Plural Forms and Usage of “Be”: Comprehensive Guide to Plural of “Be” in English Grammar

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The verb “be” is the most irregular and essential verb in the English language. It is fundamental to constructing sentences, expressing identity, forming questions, negatives, passive voice, and progressive tenses. Yet, its plural forms (“are,” “were,” and others) often confuse learners due to their irregularity and wide-ranging uses.

Understanding the plural forms of “be” is vital for accurate and effective English communication. Mastering these forms enables you to create grammatically correct statements, ask questions, describe ongoing actions, and express complex ideas. Whether you are an ESL/EFL learner, a teacher, a grammar enthusiast, an advanced student, or anyone striving for English mastery, this guide is designed for you.

This article offers a comprehensive exploration of the plural forms of “be”—clear definitions, structural breakdowns, practical rules, exceptions, extensive examples, and practice exercises. By the end, you will have an in-depth understanding and confidence in using plural forms of “be” in every context.

Table of Contents

3. Definition Section

A. What is the Verb “Be”?

The verb “be” is the most basic and irregular verb in English. It works as both a linking verb (joining the subject with information about the subject) and an auxiliary verb (helping to form tenses, moods, and voices). Examples:

  • Linking: They are teachers.
  • Auxiliary: The students are studying.

B. What Does “Plural of Be” Mean?

A plural form of a verb is the form used with plural subjects (more than one person or thing). For “be,” the plural forms include “are” (present), “were” (past), and various forms in other tenses (e.g., have been, were being).

In English, plural of “be” means using the correct verb form to match a plural subject, as in:

  • Plural: They are happy.
  • Singular: He is happy.

C. Grammatical Classification

“Be” is highly irregular: its forms are not predictable from standard verb patterns. As an auxiliary verb, it helps form continuous and passive structures. As a main verb, it links subjects to complements.

  • Main verb: The children are excited.
  • Auxiliary: The books are being read.

D. Function and Usage Contexts

Plural “be” forms appear in:

  • Statements: They are ready.
  • Questions: Are you students?
  • Negative sentences: We are not late.
  • Progressive tenses: They are running.
  • Passive voice: The doors were opened.
  • Subjunctive mood: If they be willing, …

Correct plural “be” form is crucial for subject-verb agreement and is used across formal, informal, and regional English varieties.

4. Structural Breakdown

This section breaks down the forms, patterns, and rules for using plural “be” in English sentences.

A. Forms of “Be” in Plural

The plural forms of “be” change depending on tense. The following table compares singular and plural forms:

Table 1: Singular vs. Plural Forms of “Be”
Tense Singular Plural Examples
Present Simple is are He is tall. / They are tall.
Past Simple was were She was late. / We were late.
Present Progressive is being are being The boy is being quiet. / The boys are being quiet.
Past Progressive was being were being He was being helpful. / They were being helpful.
Present Perfect has been have been She has been here. / They have been here.
Past Perfect had been had been He had been busy. / We had been busy.
Subjunctive be be If he be… / If they be…

B. Subject-Verb Agreement

Plural “be” must agree with plural subjects. The following table shows common plural subjects and their correct “be” forms:

Table 2: Plural Subjects and Plural “Be” Forms
Plural Subject Present (“are”) Past (“were”) Example
We are were We are students. / We were students.
You (plural) are were You are welcome. / You were welcome.
They are were They are ready. / They were ready.
My friends are were My friends are here. / My friends were here.

C. Tense and Aspect in Plural Forms

Plural “be” forms change with tense and aspect. Below is a table summarizing the main plural “be” forms across tenses, with examples:

Table 3: Plural “Be” Forms Across Tenses
Tense/Aspect Plural “Be” Form Example Sentence
Present Simple are The dogs are hungry.
Past Simple were The children were tired.
Present Progressive are being The students are being quiet.
Past Progressive were being The players were being coached.
Present Perfect have been They have been helpful.
Past Perfect had been They had been chosen.
Subjunctive be If they be willing, …

D. Negative and Interrogative Structures

Negatives: Add “not” after the plural form of “be.”

