English as an Additional Language/Copular verb to be: present tense

'To be' is perhaps the most important verb in the English language. It is known as a 'copular verb'. 'Be' is irregular, so its present tense conjugation must be memorized.

The Present Tense
Here is the present tense conjugation, with their IPA equivalents.
 * I am. /æːm/
 * You are. /ɑr/
 * He is. /ɪz/
 * She is. /ɪz/
 * It is. /ɪz/
 * We are. /ɑr/
 * They are. /ɑr/

The forms of to be contract to the pronoun, shown here: These contracted forms are used regularly in speech by native speakers.
 * I'm
 * You're
 * He's
 * She's
 * It's
 * We're
 * They're

Here are some examples.
 * I am 36 years old.
 * They are hungry.