All use of IS AM ARE in English: 4 unique situations

IS, AM & ARE are the most used verbs (helping and main) in English. In this post, we will learn how to use is, am, are in English.

Different use of
IS, AM, ARE

IS, AM & ARE are verbs that we use in the present tense in four different situations.

1. To describe a person or a thing in the present
2. To name/rename a person or a thing in the present
3. To say what someone is doing right now
4. To talk about what is done in the present

Before we look at these situations separately, let’s look at the nouns or pronouns we use with is, am, & are.

IS = he, she, it & all singular noun names (singular subject)
ARE = we, you, they & all plural noun names (plural subject)
AM = only used with ‘I’

Singular countable nouns: Rahul, Ashish, Jyoti, doctor, singer, mother, car, bus, table, etc.
Plural noun names: students, parents, teachers, sisters, brothers, cars, buses, tables, etc.

Use of is am are in English

1. To describe a person or a thing in the present

If you want to describe a person or a thing in the present, use is, am, are according to the subject and describe how the subject is.

Structure: Subject + is/am/are + adjective

Examples of “AM”

I am
smart
.
I am
very hardworking.
I am
happy
.
I am
extremely sad
.
I am
focused
.
I am
sorry
.

Note: words colored ‘red’ are adjectives or adjective phrases.

TIP: you can also use an adjective complement after the adjective too. It gives information about the adjective it complements.

I am
happy
for your promotion
.
I am
sad
to see this
.
I am
focused
for the match
.
I am
sorry
for your loss
.

Examples of “IS”

She is
beautiful
.
He is
talented
.
Jyoti is
extremely talented
in painting.
My father is
funny
.
That house is
huge
.
Her dog is
very tiny
.
It is
wonderful
to watch.
The weather is
pleasant
today.

Examples of “ARE”

You are
amazing
.
They are
coward
.
We are not
scared
.
Our teachers are
polite
to us.
His parents are
sweet
.
These boys are
notorious
.
You are
so sweet
.
They are
mean
to everyone.

NOTE: This is the first usage of is, am, are where we describe the subject in the present using an adjective or adjective phrase just after IS/AM/ARE.

2. To name/rename a person or a thing in the present

The second use of is, am, are is to rename a noun or a pronoun (subject) in the present. Here, we use a noun or noun phrase after is/am/are and give a name to the subject.

Structure: Subject + is/am/are + noun

Examples of ‘is/are/are’:

I am
a teacher
.
You are
my best friend.
Jyoti is
an artist.
I am
an English teacher.
We are
students
.
They are
my cousins
.
He is
a good friend of mine.
She is
my girlfriend.
It is
a great movie
.
Monu is
an amazing friend.
My parents are
teachers
.
These guys are
social workers.
Rahul is
a dancer.
Jon is
an MMA fighter.

Notice that we are using a noun or a noun phrase after is/are/are and giving a name to the subject in the present.

3. To say what someone is doing right now

The third use of ‘is, am, are‘ is to use them in the Present Continuous tense to talk about an action that is happening in the present. In the first two usages, these verbs work as a linking verb (main verb), and here, they work as an auxiliary verb (helping verb).

Structure: Subject + is/am/are + V1+ing

Examples of ‘is/am/are’:

I am
talking
to you.
You are
reading
this post.
We are
working
on a project.
They are
mocking
you.
She is
living
with me.
He is
playing
outside.
It is not
working
properly.
Jyoti is
painting
a stone in her room.
Archit is
talking
to his mother.
My parents are
watching
T.V.
Some kids are
playing
outside.

Note: we also use is/am/are to talk about something that is going to happen in near future; that is already planned.

We are going on a vacation soon.
They are coming tomorrow.
Shruti is taking the online class next week.

4. To talk about what is done in the present

The last use of ‘is, am are’ is to talk about what is done in the present. Here, the sentence are in the Present Indefinite tense passive voice.

Structure: Subject + is/am/are + V3 + (by the doer)

So, here are the four uses of is, am & are. Try the practice questions below to check your understanding of the topic.

Examples:

The company pays him on time. (Present Indefinite tense, active voice)
He is paid on time (by the company). (Present Indefinite tense, passive voice)

Everyone appreciates me for my work. (Present Indefinite tense, active voice)
I am appreciated for my work. (Present Indefinite tense, passive voice)
We train the students really well. (Present Indefinite tense, active voice)
The students are trained really well. (Present Indefinite tense, passive voice)

Note that in the passive voice, the focus is on the receiver of the action; the agent is not important and is generally not mentioned in the sentence.

More examples:

They are not loved.
She is ignored by her friends.
My videos are watched by millions of people.
Jon is considered the best MMA fighter.

Fill in the blanks using ‘is/am/are.’

We __ ready for the match.
She __ not giving up.
I __ a dancer.
They __ great friends.
Everyone __ waiting for you.
Nothing __ possible without dedication.
Jamie __ thinking about marrying you.
My parents __ not going anywhere.
India __ a beautiful country.
Most people __ mentally weak.
Everything __ possible to achieve.
Something __ bothering us.
Someone __ waiting for you at the stop.
We __ pumped up.
I __ writing a post.

Answers:-

NOTE
:
when referring to the present, always use ‘IS’ with the following indefinite pronouns

someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, something, anything, everything, nothing, somewhere, anywhere, everywhere, nowhere

Hope you enjoyed the lesson! Feel free to share your question, doubt, or feedback in the comment section, and also, share the post with the people that need it.

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