English sentences that are expressed using verb to be are often translated into nominal sentences in Arabic, and verb to be does not appear at all in the present timeframe, e.g. “I am a student” is translated into (أنا طالبة); and “she is young” is translated into (هي صغيرة).

When talking about the past or the future, verb to be must appear in the sentence, e.g. “I was a student” is translated into (كنت طالبة); and “she was young” is translated into (كانت صغيرة). It should be noted that verb to be (كان) is an irregular verb, and we have to learn its conjugation.

منذ سنتين كنت طالبة في المدرسة الثانوية.

“Two years ago, I was a secondary school student.”

هذه السنة أنا في الصف الأول وفي السنة القادمة سأكون في الصف الثاني.

“This year, I am in the first grade; and next year I will be in the second grade.”

الطلاب سيكونون مستعدين للامتحان بعد أسبوع.

“Students will be ready for the examination after one week.”