Interrogatives: Move the plural “be” before the subject.

Table 4: Affirmative, Negative, and Interrogative Structures (Plural)
Type Present Past Example
Affirmative They are ready. They were ready.
Negative They are not ready. They were not ready.
Interrogative Are they ready? Were they ready?

E. Contractions with Plural “Be”

Contractions are common in spoken and informal written English:

  • They’re = They are (They’re coming.)
  • We’re = We are (We’re here.)
  • You’re = You are (You’re right.)
  • They aren’t = They are not (They aren’t ready.)
  • We weren’t = We were not (We weren’t late.)

F. Plural “Be” in Passive Voice Formation

Plural forms of “be” are used to form the passive voice for plural subjects:

Table 5: Plural “Be” in Passive Constructions
Tense Passive Form Example
Present Simple are + past participle The letters are sent.
Past Simple were + past participle The books were read.
Present Continuous are being + past participle The windows are being cleaned.
Past Continuous were being + past participle The questions were being answered.
Present Perfect have been + past participle The invitations have been sent.

5. Types or Categories

Plural “be” forms manifest in different tenses, moods, and varieties. This section details each type.

A. Present Tense Plural (“are”)

Use “are” with plural subjects (“we,” “you,” “they,” and all plural nouns):

  • We are happy.
  • You are students.
  • They are excited.
  • The dogs are barking.

B. Past Tense Plural (“were”)

Use “were” with plural subjects in past tense:

  • We were late.
  • You were helpful.
  • They were at the park.
  • The children were happy.

C. Plural Forms in Progressive Tenses

Use “are being” (present) and “were being” (past) to describe ongoing actions:

  • The students are being quiet.
  • The children were being noisy.
  • The lights are being fixed.

D. Plural Forms in Perfect Tenses

Use “have been” (present perfect) or “had been” (past perfect):

  • They have been here before.
  • We have been friends for years.
  • The students had been waiting.

E. Subjunctive and Imperative Uses

The subjunctive is rare but appears in formal, old-fashioned, or literary English:

  • If they be willing, let them come.
  • Whether they be rich or poor…

The imperative uses “be” for commands to plural groups:

  • Be quiet, all of you!
  • Be careful, students!

F. Plural “Be” in Regional and Non-Standard Varieties

Some dialects and regional forms use plural “be” differently. For example, in African American Vernacular English (AAVE), habitual “be” indicates repeated actions:

  • They be playing outside. (They usually play outside.)
  • We be working hard.

Other dialects may have unique usages as well.

6. Examples Section

Below are extensive examples of plural “be” in different tenses, sentences, and contexts.

A. Basic Present Tense Plural (“are”)

  • They are happy.
  • We are ready.
  • You are welcome.
  • The cats are hungry.
  • The shoes are new.
  • The students are outside.
  • My friends are here.
  • Our parents are teachers.
  • Those books are interesting.
  • People are friendly here.
  • The flowers are blooming.

B. Past Tense Plural (“were”)

  • We were tired.
  • You were early.
  • They were absent.
  • The children were noisy.
  • The windows were open.
  • My friends were at the party.
  • The birds were singing.
  • Students were excited.
  • My parents were doctors.
  • The plates were broken.
  • Those cars were expensive.

C. Plural “Be” in Progressive Tenses

  • The students are being quiet.
  • The children are being helpful.
  • The lights are being replaced.
  • The players were being coached.
  • The cakes were being decorated.
  • My friends are being silly.

D. Plural “Be” in Perfect Tenses

  • They have been here before.
  • We have been friends for years.
  • The students have been studying.
  • The guests had been waiting.
  • They had been chosen as winners.

