Is vs Are: Easy Grammar Rules, Differences & Examples

Choosing between is vs are can be confusing, especially when a sentence contains multiple nouns or a longer subject. The basic rule is simple: is is generally used with singular subjects, while are is used with plural subjects and with “you” and “we.” In this guide, you’ll learn the difference between is and are, when to use each one, common mistakes to avoid, and easy examples that make the rules simple to understand.

Is vs are is one of the most common English grammar questions. The difference between is and are mainly depends on the subject of a sentence and whether it is singular or plural.

Key Takeaways

• Use is with singular third-person subjects: “The car is new.”
• Use are with plural subjects: “The cars are new.”
• You always takes are, whether it refers to one person or several people.
• Find the real subject before choosing the verb; the closest noun is not always the subject.
• Special structures such as there is/there are, collective nouns, and either/or require extra attention.

What Is the Difference Between Is and Are?

The difference between is and are is mainly a matter of subject-verb agreement. In English, the verb form should agree with the subject in number and person. Cambridge Grammar describes this as agreement between the person and number of the subject and the verb.

Both is and are come from the verb “to be” and are used in the present tense.

Compare:

• The student is ready.
• The students are ready.

“Student” refers to one person, so is is correct. “Students” refers to more than one person, so are is correct.

The basic rule is simple:

Singular third-person subject → is
Plural subject → are

However, English has a few situations that can make this choice less obvious.

When to Use “Is”

Use is when the subject is singular and in the third person.

Singular Nouns

A singular noun normally takes is.

Examples:

• The dog is hungry.
• My brother is at work.
• The house is beautiful.
• This computer is expensive.
• The book is on the table.

The subject may contain additional words, but the main noun still controls the verb.

For example:

The list of books is on my desk.

The word “books” is plural, but it is not the main subject. The subject is “list,” which is singular. Therefore, is is correct.

Singular Pronouns

Third-person singular pronouns also take is:

• He is happy.
• She is tired.
• It is cold.

This pattern is especially useful when speaking or writing about people, objects, animals, or situations.

Uncountable Nouns

Many uncountable or mass nouns are treated as singular in English and therefore use is.

Examples include:

• The information is useful.
• The water is cold.
• The furniture is expensive.
• The advice is helpful.
• The money is missing.

You can make these nouns plural by adding a countable expression:

• The pieces of information are useful.
• The bottles of water are cold.
• The pieces of furniture are expensive.

When to Use “Are”

Use are with plural subjects and with certain pronouns.

Plural Nouns

Plural nouns normally take are.

Examples:

• The dogs are hungry.
• My friends are here.
• The books are on the shelf.
• These cars are expensive.
• The children are playing outside.

The subject refers to more than one person, animal, object, or idea, so are is required.

Plural Pronouns

Use are with we and they:

• We are ready.
• We are students.
• They are happy.
• They are waiting outside.

The Pronoun “You”

One common source of confusion is you.

“You” always takes are, whether you are talking to one person or several people.

• You are my best friend.
• You are my friends.
• You are correct.
• You are invited.

You should not say:

• “You is correct.”

The correct sentence is:

• “You are correct.”

Is And Are: Quick Comparison Table

Subject	Correct Verb	Example
He	is	He is busy.
She	is	She is ready.
It	is	It is cold.
One person	is	The teacher is here.
One thing	is	The phone is new.
We	are	We are ready.
You	are	You are helpful.
They	are	They are outside.
Plural nouns	are	The students are here.
I	am	I am tired.

Notice that I does not use either “is” or “are.” The correct form is am:

• I am happy.
• I am ready.
• I am a student.

This gives you the basic present-tense pattern: I am, you are, he/she/it is, we are, they are.

Is And Are in Common Sentence Patterns

Some sentence structures make the choice less obvious.

With there is and there are, look at the noun that follows the phrase.

Use there is with a singular noun:

• There is a problem.
• There is a book on the desk.
• There is one student outside.

Use there are with a plural noun:

• There are two problems.
• There are several books on the desk.
• There are five students outside.

Cambridge Grammar explains that “there” can function as a dummy subject while the noun that follows represents what exists.

