In English grammar, “will be” works as a verb phrase: “will” is an auxiliary and “be” is the main verb.
You’ve seen “will be” a million times, yet it still trips people up in homework, quizzes, and editing. Part of the confusion is that English lets a “verb” mean two different things in casual talk:
- The single word that carries tense, like walked
- The whole verb phrase, like will be walking
This article clears up both meanings, shows how teachers and grammar books label “will” and “be,” and gives you quick tests you can run on any sentence in seconds.
Quick Labels For “Will” And “Be” In Real Sentences
Here’s the fast map. Use it when you’re tagging parts of speech or checking if a sentence has a complete verb phrase.
| What You See | What It’s Doing | How To Label It |
|---|---|---|
| will + base verb | Marks time/meaning for the verb phrase | will = auxiliary (modal) |
| will be + noun/adjective | Links the subject to a description | be = main verb (linking) |
| will be + -ing | Builds a future progressive form | will = auxiliary, be = auxiliary helping -ing verb |
| will be + past participle | Builds a passive form | will = auxiliary, be = auxiliary for passive |
| Will + subject + verb? | Forms a question by flipping word order | will = auxiliary used for inversion |
| will not / won’t + verb | Adds negation to the verb phrase | will = auxiliary, “not” = negator |
| be (alone) | Acts as the only verb in the clause | be = main verb |
| Will (as a noun) | Names desire/intent, not an action word | will = noun (not a verb) |
What Counts As A Verb In English Class
Most school grammar treats a verb as the “engine” of the clause. That engine can be one word, or it can be a stack of words working as one unit. Dictionaries describe a verb as a word that shows action, an event, or a state of being. You can see that core idea in Merriam-Webster’s definition of verb.
In day-to-day sentences, English often uses a helper + main verb pairing. The helper carries extra meaning like time, certainty, willingness, or a question form. The main verb carries the core idea: being, doing, happening.
So when someone asks, “Is ‘will be’ a verb?”, the clean answer is: it’s a verb phrase. Inside that phrase, “will” and “be” can play different roles depending on what comes next.
Is Will Be A Verb?
Yes in the sense that the two words together function as the clause’s verb phrase. In a sentence like “She will be late,” the verb phrase is “will be,” and it tells you what’s true of “she.”
But if your assignment wants parts of speech for each word, then split the phrase. “Will” is an auxiliary (a modal). “Be” is the main verb when it connects the subject to a description (“late,” “ready,” “a doctor”).
That split labeling matches how major references describe auxiliaries: an auxiliary verb is used with another verb to show tense, form questions, and more. Britannica’s dictionary definition of auxiliary verb lists “will” as one of those helpers.
Is “Will Be” A Verb Phrase In Grammar Work
In parsing and diagramming, teachers often circle the complete verb phrase. That’s where “will be” earns its place as “the verb” for the clause, even though it contains two words.
Try this quick check: can you move the whole chunk as one piece when you form a question?
- Statement: “They will be here soon.”
- Question: “Will they be here soon?”
That flip is a giveaway that “will” is acting like an auxiliary. It jumps to the front while “be” stays with the rest of the verb phrase.
One more check: add “not.” In English, “not” usually sits after the first auxiliary.
- “They will not be here soon.”
- “They won’t be here soon.”
If “not” tucks in right after “will,” you’re dealing with an auxiliary + verb structure.
When “Be” Is The Main Verb And When It’s A Helper
“Be” is slippery because it can stand alone as a main verb or team up as a helper inside a longer verb phrase.
Be As A Main Verb
When “be” links the subject to a noun or adjective, it’s the main verb in that clause.
- “I am calm.”
- “They were students.”
- “She will be a pilot.”
In those sentences, “be” carries the core meaning: a state of being or identity.
Be As A Helper Verb
When “be” helps build another form, it’s acting as an auxiliary too.
- Future progressive: “She will be running at 6.”
- Passive voice: “The gate will be closed at noon.”
In “will be running,” the main verb idea sits in “running.” In “will be closed,” the past participle “closed” carries the action idea in passive form.
What “Will” Does In The Verb Phrase
“Will” is a modal auxiliary. It does not take -s, -ed, or -ing forms. It stays “will,” and it’s followed by a base verb form. Cambridge’s grammar notes this pattern in its entry on will.
That one fact helps you spot “will” fast. If a word stays fixed and the next verb stays in base form, you’re likely looking at a modal auxiliary.
“Will” can express plain future time (“I will call”), a decision made on the spot (“I’ll take it”), willingness (“I’ll help you”), or a request (“Will you open the window?”). The exact shade depends on context, but the grammar job stays the same: it sets up the verb phrase that follows.
