Is vs Are: Grammar Rules and Usage Examples

“Is” and “are” are two of the most common words in English. They are also two of the easiest to mix up. Even confident writers pause at sentences like “A bag of apples is on the table” or “There is two options.”

This guide gives you a clear system for choosing is vs are every time. You will learn the core rule, how to spot the real subject, and how to handle tricky nouns, pronouns, and quantities. There are examples, tables, a checklist, and a short practice set along the way.

Table of Contents

Why Knowing When to Use Is vs Are Matters

Both words are present-tense forms of the verb “to be.” Choosing the wrong one creates a subject-verb agreement error, and readers notice.

Clear writing: Correct agreement keeps your meaning easy to follow.
Professional image: Errors in emails, reports, and résumés can weaken trust.
Better exam scores: Agreement questions appear in school tests, IELTS, TOEFL, and workplace assessments.
Confident speaking: Once the pattern clicks, you stop second-guessing yourself.

The Core Rule — Base of All Is vs Are Decisions

The verb must match its subject in number.

Use is with a singular subject (one person, place, thing, or idea) and with he, she, and it.
Use are with a plural subject (more than one) and with we, you, and they.

Subject	Correct verb	Example
I	am	I am ready.
He / She / It	is	She is a nurse.
We / You / They	are	They are late.
Singular noun	is	The dog is barking.
Plural noun	are	The dogs are barking.

Quick tip: “You” always takes “are,” even when you mean one person. “You are right” is correct. “You is right” is not.

How to Find the Real Subject in a Sentence

Most mistakes happen because the writer picks the wrong word as the subject. Ask yourself: Who or what is this sentence really about? Then check whether that word is singular or plural.

The verb agrees with the subject, not with the noun closest to it.

Ignore Prepositional Phrases

Words like of, in, on, with, for, and near start prepositional phrases. The noun inside them is never the subject.

❌ The box of chocolates are on the counter.
✅ The box of chocolates is on the counter.

The subject is “box,” not “chocolates.” Cross out the phrase and the answer becomes obvious: “The box is on the counter.”

The same goes for phrases like along with, as well as, and in addition to. They do not turn a singular subject into a plural one.

✅ The manager, along with her team, is attending the event.

There Is vs There Are — Most Common Usage Case

In sentences that begin with “there” or “here,” the subject comes after the verb. “There” is never the subject. Find the noun that follows and match it.

✅ There is a problem with the file. (singular)
✅ There are three problems with the file. (plural)
✅ There is some milk in the fridge. (uncountable)

When you list items, the first noun usually decides the verb in casual speech: “There is a pen and two notebooks on the desk.” In formal writing, many editors prefer “are” because the list has more than one item.

Watch out for “there’s.” It is a contraction of “there is,” so “There’s three seats left” is a common slip. Say “There are three seats left.”

Table of Common Cases

Situation	Verb	Example
Singular noun	is	The car is new.
Plural noun	are	The cars are new.
Two nouns joined by “and”	are	Tom and Lisa are friends.
Uncountable noun	is	The water is cold.
“There” + singular noun	is	There is a reason.
“There” + plural noun	are	There are reasons.
Everyone / someone / nobody	is	Everyone is here.

Is vs Are Grammar: The Pattern in One Line

Find the subject, decide if it is one or more than one, then pick the matching verb. Every rule below is a variation of that single idea.

Tricky Singular and Plural Nouns

Some nouns do not follow the “add -s for plural” pattern.

Plural-looking, singular meaning: news, mathematics, physics, economics, politics. Example: The news is encouraging.
Always plural: scissors, jeans, glasses, pants. Example: My jeans are in the wash. (Say “a pair of jeans is” when you use “pair.”)
Irregular plurals: people, children, men, women, mice. Example: The children are outside.
Singular nouns ending in -s: bus, class, glass. Example: The bus is late.

Data is a special case. Many style guides accept “the data is” in everyday writing, while academic and scientific writing often prefers “the data are.” Follow the style guide your reader expects.

Compound Subjects — When Two Things Act as One or Separate

A compound subject has two or more parts. The connecting word changes the verb.

Joined by “and”

Two subjects joined by “and” usually take are.

✅ The teacher and the student are in the library.

There is one exception. When the two parts form a single unit or idea, use is.

✅ Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite sandwich.
✅ Bread and butter is all he needs.

Joined by “or / nor / either…or / neither…nor”

The verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

✅ Either the manager or the assistants are available.
✅ Either the assistants or the manager is available.
✅ Neither the coach nor the players are happy.

Pro tip: Put the plural subject last so the sentence sounds natural.

Is vs Are Exercises

Choose the correct verb.

Coffee and tea (is / are) available.
Either Sara or her brothers (is / are) coming.
The captain, along with the crew, (is / are) ready.

Answers: 1. are, 2. are, 3. is.

Indefinite Pronouns — Choose Carefully

Indefinite pronouns do not point to a specific person or thing. Many of them feel plural but are singular.

Always singular (use “is”): everyone, everybody, everything, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, no one, nobody, each, either, neither, one.

✅ Everyone is invited.
✅ Each of the players is responsible for their gear.

Always plural (use “are”): both, few, many, several.

✅ Many are still waiting.
✅ Both are correct.

Can Be Singular or Plural

Words like all, some, most, none, any, and more depend on what they refer to.

✅ All of the cake is gone. (one uncountable thing)
✅ All of the cookies are gone. (many countable things)
✅ Some of the water is spilled.
✅ Some of the students are absent.

“None” is flexible. “None of the answers is right” is traditional, and “None of the answers are right” is widely accepted in modern usage.

