---
title: To Be
draft: false
tags:
  - language
  - to-be
summary: The English verb with so many uses
links:
  wiktionary: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/be
---
I've been facinated by #to-be as a word since I started learning #Spanish and noticed that Ser and Estar can be used to separate out a temporary and permanent state of being; "I am sad" has an implicit temporary nature to it (rather than the permanence that can be implied with English).

## Forms of 'to be'

The [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Prime) article on E-Prime calls out a number of different uses of 'to be' that impressed me, as I'd not thought about how many variable uses it has!

- identity (noun-phrase copula definite-noun) The cat is my only pet.
- class membership: (definite-noun copula noun-phrase) Garfield is a cat.
- class inclusion: (noun-phrase copula noun-phrase) A cat is an animal.
- predication: (noun-phrase copula adjective) The cat is furry.
- ownership: (noun-phrase copula possessive-noun) The cat is theirs.
- auxiliary: (noun-phrase copula verb-phrase) The cat is sleeping / The cat is being bitten by the dog
- existence: (medial-proadverb-of-location copula noun-phrase) There is a cat.
- location: (noun-phrase copula location-phrase) The cat is nowhere to be found.

The [Wictionary Post](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/be) has 23 unique uses of 'to be' in English I should read through!