Use of Is, Am, Are, Was, Were: Rules and Examples
Is, am, are, was and were are the forms of the verb to be. We use am, is and are to talk about the present, and was and were to talk about the past. The right form depends on the subject: I am, he/she/it is, you/we/they are; I/he/she/it was, you/we/they were.
The verb to be is the most common verb in English. It tells us who or what someone is, how they are, where they are, and how old they are. It also works as a helping verb in many other tenses. In this lesson you will learn every form, when to use each one, how to make negatives and questions, and the mistakes to avoid.
The Forms of the Verb "To Be"
Unlike other verbs, to be changes its form for different subjects in both the present and the past. Learn this table first.
| Subject | Present | Past | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | was | I am a student. / I was late. |
| You | are | were | You are right. / You were right. |
| He / She / It | is | was | She is tall. / She was tall. |
| We | are | were | We are friends. / We were friends. |
| They | are | were | They are here. / They were here. |
| Singular noun (Ravi, the book) | is | was | Ravi is at home. / The book was new. |
| Plural noun (the boys, my parents) | are | were | The boys are playing. / My parents were away. |
Am goes only with I. Is goes with he, she, it and any singular noun. Are goes with you, we, they and any plural noun. In the past, was goes with I, he, she, it and singular nouns, and were goes with you, we, they and plural nouns.
You always takes are or were, even when you are speaking to just one person. Say "You are my best friend", never "You is" or "You was".
Use of Is, Am, Are (Present)
We use am, is and are when we describe something true now, or something that is generally true.
1. To say who or what someone or something is
✅ I am a college student.
✅ Mr. Sharma is our English teacher.
✅ Delhi and Mumbai are big cities.
2. To describe feelings, qualities and conditions
✅ I am very hungry.
✅ The soup is hot.
✅ The children are excited about the holiday.
3. To give age, nationality, job and place
✅ My sister is fifteen years old.
✅ We are Indians.
✅ My father is a bank manager.
✅ The keys are on the table.
4. For weather, time and prices
✅ It is very hot today.
✅ It is half past nine.
✅ The tickets are ₹200 each.
Use of Was and Were (Past)
We use was and were to describe the state, condition, age or place of someone or something in the past. These are things that were true then, not now.
✅ I was at the railway station at six o’clock.
✅ She was very tired after the journey.
✅ We were in Chennai last December.
✅ The shops were closed yesterday because of the festival.
✅ You were absent on Monday.
In "if" sentences about unreal situations, formal English uses were for all subjects, including I, he, she and it.
✅ If I were you, I would apologise.
✅ If she were here, she would help us.
You can read more about the past forms in Simple Past Tense: Usage, Structure, and Examples.
Is, Am, Are, Was, Were as Main Verbs and Helping Verbs
The verb to be can be the main verb of a sentence, or it can be a helping (auxiliary) verb before another verb.
As a main verb
Here be links the subject to a noun, an adjective or a place. There is no other verb in the sentence.
✅ Priya is a doctor. (noun)
✅ The exam was easy. (adjective)
✅ The students are in the library. (place)
As a helping verb
Here be comes before an -ing form (continuous tenses) or a past participle (passive voice).
✅ I am reading a novel. (present continuous)
✅ They were playing cricket when it started to rain. (past continuous)
✅ This temple is visited by thousands of people. (passive)
✅ The letters were posted yesterday. (passive)
See The Present Continuous Tense for more on the -ing forms.
Negative Sentences with Is, Am, Are, Was, Were
To make a negative, put not after the verb. You do not need do, does or did with the verb to be.
| Full form | Short form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I am not | I’m not | I’m not ready. |
| is not | isn’t | He isn’t at home. |
| are not | aren’t | They aren’t late. |
| was not | wasn’t | It wasn’t difficult. |
| were not | weren’t | We weren’t there. |
✅ My brother is not a doctor.
✅ The buses aren’t running today.
✅ I wasn’t angry with you.
❌ I don’t am ready. → ✅ I am not ready.
❌ She doesn’t is here. → ✅ She isn’t here.
There is no short form "amn’t" in standard English. For I, use I’m not or I am not. Do not write "I amn’t".
