Auxiliaries
Concept: Can You Pass the 'is' and 'am' Test
Definition:
- The words ‘is’, and ‘am’ are words that have a special importance to build a sentence. They describe actions happening in the present.
- We call ‘is’ and ‘am’ the auxiliary verb brothers. Though they are brothers, they have different personalities. We will find out what they are.
The use of ‘am’:
- ‘Am’ is another auxiliary verb brother. ‘Am’ likes to be lonely. ‘Am’ doesn’t have many friends except ‘I’. Therefore, ‘am’ only likes to go around with the pronoun ‘I’.
- We use ‘am’ to talk about a person or an action happening right now or happens regularly.
- ‘Am’ always comes right after the pronoun ‘I’ in a sentence.
Examples:
We used ‘am’ in each sentence after the pronoun ‘I’ to talk about the speakers.
The use of ‘is’:
- ‘Is’ is one of the auxiliary verb brothers. ‘Is’ likes to go around with all singular naming words and singular pronouns like he, she, it.
- We use ‘is’ to talk about a person or an action happening right now or happens regularly.
- ‘Is’ always comes right after a naming word or pronoun in a sentence.
Example:
In the above picture, we are talking about a boy, Rishav. To describe a singular person (Rishav), therefore, we used ‘is’ after the naming word.
In this picture, we are talking about only one dog. ‘Dog’ is a naming word for an animal. Therefore, we used ‘is’ after the dog.
Example:
Again, we used ‘is’ right after the pronoun ‘she’.
She is a singular pronoun and we are describing the lady in the present. That is why we used ‘is’ in this sentence.
Example:
We are describing a pencil that is a singular object. ‘It’ is a singular pronoun used to take a place of a non-living noun (pencil). So we put ‘is’ after the pronoun ‘it’.
Let’s look at a few more sentences where we have used ‘is’.
Common mistakes:
- Don’t use ‘am’ after singular nouns or pronouns like he, she, and it.
- Don’t use ‘is’ after the pronoun ‘I’. ‘I’ is always followed by ‘am’.
Examples:
a. Ravi am a pilot.
Ravi is a pilot.
b. He am a cook.
He is a cook.
Examples:
a. I is watching a movie.
I am watching a movie.
b. I is a painter.
I am a painter.