Introduction

When we use the verb to be we can mean a lot of things, including, but not limited to:

  1. Identity: “I am Steve.”
  2. Inclusion/exclusion: “The tomato is a fruit.”
  3. Predication: “They are excellent.”
  4. Existence: “There is a reason.”
  5. Location: “She is there.”

To be, or not to be

The versatile roles to be plays can lead to ambiguity. For example, if I say “this food is good,” what do I really mean?

If I temporarily avoid using to be, I could specify: “you cooked this food skillfully,” “this food tastes good,” or “this food serves a positive moral purpose.”

E-prime

E-prime1 is English excluding all forms of to be.2 People advocate using E-prime for more precise language, such as the example above.

When (not) to use E-prime

E-prime, in eliminating the ambiguity of to be, fits well in technical writing. “Technical” here refers to a need for precision, and “writing” here refers to any medium of communication not in real time. While drafting a philosophy paper, engineering specification, or sensitive text, E-prime can help you clarify your thinking and meaning.

Last year, I tried to integrate E-prime into my everyday conversations. I no longer use E-prime when speaking face-to-face for 2 reasons:

  1. The awkward pause of trying to think of an alternative to to be can shift the tone and interrupt the flow of conversation.
  2. Avoiding to be can result in noticeably awkward phrases, especially in the heat of the moment grasping for alternatives to to be. “The tomato is a fruit” becomes “The tomato constitutes a member of the fruit family.” Oof.

Conclusion

If you are going to experiment with E-prime, I would suggest E-prime light. E-prime light is E-prime allowing to be to be used as an auxiliary verb: E-prime light allows “Y'all are sleeping on this new artist,” whereas E-prime does not. E-prime might help you improve your communication, or it might not be right for you.

  1. E-prime seems to come from the math tradition of using “prime” to denote a next related version of an entity, particularly a subset. “Prime” could also serve as a pun, as in “a prime (higher-quality) form of English.” ↩︎

  2. The irony of using to be in this definition is not lost upon me. ↩︎