Is vs. Are: When to Use “Are” or “Is” (with Examples)

“Is” and “are” are both forms of the verb “to be,” but they are used differently based on the subject of the sentence. Here’s how to distinguish between them:

Is vs. Are: Know the Difference

Quick Tips:

• Use “is” with singular subjects and non-countable nouns.
• Use “are” with plural subjects and the pronouns “you” and “they.”
• When in doubt, check whether your subject is singular or plural.

Is vs. Are | Definition, Usage

Is:

• Meaning: The singular form of the verb “to be.”
• Use: Used with singular subjects (one person, thing, or entity) or non-countable nouns.
• Examples:
  • “She is a teacher.”
  • “The cat is on the bed.”
  • “Water is essential for life.”
• Explanation: “Is” is used when the subject is singular, meaning there is only one person or thing being described.

Are:

• Meaning: The plural form of the verb “to be.”
• Use: Used with plural subjects (more than one person, thing, or entity) or with the pronouns “you” and “they.”
• Examples:
  • “They are my friends.”
  • “The books are on the shelf.”
  • “You are going to the party, right?”
• Explanation: “Are” is used when the subject is plural, meaning there is more than one person or thing being described, or when addressing “you” (whether singular or plural).

Is vs. Are | Discussing the Differences

IS is the form of a verb to be that is used for singular nouns, while ARE is the form used for plural nouns.

So far, everything is pretty obvious. When you have a singular noun, you need to use is, e.g. The girl is intelligent, the cat is running in the yard. When you have a plural noun or more than one singular noun, use are, e.g. Her sons are at school, the boy and the dog are playing.

But what happens with collective nouns? Collective nouns are those that, even though describing a group of people, are still singular. An example is the noun team: a team consists of many players, and yet this is a singular noun. Because it’s singular, you still need to use is with it. Other examples would be sentences like “A couple is buying a new fridge” and “The committee is having a meeting right now“.

Sometimes, however, you can see an are after a collective noun. This can happen in American English if the writer wants to emphasize that this collective noun refers to more than one person. For instance, you might come across a sentence, “The couple aren’t being honest with each other“.

The English language also has mass, or uncountable nouns. These, as their name suggests, can’t be counted. For example, you can’t say that you have “two waters” or “two moneys”: these are two examples of mass nouns. They are followed by is in both British and American English, So, you would say, “Water is necessary for people to live” and “Money is the root of all evil”.

Now, what about phrases, such as a number of, a pair of, a group of?

Here, it might not be as obvious or as easy as it seems. With a number of, even though “number” is singular, it’s best to use are, e.g. “A number of students are reading this book now“. Other phrases, such as a group of, can take both is and are, depending on what you want to emphasize on. If your emphasis is on the group, then you should choose is, e.g. “This group of teachers is inspirational“. But when your emphasis is on individuals, you should go for are, e.g. “A bunch of teachers are changing their workplace this year“. Finally, with a pair of, it’s best to use is, e.g. “This pair of shoes is the last one“.

Common Mistakes with “Is” and “Are”

Using “is” with plural subjects:

• Incorrect: “The dogs is barking.”
• Correct: “The dogs are barking.”
• Explanation: “Dogs” is a plural noun, so “are” should be used.

Using “are” with singular subjects:

• Incorrect: “The car are parked outside.”
• Correct: “The car is parked outside.”
• Explanation: “Car” is a singular noun, so “is” should be used.

Confusing “is” and “are” when referring to collective nouns:

• Incorrect: “The team are playing well.”
• Correct (American English): “The team is playing well.”
• Explanation: In American English, collective nouns like “team” are treated as singular, so “is” is used. In British English, however, “are” may be used when emphasizing the individual members of the team.

There Is vs. There Are

One thing that can cause confusion is the difference between there is and there are. To be safe and correct, look at what goes after this phrase and choose the verb according to the rules discussed previously. For example, a cat is singular, so the correct sentence to write would be, “There is a cat on the roof“. On the other hand, books are plural, so you would write, “There are many books on the shelf“. The rules of collective and uncountable nouns, as well as of collective phrases, also stay the same.

Is vs. Are Examples

• The fox is known by his brush.
• A good healthy body is worth more a crown in gold.
• I will look after her child when she is on a business trip.
• He is not really suited for a teaching career.
• There is a connection between pollution and the death of trees.
• You are never too old to learn.
• They are preparing for the presentation of a new musical.
• His children are very precious to him.
• We are growing impatient with the lack of results.
• There are two sides to every question.

Quiz

Let’s dive into the quiz. We’ll present you with six sentences where you have to decide whether to use “is” or “are”. Don’t worry if you’re unsure, we’ll explain everything afterward. Ready? Let’s begin.

1. “Everyone ___ here.”
2. “Some of the equipment ___ heavy.”
3. “These flowers ___ lovely.”
4. “___ anybody home?”
5. “All the phone lines ___ busy.”
6. “None of this information ___ correct.”

Got your answers? Let’s reveal the correct choices:

1. “Everyone is here.”
2. “Some of the equipment is heavy.”
3. “These flowers are lovely.”
4. “Is anybody home?”
5. “All the phone lines are busy.”
6. “None of this information is correct.”

If you didn’t understand why these are the correct answers or if you got one of them wrong, stick around, as we’ll dive deeper into the explanations. We want to ensure you understand, so let’s examine three areas where you might make mistakes with the verb “to be.”