What are the uses of is, am, are, and was?

is : used in present tense with third person singular subjects(he, she, it)
am : used in present tense with first person subject(I)
are: used in present tense with plural subjects.(We,You, They)
was: used in past tense with singular subjects(I, He, She, It)
He/ she - can be a name of the person
It - can be replaced by object name

These words “is, am, are, and was” are all “be” verb variations.
They are classified as “Primary Auxiliary Verbs” which means they could function as the Main Verbs
or as Auxiliary (Supporting) Verbs in a sentence.
Examples:
Jerome K. Jerome is my favourite author. - “is” is the Main Verb here.
John is writing a leave letter now. - “is” is the Auxiliary Verb here.
I am a writer on Quora. - “am” is the Main Verb here.
I am anwering your question right now. - “am” is the Auxiliary Verb here.
Books are our best friends. - “are” is the Main Verb here.
They are moulding us into better individuals. - “are...

These are used as helping verb and main verb, through examples, it will be clear.
As helping verb :-
Examples :
He is going to Delhi with me.
I am doing something new.
They are writing a book.
He was learning. (past)
As main verb :-
Examples :
He is a good boy in this class.
I am a teacher of this school.
We are friends here.
He was busy this time.

Using is, am, are

Use is when the subject is a singular noun or a third person singular pronoun.
Examples
She is my best friend.
John is a clever boy.
He is writing a letter.
Mother is cooking dinner.
Father is working in the garage.
It is a dog.

Use are when the subject is a plural noun or a plural pronoun (e.g. we, you, they).
You are wonderful.
They are waiting for us.
We are preparing for the test.
Boys are playing in the garden.
The students are learning their lessons.
Use am when the subject is the first person pronoun I.
I am a teacher.
I am working on my computer.

Using Is, Am, Are

Simple Present forms of Be verb
Is, am and are are simple present forms of the verb -to be.
They are used to describe the state, feeling or condition that something or someone is in. Thus, is, am,
are connect the subject to what is being said about the subject.
For example:
He is impatient
She is talented
I am the manager of this restaurant
They are not here
The Americans are fond of their hamburgers.

Singular, Plural and Is, am, are

Usage varies with whether the subject is plural or singular and also, the person of the noun/pronoun.
Thus,
Am is used with first person singular (I)
Is – is used with third person singular (he, she, Ramu, Manisha)
Are – is used with third person plural (They, Indians, judges)
When do we use ‘is,’ ‘am,’ ‘are,’ ‘was,’ and/or ‘were’ plus ‘3rd forms’?
When do we use ‘is,’ ‘am,’ ‘are,’ ‘was,’ and/or ‘were’ plus 3rd forms?
Note that is, am, are, was and were are the finite forms of the verb BE.
Use is when the subject is singular and third person, and the activity is in the present tense as in:
He/She is writing.

Use am when the subject is I and the activity is in the present tense as in: I am writing.
Use are when the subject is plural and first/second/third person and the activity is in the present tense as
in: We/You/They are writing.

Use was when the subject is singular, first person/third and the activity is in the past tense as
in: I/He/She
A be form( is,am are was were ) used usually in a passive voice.
The letter was written.
The flag is hoisted by the minister.
Lessons were taught.
I am given a doll by my mother.
It is also used when 3rd form of the verb is used after a be form (is,am,are,was,were)The participle is
used as subject compliment.
John was a learned person.
She was a finished model.
What are "is" "are" "was" and "were" called in English grammar?
“Is, am, are” are present forms and “was, were” are past forms of “be”.
V1 (infinitive): be, see, write, do
V2 (present form) : is/am/are, sees, writes, does
V3 (past form) : was/were, saw, wrote, did
V4 ( past participle) : been, seen, written, done
V5 (present participle) : being, seeing, writing, doing
The verbs are called: helping verbs, auxiliary verbs, linking verbs, copula, and fall in the list of 24
modals -
is, am, are, was were
do, does, did
have, has, had
can, could
will, would
shall, should
may, might,
must, ought
need, dare, used.

Is vs. Are – What’s the Difference?