Questions with Is, Am, Are, Was, Were
To ask a yes/no question, move the verb before the subject. Again, you do not need do, does or did. For Wh- questions, put the question word first.
| Statement | Yes/No question | Wh- question |
|---|---|---|
| You are late. | Are you late? | Why are you late? |
| She is a nurse. | Is she a nurse? | Where is she? |
| They were at school. | Were they at school? | When were they at school? |
| It was cold. | Was it cold? | How cold was it? |
✅ Are you hungry?
✅ Is your mother at home?
✅ Where were you last night?
❌ Do you are a student? → ✅ Are you a student?
❌ Did he was late? → ✅ Was he late?
"Aren’t I?" for the first person
In a negative question with I, standard English uses aren’t I? It sounds odd, but it is the accepted form. For a formal tone, say am I not?
✅ I’m on the list, aren’t I?
✅ Am I not on the list? (formal)
❌ I’m on the list, amn’t I?
Short Answers
In speech, we usually answer a yes/no question with a short answer. Use the same form of be as in the question, and never use the short form in a "Yes" answer.
| Question | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Are you tired? | Yes, I am. | No, I’m not. |
| Is he your cousin? | Yes, he is. | No, he isn’t. |
| Are they ready? | Yes, they are. | No, they aren’t. |
| Was it a good film? | Yes, it was. | No, it wasn’t. |
| Were you there? | Yes, I was. | No, I wasn’t. |
❌ "Yes, I’m." and "Yes, he’s." are wrong. ✅ Say "Yes, I am." and "Yes, he is."
There Is and There Are
We use there is (singular) and there are (plural) to say that something exists or is present. In the past, use there was and there were. The verb agrees with the noun that follows it.
✅ There is a pen on the desk.
✅ There are twenty students in my class.
✅ There was a power cut last night.
✅ There were many guests at the wedding.
❌ There is two books on the shelf. → ✅ There are two books on the shelf.
Read the full guide: There Is and There Are: The Complete Guide for Indian Learners.
Common Mistakes with the Verb "To Be"
❌ I is a student. → ✅ I am a student.
❌ He are my friend. → ✅ He is my friend.
❌ They was late. → ✅ They were late.
❌ You was right. → ✅ You were right.
❌ I am agree with you. → ✅ I agree with you. (agree is a verb; do not add am)
❌ I am having two brothers. → ✅ I have two brothers.
❌ I have 15 years. → ✅ I am 15 years old.
❌ She is knowing the answer. → ✅ She knows the answer.
❌ I am go to college. → ✅ I am going to college. / I go to college.
❌ My friends is coming. → ✅ My friends are coming.
Remember: with to be, use be + adjective/noun/place, as in "I am hungry" (not "I have hunger") and "I am afraid of dogs" (not "I have fear of dogs"). For more mistakes of this kind, read The Tense Mistakes Indians Make Most.
Practise What You Learnt
Try the printable worksheets for extra practice: Is, Am, Are Worksheet with Answers and Was and Were Worksheet with Answers. Not sure of your level? Take the free level test.
✍️ Quick Practice — Is, Am, Are, Was, Were
- I ___ twelve years old.
- Her parents ___ in Pune last week.
- My cat ___ very lazy.
- You ___ my best friend.
- The windows ___ open yesterday.
- ___ your sister a teacher? (present)
- We ___ not at home an hour ago.
- Correct the error: "They was playing in the park."
- Correct the error: "I am agree with your plan."
- Make this negative: "She is angry."
Answers: 1. am; 2. were; 3. is; 4. are; 5. were; 6. Is; 7. were; 8. They were playing in the park. 9. I agree with your plan. 10. She isn’t angry. / She is not angry.
Summary
Use am with I, is with he, she, it and singular nouns, and are with you, we, they and plural nouns. In the past, use was with I, he, she, it and were with you, we, they. The verb to be can be a main verb (She is a doctor) or a helping verb (She is working). Make negatives with not and questions by moving the verb before the subject, without do, does or did. Use there is/was with singular nouns and there are/were with plural nouns, and never say "I am agree" or "I have 15 years".