Compound Subjects With “And”

When two subjects are joined by and, the subject is normally plural, so use are.

• John and Mary are friends.
• The dog and cat are sleeping.
• My brother and sister are doctors.

The same principle applies when two singular nouns are combined:

The manager and the assistant are here.

Although “manager” and “assistant” are each singular, together they refer to two people.

Either/Or and Neither/Nor

Structures using either/or and neither/nor can be more difficult.

When both choices are singular, use is:

• Either the red shirt or the blue shirt is acceptable.
• Neither the manager nor the assistant is available.

When the subjects differ in number, formal agreement generally follows the subject closest to the verb:

• Either the teacher or the students are responsible.
• Either the students or the teacher is responsible.

Grammarly also recommends paying attention to the noun closest to the verb in these constructions.

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns refer to groups, such as team, family, committee, company, and group.

In American English, these nouns are commonly treated as singular when the group is considered one unit:

• The team is ready.
• The family is traveling.
• The committee is meeting today.
• The company is growing.

English varieties can differ in how collective nouns are treated. Cambridge notes that some group nouns can take either singular or plural agreement depending on usage and meaning.

For American English writing, treating a collective noun as singular is generally the safest standard choice when the group acts as one unit.

“A Number Of” and “The Number Of”

This is an especially useful distinction.

A number of means “many,” so it takes a plural verb:

• A number of students are absent.
• A number of people are waiting.

The number of refers to the quantity itself, so it takes a singular verb:

• The number of students is increasing.
• The number of applicants is higher this year.

A quick memory trick is:

• A number of → are
• The number of → is

Common Is And Are Mistakes

One of the most common mistakes is choosing the verb based on the nearest noun instead of the actual subject.

Incorrect:

The list of names are on the table.

Correct:

The list of names is on the table.

Why? The subject is list, not “names.”

Another common mistake is using is with “you”:

Incorrect:

You is very helpful.

Correct:

You are very helpful.

A third mistake occurs with compound subjects:

Incorrect:

Tom and Sarah is here.

Correct:

Tom and Sarah are here.

Purdue OWL similarly emphasizes identifying the subject and matching the verb to its number.

How to Choose Is or Are Quickly

When you are unsure, use this five-step method:

1. Find the subject.
   Ask who or what the sentence is about.
2. Ignore extra phrases.
   Words such as “of,” “with,” “including,” and “along with” can place other nouns between the subject and verb.
3. Decide whether the subject is singular or plural.
4. Check the pronoun.
   Remember: I am, you are, he/she/it is, we are, and they are.
5. Check for a special construction.
   Pay extra attention to “there is/there are,” collective nouns, “either/or,” “neither/nor,” and phrases such as “a number of.”

For example:

The box of old photographs is heavy.

The subject is box, not “photographs.” Because “box” is singular, the correct form is is.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it “everyone is” or “everyone are”?

The correct form is “everyone is.” Although “everyone” refers to many people, it is grammatically treated as a singular indefinite pronoun.

• Everyone is welcome.
• Everyone is ready.

Is it “information is” or “information are”?

Use “information is.” “Information” is an uncountable noun in standard English.

• The information is correct.
• The information is available online.

If you are referring to separate items, use a countable expression such as “pieces of information”: The pieces of information are useful.

Do you say “you is” or “you are”?

Always use “you are.” This applies whether “you” refers to one person or multiple people.

• You are my friend.
• You are my friends.

Is “there is” or “there are” correct?

Both can be correct. Use there is with a singular noun and there are with a plural noun.

• There is a problem.
• There are several problems.

Is “the number of” followed by is or are?

Use “the number of … is.”

• The number of visitors is increasing.
• The number of students is declining.

By contrast, “a number of … are” is plural:

• A number of visitors are waiting.

Conclusion

Choosing between is and are becomes much easier when you focus on the subject of the sentence. Use is with singular third-person subjects, while are generally goes with plural subjects, “you,” and “we.” Remember that I takes am.

The most important habit is to identify the real subject before choosing the verb. Once you can separate the subject from distracting nouns and recognize special patterns such as “there are,” “a number of,” and compound subjects, most is-are questions become straightforward.