Is, Am, Are Verbs (positive)

“Is,” “am,” and “are” are present-tense forms of to be verbs. “Am” is a first person singular, for instance, “I am,” while “is” is a third person singular (he is, she is). The verb “are” can be used as a first person plural, “we are,” as a second person singular and plural, “you are,” and as a third person plural, “they are.”

These verbs can either serve as linking or helping verbs. As linking verbs, they serve as a connection between the subject and noun in a sentence. As helping verbs, they assist the main verb in the sentence.

“Is”, “Am”, “Are” as Linking Verbs

Examples of “is,” “am,” and “are” as linking verbs are:

• My name is Stephen.
• I am a soldier.
• We are coming.
• She is married.

In the above example, you can see how the “is,” “am,” and “are” verbs are used to link the subject with the noun or adjective in the predicate.

“Is”, “Am”, “Are” as Helping Verbs

Example of “is,” “am,” and “are” as helping verbs:

• Asake is going to school.
• We are leaving for Miami.
• I am singing at the park tomorrow night.

The verbs “is,” “are,” and “am” served as auxiliary verbs to the main verbs, which are underlined in the examples above.”Is,” “are,” and “am” functioning as helping verbs appear before the action in the examples, which are: going, leaving, and singing.

Notes

To-be verbs such as is, am, and are must be used with specific personal pronouns. The pronoun “I” should precede the verb “am,” “you,” “we,” and “they” should be used with the verb “are,” and “he,” “she,” or “it” should be used alongside the verb “is.”

• I am his brother.
• You are a great artist.
• We are a family.
• They are professionals.
• He is a footballer.
• She is a dancer.
• It is beautiful.