Common Mix-Ups And How To Fix Them
Most mistakes come from mixing “tense words” with “verb words,” or from tagging every word in the phrase as a main verb. Here are the patterns that show up again and again.
Mix-Up: Calling “Will” The Main Verb
If your teacher wants the main verb, look for the word that carries the core meaning after the auxiliary. In “will be,” the main verb is “be.” In “will eat,” the main verb is “eat.” “Will” is the helper.
Mix-Up: Treating “Will Be” As One Word
It’s a unit for function, not a single part of speech. For “verb phrase” questions, you can keep it together. For “label each word” questions, you split it: auxiliary + verb.
Mix-Up: Forgetting The Verb After “Will” Must Be Base Form
Write “will go,” not “will goes.” Write “will be,” not “will being.” When you need -ing, you attach it to the next verb, and “be” steps in as the helper: “will be going.”
Mix-Up: Confusing “Will” The Modal With “Will” The Noun
These are different words that share spelling. In “He signed a will,” it’s a noun. In “He will sign,” it’s an auxiliary verb.
Fast Tests You Can Use On Any Sentence
If you’re stuck on a worksheet and your brain feels fried, use these quick moves. They take seconds and they work on most classroom tasks.
Test 1: Make It Negative
Insert “not.” If “not” sits after “will,” then “will” is acting as the first auxiliary.
Test 2: Make It A Question
Flip the subject and “will.” If that sounds normal, you’ve got an auxiliary.
Test 3: Replace “Will” With Another Modal
Swap in “can,” “may,” or “must.” If the structure still works, “will” is in the modal slot.
- “She will be ready.” → “She can be ready.”
- “They will go.” → “They must go.”
Test 4: Ask “What’s The Core Action Or State?”
That word is your main verb. In “will be,” it’s “be.” In “will be studying,” it’s “studying.”
Quick Pattern Guide For Tagging “Will Be”
Use this chart when you need a clean label in a sentence, like in a parts-of-speech table, a diagram, or a grammar quiz.
| Sentence Pattern | Label “Will” | Label “Be” |
|---|---|---|
| Subject + will be + adjective | Auxiliary (modal) | Main verb (linking) |
| Subject + will be + noun | Auxiliary (modal) | Main verb (linking) |
| Subject + will be + prepositional phrase | Auxiliary (modal) | Main verb (linking) |
| Subject + will be + -ing verb | Auxiliary (modal) | Auxiliary (progressive helper) |
| Subject + will be + past participle | Auxiliary (modal) | Auxiliary (passive helper) |
| Will + subject + be + complement? | Auxiliary used for inversion | Main verb or auxiliary, based on complement |
| Subject + won’t + be + complement | Auxiliary (modal) with negation | Main verb or auxiliary, based on complement |
Mini Practice Set With Answers
Try these fast. After each one, name (1) the verb phrase, then (2) the role of “will,” then (3) the role of “be.”
Practice Sentences
- “Our seats will be near the front.”
- “The train will be leaving at 7.”
- “The forms will be signed by noon.”
- “Will Maya be at the meeting?”
- “I won’t be late.”
Answer Check
- 1: Verb phrase = “will be.” Will = auxiliary. Be = main verb (linking).
- 2: Verb phrase = “will be leaving.” Will = auxiliary. Be = auxiliary helping “leaving.”
- 3: Verb phrase = “will be signed.” Will = auxiliary. Be = auxiliary helping passive “signed.”
- 4: Verb phrase = “will be.” Will = auxiliary in question form. Be = main verb (linking) if followed by a complement.
- 5: Verb phrase = “won’t be.” Will = auxiliary with negation. Be = main verb (linking) with “late.”
Editing Checklist For “Will Be” Sentences
If you’re polishing writing, you can use “will be” correctly and still end up with mushy sentences. This checklist helps you tighten them while keeping the grammar clean.
- Check if “will be” is needed. If the time is clear, a present tense verb may read cleaner: “The doors close at 8.”
- Check for weak predicates. “Will be good” often benefits from a sharper adjective or a concrete detail.
- Check passive voice. “Will be delivered” is fine when the doer doesn’t matter. If the doer matters, name it: “The courier will deliver it.”
- Check time wording. Add a time marker when readers need it: “by Friday,” “at 6,” “next week.”
One More Time, In Plain Terms
When someone asks “is will be a verb?”, you can answer two ways, based on the task in front of you. If the task is “find the verb in the sentence,” “will be” counts as the verb phrase. If the task is “label each word,” “will” is an auxiliary (a modal), and “be” is the main verb when it links to a description, or a helper when it builds progressive or passive forms.
Once you start spotting the verb phrase as a unit, the labeling gets easy, and your grammar work stops feeling like guesswork.