Is vs Are: Difference and Comparison

There are many words in the English language which are used very commonly by people in their day-to-day life. Two such words are ‘Is’ and ‘are.’

Finding these two words in spoken or written communication is almost impossible while a person communicates.

Key Takeaways

1. “Is” is used with a singular subject, while “are” is used with a plural subject.
2. “Is” is the present tense of the verb “to be” for the third-person singular, while “are” is the present tense of the verb “to be” for the first-person plural, second-person plural, and third-person plural.
3. The choice between “is” and “are” depends on the sentence’s subject, and the subject’s number determines the verb that should be used.

Is vs. Are

“Are” is the plural form of the verb “to be”. It is used to link a plural subject to a predicate that describes or identifies it. “Are” is commonly used with plural subjects. “Is” is the third person singular form of the verb “to be”. It is used to link a singular subject to a predicate that describes or identifies it. “Is” is commonly used with third person singular subjects.

The word ‘is’ is used in a sentence with the subject or pronoun being singular. Besides this word being used in a place where a singular subject is seen, it is also used in many other contexts in a sentence.

The word ‘are is used in a sentence when the subject or pronoun is plural. Even though they are used only after plural nouns or pronouns, some tricky words are not plural, but the word ‘are is used after it.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Is	Are
Number of words	The word ‘is’ is two-lettered.	The word ‘are’ is three-lettered
Meaning	The word ‘is’ is used in a sentence when the noun or pronoun is in the singular form in a sentence.	The word ‘are’ is used in a sentence when the noun or pronoun is in plural form in a sentence.
Example of suffix	The word ‘is’ a part of many words as it suffixes such as hypothesis, paralysis, etc.	The word ‘are’ is part of many words as its suffix, such as bare, glare, fare, care, etc.
Form	Used for the singular form	Used for the plural form
Example	She is off to the party.	They are off to the party.

What is Is?

This word is used in a sentence with a singular subject or pronoun. Besides this word being used in a place where a singular subject is seen, it is also used in many other contexts in a sentence.

When in a sentence, there is the usage of either or before a subject in a sentence, then at that time, the word ‘is’ used in a sentence.

Follow are some examples where the word ‘is’ is used in a sentence-

1. What is your favorite hobby to do in your free time?
2. Is this your handbag which is on that table?
3. Everyone is going to the party tomorrow.
4. She is so Beautifully dressed in that gown.
5. This is the way to go to your village, I think.

What is Are?

The word ‘are is used in a sentence when the subject or pronoun is plural. Even though they are used only after plural nouns or pronouns, some tricky words are not plural, but the word ‘are is used after it.

This word is also used in a sentence where a sentence is connected by a compounded subject and has two issues together in One Sentence.

Following are some examples where the word ‘Are’ is used in a sentence-

1. What are those blue-colored things over there?
2. They are going to play football tomorrow.
3. Julie and some are coming with us to the Hospital.
4. What are the odds of them not going?
5. Those couples are so cute to look at.

Main Differences Between Is and Are

1. The word ‘is’ is for single forms. On the other hand, the word ‘are’ is for plural forms.
2. ‘She is going to college’ is an example of the word ‘are’ in a sentence, while ‘they are going to college’ is an example of the word ‘are’ in a sentence.

References

1. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/01621459.1955.10501299
2. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0146167293196003