Mastering the verb TO BE implies an understanding of its structure, its function and its meaning in communication. Unfortunately, in the Venezuelan school system, empirical evidence seems to suggest that, when teaching the verb Presentation offered at the firt webinar organized by VenTESOL and Avealmec. October 26, 2013, 10:00 am Mastering the verb TO BE implies an understanding of its structure, its function and its meaning in communication. Unfortunately, in the Venezuelan school system, empirical evidence seems to suggest that, when teaching the verb TO BE, most teachers focus only on its syntax through a mechanical process, having as a result, a limited vision of this linguistic unit. Based on this situation, this webinar provides English teachers with a Critical Thinking (CT) approach to, on the one hand, enhance the comprehension of the pragmatics and semantics of the verb TO BE and, on the other, to teach it from a different perspective. First, a contextualization of the pragmatics and semantics of the verb TO BE will be provided. Second, a brief dissertation of the CT theory will be offered. Third, CT will be used as an approach to teach the functions and meanings of the verb TO BE. Fourth, a series of exercises that can be applied in class will be suggested.

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Chinger Zapata

2. Hamlet
To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, ’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d.

3. What is the meaning of “to be or not to be” in the story
of Hamlet?
What does existence mean?
How can the idea of existence be expressed with
the verb TO BE?
What is the verb TO BE used for?
How many general uses does the verb TO BE have?
Are these syntactic, semantic or pragmatic considerations?
Have you ever taught the verb TO BE from this perspective?

4. Teaching the Verb TO BE in Venezuela:
A Brief Contextualization
Syntax:
Affirmative sentence
personal pronoun + verb to be (am, is, are) +
complement
Interrogative sentence
personal pronoun + verb to be (am, is, are) +
Complement + ?
Negative sentence
personal pronoun + verb to be (am, is, are) +
negation (not) + complement
Language is a mechanical, rigid process rather
than a flexible, social means of interaction.

5. Teaching the Verb TO BE in Venezuela:
A Brief Contextualization
- English is taught as a subject, not as a language.
- Few people use smart
phones smartly.

6. Critical Thinking is a process that implies “highorder thinking.” To put this thinking into
practice, the person has to collect data, observe
all the information, consider all factors, question
what s/he sees, and reason logically by making
inference,
hypothesizing,
and
speculating
effectively and efficiently in a way s/he can come
to relevant conclusions.
We can improve our teaching through questioning.

7. What type of questions can I ask?
What type of questions can I ask to teach the verb TO BE?

8. What is the difference among A, B & C?
A
I am hungry.
Tengo hambre.
I am sleepy.
Tengo sueño.
I am tired.
Estoy cansado.
B
I am a man.
C
I am outside.
I am next to you.
I am human.
Soy un hombre.
Soy humano.
Estoy afuera.
Estoy a tu lado.
Condition:
(It is a
temporary stage.)
State:
(It is a
permanent stage.)
Location:
(It is a place.)

9. So, TO BE implies 3 different uses:
a condition
a state
a location
A
B
C
I am hungry.
I am a man.
I am at the university.

10. One activity for first-year high-school students
(seventh grade)
Instructions. Look at the picture carefully. Use the verbs in the box
to complete the answer to the questions based on what you see in the
picture. The same verb can be used several times.
eat, sleep,
make, speak,
read, walk,
sing, begin, win,
fall, run, play,
study, swim
1. Which verb in the box can be used to say where the children are?
They _____ in the park.
2. Which verb in the box can be used to say how old Claire is?
Claire _____ 6 years old.
3. Which verb in the box can be used to say if the child with the hula
hoop is a girl or a boy?
The child with the hula hoop _____ a _____.
4. Which verb in the box can be used to say what the boy with the
red cap is doing?
The boy with the red cap is _________ a book.
5. Which verb in the box can be used to say what the girl with the
microphone is doing?
The girl with the microphone is _________ a song.

11. One activity for second-year high-school students
(eighth grade)
Instructions. Match one picture with a verb form of the verb to be
from column A with a word or phrase in column B. The first has
been done as an example.
Who is Mr. Brown? Was he a doctor when he was a child? Will he still be
a doctor next year?
Where is the Jackson family? Are they inside the house? Will they be
always outside the house?
Who are Paul and Mary? When they graduate, will they still be students?
Were they students last year?
Is the nurse a gentleman? Can she be a gentleman? Will she always be a
lady?

12. One activity for third-year high-school students
(ninth grade)
Instructions. Read the following passage. Identify the use of the verb
TO BE in the following sentences. Write a C if you think the sentence
expresses a condition, an S if it expresses a state, or an L if it
expresses a location.
My son Martin is 9 years old. He isn’t at home right now. He is in a
bigger room. He is with other children. The children are very loud. Martin
is happy there. This is his favorite place. Can you guess what place is it?
a. My son Martin is 9 years old.
b. He isn’t at home right now.
c. He is in a bigger room.
d. He is with other children.
e. The children are very loud.
f. Martin is happy there.
g. This is his favorite place.

