Most Common English Words (no. 2)

Can you guess what the next most common word in the English language is? If your guess is “a” or “an”, which are words that have similar use to “the”, sorry but you guessed wrong.

The next most common word is “be“. It includes words like “is“, “was“, and “am“. “Be” is a helping verb or a verb that is used with other verbs. It is used to form continuous tenses and the passive voice.

  • The treasure was found in the pyramid. (passive voice)
  • He is reading a book. (present continuous)

Be” can also be used on it’s own and it has a few definitions. First, it means equal in meaning.

  • January is the first month.
  • The tickets to the concerts were ¥10,000.

It also means to occur or take a space.

  • The party will be on December 25.
  • The cat is on the sofa.

The next word on the list is also a two-letter word like “be“. Can you guess what it is?