To be in English: am, is and are (chart and examples)

Am, is and are are the verb be now. It is the first verb you need in English. You use it for your name, your age, your job, how you feel and where you are.

The chart: am, is, are

Look at the word before the verb. It tells you the form.

Who	Be	Example
		I am Ana.
		You are late.
/ /		She is a teacher.
/ ( )		We are friends.
		They are at home.

Only three forms. I has its own form, am. One person or thing takes is. You and more than one take are.

Tom is here. (Tom = he)
Tom and Ana are here. (Tom and Ana = they)
The house is big. (the house = it)

Short forms: I'm, you're, he's

When we speak, we join the two words. The apostrophe (') shows a letter is missing.

Long form	Short form
	'm
	're
	's
	's
	's
	're
	're

Short forms are normal in speech, messages and emails. Long forms are for careful writing, or to make a word strong: I am ready!

Negatives: not

Put not after am, is or are.

Long form	Short form
	'm
	aren't / 're
	isn't / 's
	isn't / 's
	aren't / 're

I'm not tired.
Tom isn't here.
They aren't at home.

There is no short form amn't. Say I'm not.

Questions and short answers

For a question, put the verb first.

Statement	Question
You are okay.	Are you okay?
Tom is here.	Is Tom here?
They are at home.	Are they at home?

Answer with yes or no and the short answer:

Question	Yes	No
Are you okay?	Yes, I am.	No, I'm not.
Is she here?	Yes, she is.	No, she isn't.
Is it good?	Yes, it is.	No, it isn't.
Are they late?	Yes, they are.	No, they aren't.

A yes short answer always ends with the long form: Yes, I am. Never Yes, I'm.

With a question word, the word goes first: Where are you? How are you? Who is that?

Five jobs for be

Job	Example
	I'm Sam.
	I'm twenty.
	She's a doctor.
	We're happy.
	They're in London.

Two of these need care.

. English uses be, not have: I am twenty. Not I have twenty years.

. For one person, put a or an before the job: He's a teacher. She's an artist. Not He's teacher.

Feelings like hungry, cold and tired also use be: I'm hungry. Are you cold?

Common mistakes

Wrong	Right	Why
I have twenty years.	I'm twenty.	.
He teacher.	He's a teacher.	verb.
She's teacher.	She's a teacher.	: .
Yes, I'm.	Yes, I am.	.
I amn't ready.	I'm not ready.	amn't.
You is late.	You are late.	.
Tom and Ana is here.	Tom and Ana are here.	.

The second one is the big one. Many languages can say He teacher or I happy with no verb. English cannot. Every sentence needs a verb, and here the verb is be.

What to do next

Say the chart out loud: I am, you are, he is, she is, it is, we are, they are.
Do the drills below.
Next: there is and there are. For the past (was, were), see the past simple.

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/8

Look at the word before the gap. Pick am, is or are.

I here.
You right.
Tom okay.
It good.
We here now.
They with Sam.
The man here.
Tom and Ana okay.

Matching

0/6

Match the long form to the short form.

Pick the right one

0/4

Make it negative. Pick the right sentence.

I am okay.
Tom is here.
They are with me.
It is my thing.

Matching

0/5

Match each question to its answer.

Pick the right one

0/3

Pick the right one.

Tom is here. (Make it a question.)
Are you okay? Yes,
Is Ana here? No,

Frequently asked questions

When do I use am, is and are?

Look at the word before the verb. I takes am. He, she, it and one person or thing take is. You, we, they and two or more people take are. There are no other forms in the present.

What is the short form of I am?

I'm. The other short forms are you're, he's, she's, it's, we're and they're. We use them all the time when we speak, and in emails and messages.

Can I say Yes, I'm?

No. At the end of a short answer, use the long form: Yes, I am. Yes, he is. Short forms are fine in negative short answers: No, I'm not. No, he isn't.

Is it I have twenty years or I am twenty?

I am twenty. In English, age goes with be, not have. You can also say I'm twenty years old, but I'm twenty is the most common.

What is the past of am, is and are?

Was and were: I was, he was, you were, they were. They are on the past simple page. This page is about now.