Subjects and Verbs: How They Work Together

Subjects identify who or what a clause is about. Verbs express actions, events or states; their forms can depend on the subject.

The Golden Rule of English

Here is the most important rule in English: An ordinary complete clause needs a verb. Conversational fragments can omit elements understood from context. Without a verb, the sentence is broken. It's like a car without an engine - it won't work!

The Very Common Mistake

Many learners forget to use 'is', 'am', or 'are' in their sentences. This is a very common mistake, especially for Indian learners. Let's look at some wrong sentences and how to fix them:

❌ I happy.

💡 Missing verb!

✅ I am happy.

💡 Now it has a verb (am)

❌ She sad.

💡 Missing verb!

✅ She is sad.

💡 Now it has a verb (is)

❌ He teacher.

💡 Missing verb!

✅ He is a teacher.

💡 Now it has a verb (is)

❌ They friends.

💡 Missing verb!

✅ They are friends.

💡 Now it has a verb (are)

Why Does This Happen?

In many languages, you can skip verbs like 'is' or 'am'. For example, saying just 'I happy' might be understood. But in English, we MUST say 'I am happy'. The verb cannot be skipped!

More Common Mistakes to Fix

❌ You very smart.

✅ You are very smart.

💡 Add "are" for you

❌ It cold today.

✅ It is cold today.

💡 Add "is" for it

❌ The food delicious.

✅ The food is delicious.

💡 Add "is" for the food

❌ We ready.

✅ We are ready.

💡 Add "are" for we

❌ My father doctor.

✅ My father is a doctor.

💡 Add "is" for my father

❌ The children hungry.

✅ The children are hungry.

💡 Add "are" for the children

Which One to Use: AM, IS, or ARE?

It's simple! Just remember this:

Subject	Use This	Example
I	am	I am happy.
He / She / It	is	She is beautiful.
You	are	You are kind.
We	are	We are friends.
They	are	They are students.

Practice These Sentences

Read these correct sentences out loud. Notice how each one has a verb:

I am a student.

She is my sister.

He is from Delhi.

You are very kind.

We are happy today.

They are at school.

The sky is blue.

My parents are busy.

This book is interesting.

I am ready to learn.

Quick Test Yourself

Can you spot what's wrong? Look for the missing verb:

❌ My name Raj.

✅ My name is Raj.

❌ This my house.

✅ This is my house.

❌ Today Sunday.

✅ Today is Sunday.

❌ I tired.

✅ I am tired.

Continue learning

Parts of a Sentence: Subject, Verb and Object · Subject–Verb Agreement: Rules and Examples