To Be Verb Checker
Paste a draft to highlight every form of to be — am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being and the contractions 'm, 're, 's — in five colours by how it is used, with the density per 100 words, the sentences that carry the most, and the verb to try where a phrase like is a reflection of hides one. Free, no sign-up.
Runs entirely in your browser — your text is never uploaded.
Paste or type some text to see its to-be verbs — am, is, are, was, were, be, been and being — and where a stronger verb may be hiding.
How to Use the To Be Verb Checker
- Paste your text. A paragraph shows the pattern; a whole paper gives you a density you can compare between drafts. Everything runs in your browser.
- Read the colours. Amber is a linking use (is a student), violet a passive (was written), blue a progressive (is running), rose a there is sentence, and green a dummy it (it is clear that). Hover over a highlight to see what to ask about it.
- Check the numbers. The cards give the count, the rate per 100 words, the share of sentences that contain one, and the average per sentence. A list under the text shows the sentences with three or more.
- Revise selectively. Where the checker shows a phrase with a verb inside it, try that verb. Elsewhere, ask the question in the table. Keep every to-be verb that earns its place.
What Counts as a To Be Verb
To be is English's most irregular verb: be is its base form, am, is, are the present, was, were the past, been the perfect participle and being the -ing form. The checker also counts the contractions that stand for them — I'm, you're, we're, they're and he's, she's, it's, that's, there's — and the negatives isn't, aren't, wasn't, weren't. It leaves it's been and she's got alone, because there the 's is has. It does not count have, do, become, seem or appear, even though some writers lump the last three in with to be as linking verbs.
Five Uses and What to Ask About Each
| Use | Example | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Linking | The sample is small. The report is a measure of progress. | Is there a verb inside the noun or adjective that follows? Is a measure of → measures. |
| Passive | The data were collected in 2019. | Who collected them? Name the actor with an active verb, unless the actor is unknown or unimportant. |
| Progressive | Teachers are struggling. | Does the simple tense (struggle) say the same? Keep the progressive for an action under way now. |
| There is / there are | There are many reasons. | Can the real subject come first? Many reasons explain this. |
| Dummy it | It is clear that the effect is large. | Say the claim directly: The effect is large. |
The label is read from the word after the verb: a past participle makes it passive, an -ing verb progressive, an adjective or noun linking. That is a rule, not a parse, so is tired and is excited are treated as linking (a feeling, not an action done to the subject), and an unusual participle the lists do not know will show up as linking. Treat the colour as the question to ask, not a grammatical verdict.
Is There a Right Number?
No. Nobody has set a threshold, and the right density depends on what you are writing: definitions, methods sections and descriptions of data lean on is and are, while a narrative runs on action verbs. Use the rate to compare two drafts of the same piece, and spend your effort on the sentences the table lists first. A text with no to-be verbs at all would read as strained.
Worked Example
The Try an example paragraph has 71 words and 6 sentences. The checker finds 12 to-be verbs — 16.9 per 100 words, an average of 2 per sentence, with every sentence containing at least one — and lists two sentences with three each. Five are linking, three passive, two progressive, one a there are and one a dummy it. It also recognises three phrases with a verb inside: is a reflection of (reflect), is an indication of (indicate) and is in agreement with (agree with). Applying the prompts to three of the sentences:
Before
The new curriculum is a reflection of changing values, and it is an indication of broader reform.
After
The new curriculum reflects changing values and indicates broader reform.
Before
There are several reasons why the study is important.
After
The study matters for several reasons.
Before
The decision to exclude the data was made by the committee.
After
The committee decided to exclude the data.
The rewrites cut the count from five to none in those sentences and shorten each by a few words. They also show the limit of the exercise: The study matters is stronger, but the original The study is important was a perfectly good sentence, and a whole paper of matters, indicates, reflects would be tiresome in a different way.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the to be verbs?
- The forms of to be are be, am, is, are, was, were, been and being. In speech and informal writing they are often contracted: I'm, you're, he's, they're. They are used on their own to say what something is (The test is hard) and as helping verbs that build the passive (was written) and the progressive (is running).
- Are to be verbs bad?
- No. They are essential for definitions, descriptions and the passive and progressive tenses, and a paper with none would read oddly. The usual advice is narrower: when a sentence says is a reflection of or there are many students who, a stronger verb may be hiding in the noun or the clause, and finding it often makes the sentence shorter and more direct.
- How do I replace to be verbs with stronger verbs?
- Find the action the sentence is really about, often hidden in a noun (indication, decision, agreement) or an adjective, and make it the verb. The results are an indication of a trend becomes The results indicate a trend. For there is/are, put the real subject first. For a passive, name the actor. Keep the change only if the meaning and emphasis survive.
- Is “being” a to be verb?
- Yes. Being is the -ing form, used in is being tested (a progressive passive) and in phrases such as being a student. The checker counts it and marks it by the word that follows. A noun that merely ends in -ing, such as building or meaning, is not a form of to be and is not counted.
- Is a to be verb the same as passive voice?
- No. A passive needs a to-be verb plus a past participle (was collected), but most to-be verbs are not passive: The sample is small is active. This tool marks the passive uses in violet and counts every to-be verb. To check passives alone, use the Passive Voice Detector.
- How many to be verbs per sentence is too many?
- There is no agreed limit. Three or more in one sentence is a good sign it can be tightened, which is why the checker lists those sentences first. Across a whole text, compare the rate per 100 words between drafts of the same piece, not against a universal target.
- Is my text uploaded anywhere?
- No. The checker runs entirely in your browser; nothing you paste is sent to a server or stored.