Am, is and are

Approximate A1 · editorial content label, not a certified rating.

Use be to identify someone, describe a state or give a location. I takes am; he, she and it take is; you, we and they take are. In a question, move be before the subject. Add not after be for a negative.

Try the three exercise formats

Examples to compare

  • I am ready.
  • The rooms are quiet.
  • Is your office near the station?

Watch the meaning and the limits

An ordinary present-simple verb uses do in a question, but be does not: Is Maya here? Learn the subject and verb together rather than adding an extra does. Contractions are common in speech; the full forms make the structure easier to see.

Read each example aloud, then change one detail to make a sentence you could use. Continue with focused practice when you want a different set.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Mistake: Does she is ready?

Use: Is she ready?

Move is before the subject; a question with be does not also need does.

Try the pattern

3 choose questions · 2 sentence completions · 2 word gaps. Read the reason after every answer. No timer.

Typed answers stay on this page. This guided set checks the requested construction; it does not judge general writing. Read the accepted answers and reasons.

Use it in your own sentence

Write one sentence about your own routine or situation. Check the subject, verb form and intended meaning against the rule above. A different sentence may need a different form: these exercises accept the reviewed answers for their stated context.

Try the next practice set, or choose another grammar point.

All drill answers and reasons

  1. My office ___ upstairs.

    Choices: is / are / am

    Accepted: is

    The singular subject my office takes is.

  2. ___ you ready?

    Choices: Are / Is / Am

    Accepted: Are

    You takes are; move it before you to ask a question.

  3. I ___ not tired.

    Choices: am / is / are

    Accepted: am

    Use am with I, then not for the negative.

  4. Complete with present be and not: We ___ late.

    Accepted: are not / aren’t

    We takes are. Are not and its contraction aren’t express the same negative.

  5. Complete the question with be: ___ ready to leave? (you)

    Accepted: Are you

    Put are before you to ask this direct question.

  6. I ___ ready. Use present be.

    Accepted: am

    I takes am in the present tense.

  7. The windows ___ open. Use present be.

    Accepted: are

    The plural subject windows takes are.

Practice questions

How do the three exercise formats work?

Choose asks you to pick an answer. Complete the sentence asks you to type the missing phrase. Fill in the word asks for one word, or no article where stated. Every checked answer includes a reason.

Which typed answers are accepted?

Use the form and meaning requested in the prompt. Reviewed alternatives and contractions are accepted where they fit. Capital letters, surrounding spaces, straight or curly apostrophes and a final full stop, question mark or exclamation mark do not affect marking. The answer reference lists the accepted forms.

Are my typed answers sent or saved?

Typed answers stay on this page in your browser. They are not sent to the server or saved. If device progress is available, completing a set records only the activity and study points on this device.

Can this check my own writing or certify my level?

No. This is a small guided set with reviewed answers, not a general grammar checker or a level certificate. An unlisted answer does not mean it is always wrong in English. Read the prompt and the explanation for this construction.

Further reference: Cambridge English Grammar Today. The explanations, examples and exercises here are original; each lesson covers a useful pattern rather than every exception.