be

être, se trouver

Sert à dire où se trouve une personne ou une chose.

En anglais simple : Used to say where someone or something is.

• The dog is outside.
• Are your shoes under the bed?
• We were at home all evening.

Comment l'utiliser : be + place expression (The keys are on the shelf.)

Expressions courantes : be at home, be in bed, be near something

être

Sert à décrire les caractéristiques ou l’état d’une personne ou d’une chose.

En anglais simple : Used to say what someone or something is like.

• The sky is blue.
• Are you tired?
• The children were very quiet during the film.

Comment l'utiliser : be + adjective (The water is cold.); be + descriptive prepositional phrase (They are in a good mood.)

Expressions courantes : be happy, be very tired, be in trouble

être en train de

Devant un verbe en -ing, indique qu’une action est en train de se dérouler.

En anglais simple : Used before a verb ending in -ing to show that an action is continuing.

• She is sleeping.
• Were you listening to me?
• They will be working all afternoon.

Comment l'utiliser : be + verb-ing (We are waiting for the bus.)

Expressions courantes : be working, be waiting, be reading

avoir lieu

Sert à dire quand ou où un événement a lieu.

En anglais simple : Used to say when or where an event happens.

• The party is tomorrow.
• When was the meeting?
• The next match will be at our school.

Comment l'utiliser : be + time or place expression (The concert is in the park on Sunday.)

Synonymes : happen, take place

Expressions courantes : be on Monday, be at noon, be next week

aller, visiter

Sous la forme « been » avec have ou has, indique qu’une personne a visité un lieu puis est revenue.

En anglais simple : Used with have or has to say someone visited a place and returned.

• I have been to Spain.
• Have you ever been to this museum?
• She had been to London twice before she moved there.

Comment l'utiliser : have/has been to + place (Have you been to Rome?)

Synonymes : visit

Expressions courantes : be to Paris, be to London

jouer, faire semblant d’être

Se comporter comme une autre personne ou un animal, souvent dans un jeu ou une pièce de théâtre.

En anglais simple : To act like another person or animal, often in a game or play.

• You be the king.
• She is being a cat in our game.
• I was the shopkeeper when we played yesterday.

Comment l'utiliser : be + person or animal role (You can be the doctor, and I will be the patient.)

Synonymes : play, pretend to be

Expressions courantes : be a dog, be the teacher, be a monster