GuidesLevel Pre-A12 min read
Am, is, are in English: how to use the verb to be
The verb “to be” becomes am, is, or are depending on the subject and describes who, what, or where something is. Positive, negative, and question forms, contractions, and common mistakes for Turkish speakers.
In English, the verb “to be” has three forms depending on the subject: “am” with I, “is” with he, she, and it, and “are” with you, we, and they: “I am a student.”, “She is at home.”, “They are happy.” The meaning Turkish expresses with endings such as “-im, -sin, -dir” is carried by this separate verb in English.
Positive sentences and contractions
In speech, the short forms are usually used: I'm, you're, he's, she's, it's, we're, they're. “I'm from Turkey.”, “It's cold today.”, “We're ready.” Both forms are correct in writing; formal texts more often use the full form (I am).
Negatives and questions
For a negative, add “not” after the verb: “I'm not tired.”, “He isn't here.”, “They aren't teachers.” In questions, the verb moves to the front: “Are you ready?”, “Is she your sister?” Short answers: “Yes, I am.”, “No, she isn't.” Positive short answers are not contracted: not “Yes, I'm”, but “Yes, I am.”
Common mistakes for Turkish speakers
Because Turkish can say “Ben öğrenciyim” in one word, the verb is often left out in English: not “I student”, but “I am a student”. Adjectives need “to be” too: not “She happy”, but “She is happy”. The second common mistake is using “to be” together with another verb: not “I am go to school”, but “I go to school”.
A short exercise
Introduce yourself in five sentences: your name, where you are from, your job or school, how you feel today, and where you are now. Use am, is, or are in each one. Then rewrite the same five sentences about a family member with “he” or “she”.
To keep going, see The first 30 sentences for English beginners and Introducing yourself in English: greetings, age, and answers to “How are you?”.
Frequently asked questions
What are “was” and “were”? They are the past forms of “to be”: “was” with I, he, she, and it, and “were” with you, we, and they: “I was at home yesterday.”
Are “there is” and “it is” the same? No. “There is” says that something exists (“There is a cat in the garden.”); “it is” describes something already known (“It is black.”).
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