Is, Am, Are: When to Use Each One (With 50 Sentences and a Tamil Comparison)

Quick answer: Am goes with I. Is goes with he, she, it, or any single name. Are goes with you, we, they, or anything plural. Tamil has no word in this position, which is why Tamil speakers skip it – but English cannot. Below: the rule, a Tamil comparison, 50 sentences, and a 3-day plan.

Why this tiny word causes such big trouble

On the first day of every Pre-Basic batch, the trainer asks learners to introduce themselves. And the trainer hears the same sentence, batch after batch:

“I Kavitha. I teacher. I from Coimbatore.”

Perfectly clear. Every word in the right order. And every sentence missing the same small thing.

It is not carelessness. In Tamil, நான் டீச்சர் is a complete, correct sentence. There is no word between நான் and டீச்சர். So when a Tamil speaker builds the English sentence, the brain reaches for a word that, in Tamil, does not exist – and finds nothing.

English is different. It always wants a linking word between the person and what you are saying about them. That word is is, am or are. Once you know that gap exists, you can fill it every time.

The only chart you need

That is the whole rule. Look at the person. Pick the word. Nothing else in the sentence changes it – not the time of day, not the length of the sentence, not whether it is a question.

One thing that surprises learners: you always takes are, even when you are talking to one person. “You are late” to a friend, “You are late” to the whole class. Same word.

Tamil vs English: where the word goes

Look at these pairs and notice that the English column always has one extra word the Tamil column does not.

Here is the trick our trainers give in class: say the sentence in Tamil first. Then, when you say it in English, add the word Tamil doesn’t have. Person, then is/am/are, then the rest. After a week it stops being a step and becomes a habit.

50 sentences with is, am and are

Say each one aloud. Do not read silently – the point is to get the word into your mouth, not your eyes.

Sentences with “am” (about yourself)

Sentences with “is” (one person or thing)

Sentences with “are” (you, we, they, plurals)

Questions and negatives (the two things nobody teaches)

Questions: move the word to the front. That is all.

Tamil speakers often keep the statement order and just raise the voice – “You are ready?” People will understand you, but it sounds unsure. Move the word and you sound confident.

Negatives: put not after the word. In speaking, we shorten.

3 mistakes trainers hear in every Pre-Basic batch

Mistake 1: leaving it out. “I teacher.” “She doctor.” “Food ready.” This is Tamil grammar walking into English. The fix is the habit above: person, then the word, then the rest.

Mistake 2: the wrong match. “My friends is coming.” “He are busy.” Usually this happens when the sentence gets long and the learner loses track of who it is about. Find the person, ignore everything else, pick the word.

Mistake 3: question order. “You are coming?” instead of “Are you coming?” Understandable, but it sounds hesitant. Move the word to the front and let your voice rise at the end.

And one small one: “I am agree” – no. Agree is a verb, so it is “I agree.” Same with “I am understand.” Just “I understand.”

Your 3-day practice plan

Day 1: Ten “I am” sentences about yourself – name, job, city, age, mood. Say them aloud, twice.

Day 2: Describe ten people with is and are – your family, your neighbours, a film star. “Vijay is an actor. My parents are in Salem.”

Day 3: Ask ten questions to a real person. “Are you busy? Is the shop open? Are the children home?”

Three days. Thirty sentences. After that the word will start to appear on its own – which is exactly what we want.

When self-practice is not enough

This rule is simple to read and surprisingly hard to make automatic, because Tamil keeps pulling you back to the sentence without the word. Reading a chart does not fix that. Saying a hundred sentences with someone correcting you does.

That is what our Pre-Basic level is built for – is/am/are is literally Day 1 of the course. Your trainer explains it in Tamil, you practise it in English every day on WhatsApp, and by week two you stop thinking about it. If you want to hear it explained in your own language first, our spoken English classes in Tamil page has the details.

Final thoughts and your next step

One small word. One simple rule: I → am, one person or thing → is, everyone else → are. And one reason Tamil speakers struggle with it – Tamil doesn’t have it.

Now that you know the gap is there, you can fill it. Start with the ten “I am” sentences tonight.

And if you would rather have someone check your sentences as you go, send “Hi” on WhatsApp for a free level test in Tamil. Five minutes, no payment.