Difference between “am”, “is”, “are” and “do”, “does”

One of the most common challenges for students learning English is the correct usage of “am,” “is,” “are,” and “do,” “does.” These are key components in constructing sentences and questions, but they have different functions and rules of use. We will examine their functions, usage, and typical mistakes to make your understanding more structured.

The Verb “to be” in the present tense

The verb “to be” is one of the most fundamental verbs in English. In the present tense, it has three forms: “am,” “is,” and “are.” This verb is used to describe states, locations, or to identify objects or persons.

“am” – used with the personal pronoun “I”:

• I am a student.

“is” – used with the personal pronouns “he,” “she,” “it,” and singular nouns:

• He is a teacher.
• She is happy.
• It is a book.

“are” – used with the personal pronouns “you,” “we,” “they,” and plural nouns:

• You are my friend.
• We are ready.
• They are students.

Usage of the Verb “to be”

The verb “to be” in the present tense is used in the following contexts:

To describe a state or characteristic:

• He is tall.
• She is tired.

To identify objects or persons:

• I am a doctor.
• They are engineers.

To indicate location:

• She is at home.
• We are in the park.

To form negatives, add the word “not”:

• He is not busy.
• They are not here.

To form questions, place the verb “to be” at the beginning of the sentence:

• Are you happy?
• Is she your sister?

The Verbs “to do”

“Do” and “does” are forms of the verb “to do,” which also serves as an auxiliary verb for forming questions and negative sentences in the Present Simple. In English, they are also referred to as “auxiliary verbs” or “helping verbs.”

The verbs “do” and “does” perform several functions in English. They can be used as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions, as well as main verbs meaning “to perform an action.”

“do” – used with the personal pronouns “I,” “you,” “we,” “they”:

• I do my homework.
• They do their best.

“does” – used with the personal pronouns “he,” “she,” “it”:

• She does her homework.
• He does the cooking.

Usage of “do” and “does” as Auxiliary Verbs

To form negatives in the Present Simple tense:

• I do not (don’t) like apples.
• He does not (doesn’t) play football.

To form questions in the Present Simple tense:

• Do you like apples?
• Does she play football?

Main Differences Between “to be” and “do” / “does”

The verb “to be” is used to describe states, locations, or to identify objects:

• She is a teacher.
• We are happy.

The verbs “do” and “does” are used to describe actions:

• I do my work.
• He does his chores.

Examples of Using “to be” and “do”/”does”

Form	Example
I am	I am a student.
He is	He is happy.
They are	They are engineers.
Do you	Do you like apples?
Does she	Does she play tennis?
I do	I do my homework.
She does	She does her chores.

Rules for using auxiliary verbs “Am”, “is”, “are”, “do” and “does”

“Am,” “is,” “are,” “do,” and “does” are auxiliary verbs that perform important functions in English, helping to form various grammatical constructions, including interrogative and negative sentences. Let’s consider a table for understanding.

Verb	Use	Used with	Examples in sentences	Examples in questions
is	Describing state, position	he, she, it	– She is a student. – The cat is on the roof.	– Is she your friend? – Is the cat on the roof?
are	Describing state, position	you, we, they	– You are happy. – They are ready.	– Are you happy? – Are they ready?
am	Describing state, position	I	– I am tired. – I am a teacher.	– Am I late? – Am I right?
do	Action or process	I, you, we, they	– I do my homework. – They do their best.	– Do you like apples? – Do they play tennis?
does	Action or process	he, she, it	– He does his homework. – She does her work well.	– Does he play the guitar? – Does she like coffee?

Using is, are, am

is, are, am are used to describe states, positions, or identifications in the present tense. They don’t indicate an action, but simply describe what or who a subject or person is.

When to use:

• is: with third-person singular (he, she, it).
• are: with plurals (you, we, they) and second-person singular (you).
• am: only with first-person singular (I).

Examples:

• is: The book is interesting.
• are: They are friends.
• am: I am happy.

Using do and does

do and does are used to describe actions or processes in the present tense. They are necessary for forming questions and negatives.

When to use:

• do: with I, you, we, they.
• does: with he, she, it.

Examples:

• do: I do my homework every evening.
• does: She does her exercises every morning.

Questions with is, are, am

To ask a question with is, are, am, you need to move the auxiliary verb to the beginning of the sentence.

Examples:

• Is he at home?
• Are they ready?
• Am I correct?

Questions with do and does

To create questions with do and does, you also need to put the auxiliary verb at the beginning of the sentence, and leave the main verb in its base form.

Examples:

• Do you like coffee?
• Does he work here?

Remember these simple rules and use the table as a guide when you’re unsure about the correct usage of auxiliary verbs. Practice by forming sentences and questions, and you’ll quickly learn to use is, are, am, do, and does fluently in English.

Exercise: Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of “am”, “is”, “are”, “do”, and “does”

1. She ___ a good student.
2. ___ you like pizza?
3. They ___ not going to the party.
4. I ___ very tired today.
5. He ___ not know the answer.
6. ___ your friends coming over tonight?
7. We ___ learning English.
8. It ___ raining outside.
9. ___ she have a cat?
10. I ___ always ready for new challenges.
11. ___ they play football every Sunday?
12. She ___ not understand the question.
13. Where ___ you from?
14. ___ this book belong to you?
15. My friends ___ very supportive.
16. ___ you need any help with that?
17. He ___ the best player in our team.
18. ___ I late for the meeting?
19. The students ___ studying for the exam.
20. What ___ she do for a living?

Answers

1. She is a good student.
2. Do you like pizza?
3. They are not going to the party.
4. I am very tired today.
5. He does not know the answer.
6. Are your friends coming over tonight?
7. We are learning English.
8. It is raining outside.
9. Does she have a cat?
10. I am always ready for new challenges.
11. Do they play football every Sunday?
12. She does not understand the question.
13. Where are you from?
14. Does this book belong to you?
15. My friends are very supportive.
16. Do you need any help with that?
17. He is the best player in our team.
18. Am I late for the meeting?
19. The students are studying for the exam.
20. What does she do for a living?