I.be <pres am, are, is, pt was, were, pp been> [Am bi, Brit biː] VB intr
2.1. be (followed by an adjective):
2.2. be (when giving one's marital status):
3.1. be (followed by a noun):
3.2. be (playing the role of):
4.1. be (when talking about mental and physical states):
4.2. be (when stating one's age):
4.3. be (when giving prices, measurements, weight):
5.1. be (to exist, to live):
- the mother-to-be
5.2. be (in expressions of time):
5.3. be (to take place):
6. be (to be situated, to be present):
7.1. be (in perfect tenses):
7.2. be (in perfect tenses) Brit inf (used for emphasis):
II.be <pres am, are, is, pt was, were, pp been> [Am bi, Brit biː] VB impers
1.1. be (when talking about physical conditions, circumstances):
1.2. be (in expressions of time):
1.3. be (when talking about distance):
2.1. be (when introducing a person, an object):
2.2. be in conditional use:
III.be <pres am, are, is, pt was, were, pp been> [Am bi, Brit biː] VB aux
1.1. be (to describe action in progress):
1.2. be (to speak of future events):
2.1. be:
2.2. be (when describing a process):
3.1. be (to describe events with future reference):
3.2. be (when expressing possibility):
3.3. be (when expressing obligation):
- am I to understand that … ?