Home » Is vs. Are – What’s the Difference?
Irregular verbs are notoriously confusing in any language, and English has its fair share. To be is one of
the most difficult ones, not least because it is so versatile.
In the present tense alone, to be becomes am, is, and are in various tenses. Am is only used in the
singular first person. But, what about the other two? If the dilemma of are vs. is has weighed on your
mind, continue reading for an explanation.
What is the Difference Between Is and Are?
In this article, I will compare is vs. are. I will use each verb in example sentences to demonstrate its
proper use.
Plus, I will show you an easy way to remember when to use each of these tenses, so you will never
have trouble choosing is or are again.
When to Use Is

What does is mean? Is is a form of the verb to be,

which indicates a state of existence or functions as an auxiliary verb. Is is the third-
person singular present tense of to be.
Here are some example sentences,
Andy is a lying, backstabbing, two-faced, good-for-nothing jerk, and I refuse to invite him to the ice
cream social.
That car is a waste of your money; you should look for a newer one with fewer miles.
Abigail is building a tiny house with her husband, Carl.
Antoine Griezmann has insisted he is happy at Atletico Madrid following renewed reports linking him
with a big money move to Manchester United. –International Business Times
For a further discussion of is as a verb, see here.
When to Use Are

What does are mean? Are is also a conjugated form of to

be. Are is the first-person plural present, second-person singular and plural present, and third-person
plural present tense of this verb. It also functions as an auxiliary verb.
The sentences below are examples of its use,
Ten thousand lemmings are throwing themselves, headlong, into the sea.
“You are such a magnificent beast,” Marjorie said to her horse.
“You are the most talented players in the league,” the coach said. “So why did we drop a 3-1 lead in the
championship series?”
We are going to the sushi bar; are you coming?
Then there’s a new crop of fashion biopics in the works, and they are doozies. –The New York Times
Trick to Remember the Difference

Are and is are both conjugations of the verb to be. Which one
you use depends upon the subject associated with the verb.
In the first person, are is used for plural subjects, like we.
In the second person, choose are for both singular and plural subjects, like you.
If you are writing in the third person, use is for singular subjects, like she, it, and Eleanor Roosevelt. If
your third-person subject is plural, like they, lemmings, or Senate Republicans, choose are.
This verb is one of the most difficult verbs to conjugate in English. However, the task is easier if you
remember that is is only ever used with singular subjects in the third person. Since is and singular are
both spelled with the letter S, you should find it easy to remember this rule.
Summary
Is it is or are? Both is and are form various tenses of the verb to be, which indicates existence or a state
of being. They can both be used as auxiliary, or helping, verbs.
Is is the third person singular present indicative form of to be.
Are is the second person singular and plural and first and third person plural present indicative form
of to be.
There is no easy rule for determining which conjugation to use for which tense of this irregular verb.
However, if you remember that is only pairs with singular subjects in the third person, you can simplify
the process.
If you need a refresher, be sure to check this article for additional guidance.

Present Tense Verb To Be Table

Positive Form Question Form Negative Form

I am smart. Am I smart? I am not smart.

You are smart. Are you smart? You are not/aren't smart.

He is smart. Is he smart? He is not/isn't smart.

She is smart. Is she smart? She is not/isn't smart.

It is smart. Is it smart? It is not/isn't smart.

We are smart. Are we smart? We are not/aren't smart.

You are smart. Are you smart? You are not/aren't smart.

They are smart. Are they smart? They are not/aren't smart.

The key to understanding when to use was or were in a sentence is determining whether you need to
use the subjunctive mood or not. A verb is in the subjunctive mood if it expresses an action or state that
is not reality. For example, it might be hypothetical, wished for, or conditional.
“Was” and “Were” as Past and Subjunctive Verb Tenses
To better see what we are up against when deciding when to use was or were, let’s compare the past
and subjunctive conjugations of to be side by side.
Our chart reveals something delightful. You can’t go wrong choosing were with the second person
(you), the first person plural (we), the second person plural (you), or the third person plural (they). We
only need to make a choice about when to use was or were with the first person singular (I) and the
third person singular (he, she, or it). Isn’t that great news?

Is It “If I Was” or “If I Were”?

Use were if the state of being you are describing is in no way the current reality. This is true whenever
a hypothetical situation is expressed, for example.

If Harry were to find all the Horcruxes in time, we would not be forced to submit to Voldemort’s evil
will.
Would you invite me over if I were more polite at the dinner table?

The first sentence can be described as an unreal conditional clause. These hypotheticals are easy to spot
because they are often introduced by an if and are related to another clause containing a would or could.

Another type of unreal conditional sentence that uses the same construction demanding the
subjunctive were is the impossible or improbable type.

If it were possible to solve the puzzle, I would have done it.

Here the speaker implies that the puzzle is unsolvable. Therefore, solving the puzzle is not a likely
reality, and the subjunctive were is used instead of the past tense was.

