Not "You are ready?" — say "Are you ready?". To ask, the am / is / are word jumps to the front.
Try it: ___ I ready? (Am / Is / Are) Answer: Am — Am I ready? With I, use Am — and it goes first to ask.
Is he? Is she? Is it?
For he, she, it — one other person or one thing — ask with Is.
Is he here?
Is she here?
Is it here?
Not "Are she here?" — say "Is she here?". he, she, it → Is. But you always takes Are.
Try it: ___ he a teacher? (Is / Am / Are) Answer: Is — Is he a teacher? He is one person, so ask with Is.
Are you? Are we? Are they?
For we and they, ask with Are. You also uses Are, for one person or many.
Are you here?
Are we here?
Are they here?
Not "Is they here?" — say "Are they here?". we, they and you → Are, never Is.
Try it: ___ they students? (Are / Is / Am) Answer: Are — Are they students? They is more than one, so ask with Are.
Say yes
Answer with Yes, then the person and the verb be. Nothing comes after the verb be, so it cannot be shortened: Yes, I am.
Yes, I am.
Yes, he is.
Yes, they are.
Not "Yes, I'm." — say "Yes, I am.". I'm needs a word after it. Here the sentence ends, so say Yes, I am.
Try it: Are you ready? — Yes, ___. (I am / I'm / I is) Answer: I am — If you picked I'm, that form always needs a word after it — and here the sentence stops. So say Yes, I am.
Say no
Answer with No, then the person and the no-word. Here not follows, so the short form is fine: No, I'm not.
No, I'm not.
No, he isn't.
No, they aren't.
Not "No, I amn't." — say "No, I'm not.". There is no "amn't". With I, say I'm not.
Try it: Is he here? — No, ___. (he isn't / he aren't / he not is) Answer: he isn't — No, he isn't. He is one person, so the no-word is isn't.
Question → answer
The answer uses be again, in the form that goes with its own person: Are you…? → I am.
Are you ready? — Yes, I am.
Is she here? — No, she isn't.
Not "Are you ready? — Yes, I is." — say "Are you ready? — Yes, I am.". Match the verb be: Are you…? → I am. Is he…? → he is.
Try it: Are they students? — Yes, ___. (they are / they is / they're) Answer: they are — Yes, they are. The question uses Are, so the answer uses are. "they is" does not match, and a short Yes answer never ends on the short form they're.
Try it: Is Sofia ready? — Yes, ___. (she is / she's / she are) Answer: she is — A short Yes answer ends on the be-word, so it cannot be shortened: Yes, she is. "she's" is the short form and cannot end the answer, and she never goes with are.
What are the common mistakes?
Incorrect
Correct
Why
You are ready?
Are you ready?
To ask, the am / is / are word jumps to the front.
Are she here?
Is she here?
he, she, it → Is. But you always takes Are.
Is they here?
Are they here?
we, they and you → Are, never Is.
Yes, I'm.
Yes, I am.
I'm needs a word after it. Here the sentence ends, so say Yes, I am.
No, I amn't.
No, I'm not.
There is no "amn't". With I, say I'm not.
Are you ready? — Yes, I is.
Are you ready? — Yes, I am.
Match the verb be: Are you…? → I am. Is he…? → he is.