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ENGLISH VERB

be back

to return, to be back

  • Irregular verb
  • Gerund: being back
  • Past participle: been back

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Simple present · now, habits and facts

  1. I I come back
  2. you you come back
  3. he, she, it he comes back
  4. we we come back
  5. they they come back

Past

Simple past · finished actions

  1. I I returned
  2. you you returned
  3. he, she, it he returned
  4. we we come back
  5. they they returned

Future

Future · “will”

  1. I I will return
  2. you you will return
  3. he, she, it he will return
  4. we we will return
  5. they they will return

Present perfect

Present perfect · “have done”

  1. I I have already returned
  2. you you have already returned
  3. he, she, it he has already returned
  4. we we have already returned
  5. they they have already returned

Conditional

Conditional · “would”

  1. I I would return
  2. you you would return
  3. he, she, it he would return
  4. we we would return
  5. they they would return

Imperative

Imperative · requests and orders

  1. Come back!

How to use be back

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    I am back from vacation, but my head isn't.

    I came back from vacation, but my head didn't.

  2. Past

    We were back home before midnight.

    We were back home before midnight.

  3. Future

    I will be back in ten minutes, wait here.

    I'll be back in ten minutes, wait here.

  4. Present continuous

    Being back in my hometown feels strange after ten years.

    Being back in my hometown is strange after ten years.

  5. Present perfect

    She has been back at work since Monday.

    She has been back at work since Monday.

  6. Conditional

    Dad would be back by now if the roads were clear.

    Dad would already be back if the roads were clear.

  7. Imperative

    Be back by ten, you have school tomorrow.

    Come back by ten; you have class tomorrow.

Good to know

  • "I'll be back" is "já volto"; "be back" is to be back, the result, while "come back" is the movement of returning.
  • "Be right back" (or "brb" in writing) is "volto já".

Where you hear be back

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

English for Brazilians · Intermediate Level 3

  • Okay, I'm back. Is the hall empty? Okay, I'm back. Is the hall empty?
  • I was back at seven forty-five. I was back at seven forty-five.
  • I'll be back at seven forty-five. I'll be back at seven forty-five.

English for Brazilians · Advanced Level 3

  • Okay, I'm back. Is the hall empty? Okay, I'm back. Is the hall empty?
  • I was back at seven forty-five. I was back at seven forty-five.
  • I'll be back at seven forty-five. I'll be back at seven forty-five.
22
The line started to grow

Intermediate Level 3 · be back by four-thirty

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The event ended, the task did not

Intermediate Level 3 · I'll be back

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If we had defined this earlier

Advanced Level 3 · The Wi-Fi password is back on the list. Omar asked.

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular verb.