E. Negative and Interrogative Plural Forms

  • You are not late.
  • They are not finished.
  • We are not hungry.
  • The books are not expensive.
  • The students were not absent.
  • Are they ready?
  • Are you students?
  • Were we late?
  • Were the children noisy?
  • Are the windows open?

F. Plural “Be” with Compound Subjects

  • My friends and I are going to the movie.
  • Tom and Jerry are famous characters.
  • The teachers and students are meeting.
  • Apples and oranges are fruits.
  • My brothers and sisters are visiting.

G. Plural “Be” in Passive Sentences

  • The cakes were eaten.
  • The windows are cleaned every day.
  • The invitations have been sent.
  • The questions were answered.
  • The files are being organized.

H. Plural “Be” in Subjunctive or Formal Contexts

  • If they be so kind as to help…
  • Whether they be rich or poor…
  • Let all the people be heard.

I. Plural “Be” in Common Expressions/Idioms

  • All systems are go.
  • We are in the same boat.
  • They are out of this world.

J. Plural “Be” in Non-Standard English

  • They be working (AAVE).
  • We be going to the store (AAVE).
  • The kids be loud every day (AAVE).
Table 6: Subject-Pronoun vs. Plural “Be” Form Examples
Subject Present Past Progressive Perfect
We are were are being have been
You are were are being have been
They are were are being have been
Table 7: Plural “Be” with Regular vs. Irregular Plural Nouns
Plural Noun Present Past Example
Dogs are were The dogs are barking. / The dogs were barking.
Children (irregular) are were The children are playing. / The children were playing.
Mice (irregular) are were The mice are small. / The mice were small.
Table 8: Plural “Be” in Passive and Progressive Constructions
Tense/Aspect Example
Present Passive The doors are locked.
Past Passive The cakes were eaten.
Present Progressive The students are being helped.
Past Progressive The files were being sorted.

7. Usage Rules

A. Subject-Verb Agreement with Plural Subjects

Rule: Use plural “be” forms (“are,” “were,” etc.) with plural pronouns (we, you, they) and plural nouns.

Table 9: Subject-Verb Agreement Chart
Subject Correct “Be” Form Example
We are/were We are ready. / We were ready.
You (plural) are/were You are students. / You were students.
They are/were They are excited. / They were excited.
My friends are/were My friends are here. / My friends were here.

B. Using “Are” and “Were” with Compound and Collective Subjects

Use plural “be” for compound subjects (joined by “and”): My brother and sister are here.

Collective nouns (“team,” “staff”) may take plural “be” in British English if the group acts as individuals: The team are arguing.

C. Plural “Be” with Indefinite Pronouns (“many,” “few”)

Indefinite pronouns with plural meaning use plural “be”:

  • Many are missing.
  • Few are left.
  • Several were chosen.

D. Plural “Be” in Questions and Short Answers

Invert the verb for questions:

  • Are they coming?
  • Were you there?

Short answers repeat the correct form:

  • Yes, they are.
  • No, we were not.

E. Plural “Be” in Negative Sentences

Use “not” after plural “be” forms:

  • They are not ready.
  • We were not sure.

F. Special Cases and Exceptions

  • Uncountable nouns as plural: The police are investigating.
  • “None” with plural “be”: None are missing. (or “None is missing” in American English)
  • Group nouns: The team are winning. (British); The team is winning. (American)

G. Formal vs. Informal and Regional Usage

British English allows plural “be” with collective nouns; American English prefers singular. Some regional dialects use “be” differently (see AAVE examples).

8. Common Mistakes

A. Singular vs. Plural “Be” Confusion

Incorrect: They is happy.
Correct: They are happy.

Table 10: Common Errors with Corrections
Incorrect Correct
My friends is here. My friends are here.
They was hungry. They were hungry.
We is leaving. We are leaving.
The students was ready. The students were ready.

B. Using “Was” Instead of “Were” with Plural Subjects

Incorrect: We was late.
Correct: We were late.