Collective Nouns — United vs Individual Meaning

Collective nouns name a group: team, family, committee, staff, audience, jury.

Group acting as one unit → is. The committee is meeting at noon.
Members acting individually → are. The committee are arguing among themselves.

American English almost always treats collective nouns as singular. British English more often accepts the plural. If you write for a mixed audience, stay consistent within one document.

Mass (Uncountable) Nouns — Always Singular

You cannot count mass nouns with numbers, so they take is.

Common examples: water, money, information, advice, furniture, luggage, homework, traffic, equipment.

✅ The information is accurate.
✅ Your advice is helpful.
❌ The furniture are heavy.

Need to count them? Add a unit: “Two pieces of furniture are in the hall.”

Tricky Quantity Expressions

Numbers, fractions, and quantity phrases can confuse even experienced writers.

Expression	Rule	Example
A number of	plural (are)	A number of guests are late.
The number of	singular (is)	The number of guests is growing.
One of the + plural	singular (is)	One of the reasons is cost.
A pair of	singular (is)	A pair of shoes is on sale.
Fractions and percentages	depends on the noun after “of”	Half of the pizza is gone. Half of the pizzas are gone.
Money and time amounts	singular (is)	Ten dollars is enough. Two hours is too long.

Is vs Are Sentences: Mixed Practice

Ten minutes is plenty of time.
A group of tourists is waiting outside.
Most of the emails are spam.
One of my friends is a pilot.

Forming Questions With Is vs Are

In questions, the verb usually comes before the subject. The agreement rule stays the same.

Is the report finished?
Are the reports finished?
Is there any milk left?
Are there any seats available?
Where is my phone? Where are my keys?

Tip: Turn the question into a statement first. “The reports are finished” tells you that “are” is right.

Common Mistakes You Should Stop Making

Choosing the nearest noun. ❌ The list of items are long. ✅ The list of items is long.
Using “there is” with plurals. ❌ There is many reasons. ✅ There are many reasons.
Saying “everyone are.” ❌ Everyone are happy. ✅ Everyone is happy.
Treating mass nouns as plural. ❌ The equipment are new. ✅ The equipment is new.
Mixing collective noun styles. ❌ The team is playing, and they is confident. ✅ The team is playing, and it is confident.
Using “you is.” ✅ Always “you are.”
Forgetting “a number of” vs “the number of.” Use “are” after the first and “is” after the second.

Mini Case Study: Business Email Example

Here is a realistic email draft with agreement errors.

Before: Hi team, the list of action items are attached. There is also two new files in the shared folder. Everyone are expected to review them before Friday. The number of open tasks are still high.

Now the corrected version.

After: Hi team, the list of action items is attached. There are also two new files in the shared folder. Everyone is expected to review them before Friday. The number of open tasks is still high.

What changed:

“List” is the subject, so is.
“Two new files” is plural, so there are.
“Everyone” is singular, so is.
“The number” is singular, so is.

Four small fixes made the message sound far more professional.

Mini Practice Section

Pick the correct word.

The news about the merger (is / are) surprising.
There (is / are) several options on the menu.
Neither the teacher nor the students (is / are) ready.
Everybody in the room (is / are) smiling.
A number of applicants (is / are) waiting.
The furniture in the office (is / are) new.

Is vs Are Examples: Answer Key

is — “news” is singular.
are — “options” is plural.
are — the closest subject, “students,” is plural.
is — “everybody” is singular.
are — “a number of” is plural.
is — “furniture” is uncountable.

Quick Decision Checklist for When to Use Is vs Are

Run through these steps whenever you feel unsure.

Find the real subject. Skip any prepositional phrase.
Ask: is it one thing or more than one?
Check for a compound subject. “And” usually means are. “Or/nor” means match the closest one.
Check for indefinite pronouns. Words ending in -one, -body, and -thing take is.
Check for uncountable nouns. They take is.
For “there is/are,” find the noun that comes after the verb.
Read the sentence aloud. If it sounds wrong, recheck the subject.

Helpful Reference Table — Is vs Are at a Glance

Use is with	Use are with
Singular nouns	Plural nouns
He, she, it	We, you, they
Everyone, someone, nobody, each	Both, few, many, several
Uncountable nouns (water, advice)	Two subjects joined by “and”
“The number of”	“A number of”
Collective nouns acting as one unit	Collective nouns acting as individuals
Money and time amounts	Plural-only nouns (jeans, scissors)

FAQs

Q:What is the rule for using is or are?

Use “is” with a singular subject and “are” with a plural subject. The verb must always match the subject in number.

Q:How to use is an are?

Find the subject first, then decide if it is singular or plural. Choose “is” for one and “are” for more than one, and use “are” with “you.”

Q:Which is better, “is” or “are”?

Neither is better. Each is correct in its own context, and the right choice depends entirely on the subject of the sentence.

Q:What type of word is “are”?

“Are” is a verb, the present-tense form of “to be” used with plural subjects and “you.” It works as a linking verb (“They are happy”) or a helping verb (“They are running”).

Q:Should I say “everyone is” or “everyone are”?

Say “everyone is.” “Everyone” is a singular indefinite pronoun, so “everyone are” is always incorrect.

Conclusion

Choosing between “is” and “are” comes down to one habit: find the real subject and check its number. Ignore the distracting phrases, watch for tricky nouns and pronouns, and remember that “there” is never the subject.

Keep the checklist and reference table handy, and practice with the mini quiz above. Within a few days, correct agreement will feel natural in your emails, essays, and everyday conversations.