Distinguishing Between “Is” & “Are” in English Grammar

Is vs Are in English Grammar

Is and Are are two words that are used differently as singular and plural respectively. Both ‘is’ and ‘are’ are forms of the root ‘to be’ and are known as auxiliary verbs. ‘Is’ is the singular form of ‘to be’, while ‘are’ is the plural form of ‘to be’. ‘Is’ is used in present tense, as in the sentence “He is in America,” which conveys the idea that he is presently in America.

On the other hand, ‘are’ is the plural form of the auxiliary verb ‘is’ and is used in present tense, as in the sentence “Francis and Robert are in the park.” In this case, the verb ‘are’ is used in present tense, conveying the idea that they are presently in a park.

The verb ‘is’ is also used in questions, such as “Is it good or bad?” and in confirmative assertions, like “Yes, it is.” The verb ‘was’ is used in questions as well, like “Was it right or wrong?” and in confirmative assertions, like “Yes, it was.”

Key Takeaways

• ‘Is’ is the singular form of ‘to be’, while ‘are’ is the plural form of ‘to be.’
• ‘Is’ is used in present tense, while ‘are’ is used as the plural form of the auxiliary verb ‘is’ in present tense.
• Both ‘is’ and ‘are’ can be used in questions, confirmative assertions, and exclamatory sentences.

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