Progressive aspect: be + -ing

Gist. be as a non-passive auxiliary (aux) requires the -ing form: is working, were running. A base form after be (✗ they are find, ✗ he is hate, ✗ if you're get) is a text error (VERB:FORM) or a wrong annotation. The only legitimate "be + infinitive" is the be to construction with the particle to: He was to leave at noon. EWT annotates was here as aux of the infinitive.

Conditions and exceptions.

• The passive be + VBN is aux:pass (see Passive: nsubj:pass and aux:pass — only with a VBN participle).
• is being done is a progressive passive: is — aux, being — aux:pass, the head is VBN.

Examples.

• ✗ they are find more interest in oil drilling
• ✓ The United States was to cut its level.

Check against gold. EWT 2.18: be + VB, VBD, VBZ or VBP without to — 16/5, all five are text errors.

Sources. P17-1074 (VERB:FORM); UD _en/dep/aux_.md; 2025.law-1.14 (confusion of the perfect with a copula in LLM annotation).

rule: en.errors.be-progressive
what: after the auxiliary be, a base or finite form without to (they are find) — should be -ing
match: v[upos=VERB, xpos=VB|VBD|VBZ|VBP]; b[lemma=be, rel=aux, head=v]
require: exists t[form=to, rel=mark, head=v]
severity: warn
source: P17-1074 (VERB:FORM); UD _en/dep/aux_.md

This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/en/seeds/errors/progressive-be-vbg/