That does not mean that every clause beginning with if I requires the use of if I was rather than if I
were.

If I was wrong about Felicity’s love of puppies, I can take this one back to the shelter.
In this sentence, the speaker acknowledges that it is possible he or she may have incorrectly thought
that Felicity loves puppies and has given her a puppy in error. The fact that it is possible the speaker is
describing reality makes this an indicative sentence, not a subjunctive one. Therefore, we
use was instead of were.

Use “Were,” Not “Was,” for Wishful Thinking

A sure sign that you should use the subjunctive is when the word wish is used. A wish is the desire or
hope for something that cannot or probably will not happen.

I wish I were the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

He wishes his grammar were better.
I wish the stories about me were true, but I am not really the master of the universe.
She wishes she were at least five inches taller.

Here’s a tip: These phrases are never correct: I wish I was, I wish it was, he wishes he was, she wishes
she was.
Always remember this rule about the usage of was and were: use were with expressions that are
hypothetical, wishful, imagined, desired, doubtful, and otherwise contrary to fact—that is to say, not
real.

The Forms of "Was - Were"

Affirmative Form I was sick.

I was not at home
Negative Form
I wasn't at home.
Were you in Canada?
Question Form
Was David absent yesterday?
Weren't you busy?
Negative Question Form
Wasn't she your teacher last year?

To Be - Affirmative
I was
He was
You were
She was
We were
It was
They were

Example Sentences:

a. I was very tired after the exam.

b. My kids were in the garden.
c. Sandra was late for school.
 To Be - Negative
I wasn't
He wasn't
You weren't
She wasn't
We weren't
It wasn't
They weren't

Example Sentences:

1. We weren't so happy in those days.

2. It wasn't a sunny day.
3. Daniel wasn't on a vacation.
4. My sister wasn't at the theater.
5. The boss wasn't so satisfied with the work.
6. Marry and Lucas weren't married.
7. There weren't any comics on the table.
8. They weren't so fit.

To Be - Questions
Was I
Was he
Were you
Was she
Were we
Was it
Were they

Example Sentences:

1. Were you surprised?

2. Was Brian from Brazil?
3. Was that your school?
4. Was the project ready?
5. Was the carpet torn?
6. Were Macy and Tony married?
7. Were they students?
8. Was he your husband

am, are, is, was, were, will be – Exercise

1. I from Canada.
2. We at home two weeks ago.
3. Victoria late this morning.
4. Lisa and Jeff really happy now.
 5. I in London last year.
6. His sister a painter. She lives in Chicago.
7. Jack 25 next week.
8. They on the wrong bus yesterday.
9. We in Hamburg at the moment. It great.
10. It only cloudy now, but there some rain tomorrow.
11. 1. Children playing outside.
12. 2. The news very saddening.
13. 3. Benny and Mike meeting tomorrow.
14. 4. I very hopeful of the future.
15. 5. Juan's parents very fond of him.
16. 6. these your glasses?
17. 7. Mr. and Mrs. Wallace living the dream.
18. 8. My friends and I going out after dinner.
19. 9. My friends don't know what I going to do.
20. 10. My history book very informative.
21. 11. I can't believe I graduating next week.
22. 12. they Joe and Frank ?
23. 13. The holiday season coming.
24. 14. Douglas the boss.
25. 15. Those cars and the train my favorite toys.

1. Josh and Jeremy my best friends in school, we hang out everyday after class.
2. In middle school, Andre so lazy.
3. My grandfather ninety years old when he passed away.
4. Mrs. Ants from Nicaragua, people love her.
5. The game under my control now.
6 the tea still hot or I can get you another one?
7. Our neighbor's dog so loud last night.
8. It snowing yesterday at around this time.
9. The little kitty running after the mouse two minutes ago.
10. The children not listening to the teacher when she came in.
11. His uncle very rich, he can buy anything he wants.
12 you sixteen last year?
13. Jessica and Lea making a model airplane right now.
14. I playing the piano at present.
15. There more dozens of apples in the tree now.

Complete the following sentences with the past form of the verb to be.

1. Rebecca not in my class.

2. Daniel and Andre so glad to see me.
3. My car very fast.
4. I a doctor in the movie.
5. Your teacher from Italy.
6. this her iPad?
7. Our neighbor's kids really naughty.
8. Not all my friends at my birthday party.
9. Our doctor very kind.
10. The waiter so rude.
11. His uncle very rich.
12. the exams hard?
13. Jessica and Andy not here yesterday.
14. The children so tired after the festival.
15. The news very upsetting.