. Things to be eaten. 2.Medical projects to be executed. 3. They demant to be sent back. 4. The boy believed to be wearing a blue shirt.5. I am proud tm be Indian. 6.. He told me to be here at ten O' clock. 7. I was told to be there. Sir, would you mind if I asked some facts from those examples. ( 1) Is meaning of 'to be' same in all examples? (I dont think) No, it isn't. (2) If not would you explain the meaning of each sentences ? No, but I'll give you one, #7 "I was told to manifest myself in that place. (3) can say some times 'to be' is= to infinitive? ex. to talk , to play Yes. (4) Is 'to be' used commonly in passive ? What about He told me to be here?. This is not passive. Thanks very much.
Bhai.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Re: Uses of "to be"

'To be' ,the to-infinitive, and 'be', the bare infinitive, are used in much the same ways as the infinitives of any other verbs:

I want to go home......I want to be rich.
I must leave now.. ....I must be more careful.

BEis used in all forms for the passive:

He is admired by ........He is being interviewed.
He is loathed by ...... ..He was being discussed ...
He has been taken ........?He has been being bullied
He wants to be seen ...
He will be flown ...
 

Rasheed.np

Banned
Joined
Oct 6, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Malayalam
Home Country
India
Current Location
Bahrain
Dear sir, Yesterday I posted a question about use of "to be' but still I didnt get answer.I am expecting your greater services . Thank you.
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
Are you kidding? What more do you expect?

And Dear sir is not an appropriate salutation when Barb is clearly a female teacher - and a highly-respected one at that.

Rover
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Dear sir, Yesterday I posted a question about use of "to be' but still I didnt get answer.I am expecting your greater services . Thank you.

Dear Sir

Yesterday and today people provided you with excellent answers. We expect you to read them.

Thank you.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Dear sir, Yesterday I posted a question about use of "to be' but still I didnt get answer.I am expecting your greater services . Thank you.
Please note that you have no right to expect anything at all. You haven't paid for a service; you are hoping for something for nothing. This is normally a friendly forum in which people help each other if they can, and if they have time.
 

Rasheed.np

Banned
Joined
Oct 6, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Malayalam
Home Country
India
Current Location
Bahrain
Uses of"be"

Respected Teachers. As I am a leaner some mistake may happen. I intend only to learn English. I am sorry, if anybody affected badly by My mistake. Really I didnt check My 2 page before I sent my last message. May I know more about "tobe" .If to be' is used commonly in passive, what would be the active sentence of "They demand to be sent back". Ex; helps(active)_ is helped.(passive) is helping_ is being helped. Has helped_hasbeen helped. Helped_ was helped. Was helping_ was being helped....ect. Another one I dont thing "to be " has same meaning as in finitive. If, what would be the meaning of" I am proud to be an American" ? . I think its meaning , as I am in an American I have proud, because it is a develped country. Is it right? .thanks
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top