C. Mistakes in Contractions

Incorrect: They’re not vs. They aren’t (both are correct, but “They’re not” is less formal; don’t write “They is not”).
Incorrect: We’re not happy. (Correct structure, but avoid “We’s not.”)

D. Compound Subjects with Mixed Number

Incorrect: My friend and my teacher is here.
Correct: My friend and my teacher are here.

E. Errors with Collective Nouns

Incorrect: The staff is arguing (when referring to individuals).
Correct: The staff are arguing.

F. Regional/Non-Standard Usage in Formal Writing

  • Incorrect (standard): They be working.
  • Correct (standard): They are working.

G. Correction Exercises

Correct the following sentences:

  1. The teachers was absent.
  2. We is ready.
  3. My shoes is dirty.
  4. They is playing outside.
  5. The students was excited.
Table 11: Incorrect vs. Correct Usage
Incorrect Correct
The teachers was absent. The teachers were absent.
We is ready. We are ready.
My shoes is dirty. My shoes are dirty.
They is playing outside. They are playing outside.
The students was excited. The students were excited.

9. Practice Exercises

A. Fill-in-the-Blank Exercises

  1. They _____ (present) in the classroom.
  2. We _____ (past) very tired yesterday.
  3. The windows _____ (present) open.
  4. My friends _____ (present perfect) to Paris twice.
  5. The children _____ (past progressive) being noisy.
  6. Those dogs _____ (present) barking loudly.
  7. Our parents _____ (past perfect) very supportive.
  8. You _____ (present) late for the meeting.
  9. The plates _____ (past) broken.
  10. The students _____ (present progressive) being quiet.

B. Error Correction

  1. The books was expensive.
  2. You is early.
  3. They was outside.
  4. My shoes is missing.
  5. We is studying.

C. Identification Exercises

Identify the plural “be” form in each sentence and explain your choice:

  1. You are welcome here.
  2. The children were excited.
  3. My friends are being silly.
  4. The guests have been waiting.
  5. The windows are open.

D. Sentence Construction

Write your own sentences using the plural “be” forms:

  • Present (“are”):
  • Past (“were”):
  • Present Progressive (“are being”):
  • Present Perfect (“have been”):
  • Past Perfect (“had been”):

E. Transformational Exercises

Transform the following singular sentences into plural, using the correct plural “be”:

  1. The cat is hungry. →
  2. She was late. →
  3. He is being quiet. →
  4. The book has been read. →
  5. The child was chosen. →

F. Mixed Practice Table

Table 12: Mixed Practice—Write the Correct Plural “Be” Form
Subject Time Indicator Correct Plural “Be” Form
The dogs now
My friends yesterday
You for hours (present perfect)
The children at this moment (progressive)
We already (past perfect)

G. Answer Key

Fill-in-the-Blank Answers:

  1. are
  2. were
  3. are
  4. have been
  5. were being
  6. are
  7. had been
  8. are
  9. were
  10. are being

Error Correction Answers:

  1. The books were expensive.
  2. You are early.
  3. They were outside.
  4. My shoes are missing.
  5. We are studying.

Identification Exercise Answers:

  1. are – “You” is plural or formal singular, requiring “are.”
  2. were – “Children” is plural, so use “were.”
  3. are being – “Friends” is plural and progressive.
  4. have been – “Guests” is plural and present perfect.
  5. are – “Windows” is plural.

Transformational Exercise Answers:

  1. The cats are hungry.
  2. They were late.
  3. They are being quiet.
  4. The books have been read.
  5. The children were chosen.

Mixed Practice Table Answers:

The dogs now are
My friends yesterday were
You for hours (present perfect) have been
The children at this moment (progressive) are being
We already (past perfect) had been

10. Advanced Topics

A. Subjunctive Mood with Plural “Be”

The subjunctive mood uses “be” for all persons, often in formal, literary, or archaic styles.
Example: If they be found guilty, …

B. Plural “Be” in Inverted and Emphatic Structures

Inversion is used for emphasis or after certain adverbs:

  • Not only are they talented, but they are also hard-working.
  • So are we.