13. HelpE:
For them by asking simple questions such as
For A: children in silence? ¿Los niños están en silencio? Will
Are the
How old is Martin? ¿Cuántos años tiene Martín? How old was he last
these children always be very loud? ¿Estos niños siempre serán
year? ¿Cuántos años tenía el año pasado? How old will he be next
bullosos? Could the children be silent? ¿Podrían los niños estar
year? ¿Cuántos años tendra el año próximo? So, does My son
en silencio? So, does The children are very loud indicate a
Martin is 9 years old indicate a condition, a state or a place?
condition, a state or a place?
For B:
For F:
Is Martin always at home? ¿Está Martin siempre en casa? Where is
Is Martin sad inestá Martin? Is he siente triste place? ¿Está enlugar?
Martin? ¿Dónde that place? ¿Se at a specific Martín en ese algún
Will Martin always be happy there? ¿Martín siempre estará now
lugar específico? So, does My son Martin isn’t at home right feliz
en ese lugar? Couldstatebe a place?
indicate a condition, a he or sad there one day? ¿Podría Martín
sentirse triste algun día en ese lugar? So, does Martin is happy
For C:
there indicate small place? a state Martín en un lugar pequeño? Is
Is Martin in a a condition, ¿Está or a place?
For G: outside of this room? ¿Martín está fuera de ese salon? Where
Martin
is Martin? ¿Dónde está be Martin’s favorite in a bigger este
Will this place alwaysMartín? So, does He is place? ¿Serároom
indicate condition, a state de place?
siempre ael lugar favorite or aMartín? Was this Martin’s favorite
For D:
place when he was 3 years old? ¿Era este el lugar favorite de
Is Martin alone? tenía 3 años solo? Will Martinpossible these Martin’s
Martín cuando ¿Martín está de edad? Is it be with that children
in the evening? ¿Estaráwhen he grows? ¿Es posible que el lugar
favorite place changes Martín con estos niños en la noche? Can
Martin be with other peoplecuando crezca?
favorite de Martín cambie in a different place? ¿Puede Martín estar
con otras personas en un lugar diferente? So, does He is with other
children indicate a condition, a state or a place?

14. One activity for fourth-year high-school students
(tenth grade)
Instructions. Decide if the sentences below express a condition, a
location, or a state.
SENTENCES
DECISION
a. John is a mean person.
b. Kids are naturally curious.
c. The dogs are out of the house.
d. You are late for my class.
e. To be humans is to be imperfect.
f. Paul and Mary are engaged.
FOR A:
Can John stop being mean one day? ¿Puede John dejar de ser malo
algún día? Being mean is something you learn or something you are
born with? ¿Ser malo es algo que se aprende o es algo con lo que se
nace?
FOR B:
Are all kids curious? ¿Son todos los niños curiosos? Is it possible to
find a kid who is not curious? ¿Es possible encontrar a un niño que no
sea curioso? Can kids be curious for some activities and not curious for
others? ¿Pueden los niños ser curiosos para algunas actividades y
para otras no?

15. FOR C:
Could the dogs be inside the house? ¿Pueden estar los perros dentro
de la casa? Could the dogs be at the park? ¿Podrían los perros estar en
el parque? Where else could the dogs be? ¿Dónde más podrían estar
los perros?
FOR D:
Are you always late for my class? ¿Siempre llegas tarde a mi clase? Is
it possible to arrive early to my class? ¿Es possible llegar temprano a
mi clase?
FOR E:
Are there perfect humans? ¿Existen humanos perfectos? Will humans
always be imperfect? ¿Los humanos siempre serán imperfectos? Can
imperfect humans be perfect people? ¿Pueden los humanos imperfectos
ser gente perfecta?
FOR F:
Will Paul and Mary always be engaged? ¿Paul y María estarán siempre
comprometidos? Have they always been engaged? ¿Siempre han
estado comprometidos? Were they engaged when they were children?
¿Estuvieron comprometidos cuando eran niños? Could they stop being
engaged? ¿Podrían ellos dejar de estar comprometidos?

16. One activity for fifth-year high-school students
(eleventh grade)
Instructions. Write 2 sentences with the verb TO BE expressing
condition (a situation that can change in time); 2, location (a
place where you are, were or have been), and 2, state (a situation
that will never change). Example:
1. I am 42 years old. (Condition)
2. I am at home now. (Location)
3. I am a human being. (State)

17. Thank you!
E-mail: chzapata@ipb.upel.edu.ve
Twitter: @chingerzapata