Be, Have, Do

A. 'Be" as a full verb (1)

A.1. Some uses of the imperative of  'be': 'be careful!'

**Study**

1. Study is a 'helping' (or auxiliary) verb when it 'helps' other verbs, for example to form the present or past progressive : He is reading. He was sleeping.

2. Be is a full verb when we use it with nouns (She's a teacher) or adjectives (She's tall)

3. Be + Noun or adjective in the imperative has limited uses.

We use be with nouns to mean 'act like' : Be a dear and answer the phone! or to mean 'become; : Be a better cook! or 'pretend to be' : Be a monster, granddad!. Don't be is more common: Don't be silly! Don't be a fool.

4. We use be only with adjectives that describe 'passing behavior': Be+careful, patient, quite, etc. Don't be+ careless, impatient, silly, etc. But not with adjective which describes 'states', like hungry, thirsty, pretty.

A.2. The use of 'aren't'

**Study**

The full of form 'am I not' is rare. We use Aren't I..? (Not "Amn't I) in:
1. Negative questions: Am not I? --->Aren't I?
2. Negative WH-questions: Why am I not invited? ---> Why aren't I invited?
3. Negative Question-tag: I am late, Am not I? I am late, aren't I?

We still use aren't I only in negative questions and negative questions tag, never in negative statements: I am not late. ---> I'm not late (not I aren't late).

A.3. Be in simple present and simple past

**Study**

In simple present and simple past, we use be as a full verb in noun and adjective. Be careful of instances when English makes use of be where other language sometimes don't.
For example: I am hungry (Not *I have hungry), I's cold (Not *It makes cold)

B. 'Be" as a full verb (2)

B.1. Progressive form of 'be' for 'temporary behavior'

**Study**

We use the progressive form (he is being/ he was being) with adjective that describe 'passing behavior' like naughty and silly. not state, like hungry and thirsty. We often imply that this behavior is deliberate: He is being naughty. We can use the progressive of be with a few noun as well: He is being a fool.

B.2. 'Has been', 'Have been', 'Had been' + Adjective and nouns

**Study**

The rule of present and past perfect apply to have been and had been
The actions or states begin in the past and continue into present (have been) or they refer to an earlier past (had been). We use was/were when  we have time reference:
1. Behavior/states/moods: She's been very quite. I said she had been very quite,

2. The weather: It's been very cold lately. I said it had been very quite lately.

3. Profession, behavior: Have you ever been a teacher? She has been a real angel.

Compare: The baby was very quite while you were out (The past+exact time reference)

B.3. 'Have been' and 'have gone'

**Study**

1. To be continued... :)