C. Plural “Be” in Reported Speech

Reported speech requires tense shifts. If the reporting verb is in the past, “are” becomes “were”:

  • Direct: “They are happy,” she said.
  • Reported: She said they were happy.

D. Plural “Be” in Conditional Clauses

Conditional sentences often use “were” with plural subjects:

  • If they were here, we would start.
  • If we were ready, we could go.

E. Plural “Be” with Non-Count and Abstract Nouns

Some non-count nouns can be treated as plural in certain contexts:

  • The police are investigating.
  • The staff are working.

F. Plural “Be” in Academic, Literary, and Archaic English

Older texts or formal writing may use “be” as a plural form in the subjunctive:

  • If they be alive, …
  • Whether they be right or wrong, …

Modern usage prefers “are/were.”

G. Regional Variations and Non-Standard Grammar

AAVE and other dialects use habitual “be” to indicate regular, repeated actions:

  • They be playing basketball every day.
  • We be working late sometimes.
Table 13: Standard vs. Non-Standard Usage (Examples)
Standard English AAVE Meaning
They are working. They be working. They work (habitually).
We are late. We be late. We are often late.

11. FAQ Section

  1. What is the plural of “be” in the present and past tense?

    Present: “are”; Past: “were.” Example: They are here. / They were here.
  2. When do I use “are” vs. “were”?

    Use “are” for present tense plural subjects and “were” for past tense plural subjects. We are friends now. / We were friends before.
  3. Can “be” be used as a plural verb?

    “Be” acts as the base form, mostly in the subjunctive or imperative: If they be willing… It is not the standard plural present or past form.
  4. How do contractions work with plural “be”?

    Contract “are” as “’re”: They’re, we’re, you’re. “Were” can be contracted in negatives: weren’t.
  5. Are there exceptions to the rules for plural “be”?

    Yes. Collective nouns, “none,” and regional/dialectal expressions can be exceptions.
  6. How is plural “be” used in passive sentences?

    Plural “be” forms the passive: The cakes are eaten. / The windows were cleaned.
  7. When do collective nouns take plural “be”?

    In British English, when the group acts as individuals: The team are celebrating.
  8. What is the difference between “are” and “is”?

    “Are” is for plural subjects; “is” is for singular subjects. They are here. / He is here.
  9. Why do some dialects use “be” differently (e.g., AAVE)?

    In AAVE, “be” indicates habitual or repeated actions. It is a grammatical feature of the dialect.
  10. How do I avoid common mistakes with plural “be”?

    Memorize the correct forms for plural subjects and practice with examples and exercises.
  11. Is “be” ever used as a plural form in modern English?

    Rarely, except in subjunctive or imperative. Modern English prefers “are” or “were.”
  12. How do I practice and remember the plural forms of “be”?

    Regular practice, completing exercises, and practicing real-life sentences will reinforce correct usage.

12. Conclusion

The plural forms of “be”—especially “are,” “were,” and their variants—are essential for clear, accurate English in both speech and writing. Mastery of these forms ensures correct subject-verb agreement, enables you to construct questions, negatives, progressives, and passive sentences, and helps you understand regional and formal variations.

Key points include:

  • Use “are” for present plural, “were” for past plural.
  • Remember subject-verb agreement with plural subjects.
  • Apply correct forms in all tenses, questions, negatives, and passives.
  • Watch for special cases (collective nouns, “none,” regional usage).

Continue practicing with the provided exercises, and apply your knowledge in everyday and academic contexts. For further study, explore related grammar topics such as subject-verb agreement, auxiliary verbs, and passive voice formation.

With a solid grasp of the plural forms of “be,” you are well-equipped for clear, confident English communication!

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