Auxiliaries : Difference between Auxiliaries 'am' and 'is' in English Grammar for Class 1

The auxiliary verb also known as the helping verb is used to indicate when an action is happening and who is doing the action. In this topic, the importance of auxiliaries and the rules of using them in a sentence will be taught to the students. They will come across the common mistakes that should be avoided while using auxiliaries in their writing or speaking.

This learning concept will help students to identify:

• The types of auxiliary verbs.
• The auxiliary verb examples.

Each concept is explained to class 1 English students using examples, illustrations, and concept maps. After you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the end of the page.
Download the auxiliary verbs worksheet and check your answers with the worksheet solutions provided in PDF format.

Definition:

• The words ‘is’, and ‘am’ are words that have a special importance to build a sentence. They describe actions happening in the present.
• We call ‘is’ and ‘am’ the auxiliary verb brothers. Though they are brothers, they have different personalities. We will find out what they are.

The use of ‘am’:

• ‘Am’ is another auxiliary verb brother. ‘Am’ likes to be lonely. ‘Am’ doesn’t have many friends except ‘I’. Therefore, ‘am’ only likes to go around with the pronoun ‘I’.
• We use ‘am’ to talk about a person or an action happening right now or happens regularly.
• ‘Am’ always comes right after the pronoun ‘I’ in a sentence.

                                                     

Examples:

We used ‘am’ in each sentence after the pronoun ‘I’ to talk about the speakers.

The use of ‘is’:

1. ‘Is’ is one of the auxiliary verb brothers. ‘Is’ likes to go around with all singular naming words and singular pronouns like he, she, it.

                                                   

Example:

In the above picture, we are talking about a boy, Rishav. To describe a singular person (Rishav), therefore, we used ‘is’ after the naming word.

                                         

In this picture, we are talking about only one dog. ‘Dog’ is a naming word for an animal. Therefore, we used ‘is’ after the dog.

                                     

We use ‘is’ to talk about a person or an action happening right now or happens regularly.

Example:

                                         

Again, we used ‘is’ right after the pronoun ‘she’.

She is a singular pronoun and we are describing the lady in the present. That is why we used ‘is’ in this sentence.

‘Is’ always comes right after a naming word or pronoun in a sentence.

Example:

                                             

We are describing a pencil that is a singular object. ‘It’ is a singular pronoun used to take a place of a non-living noun (pencil). So we put ‘is’ after the pronoun ‘it’.

Common mistakes:

1. Don’t use ‘am’ after singular nouns or pronouns like he, she, and it.

Examples:

a. Ravi am a pilot. ❌

    Ravi is a pilot. ✅

b. He am a cook. ❌

    He is a cook. ✅

2. Don’t use ‘is’ after the pronoun ‘I’. ‘I’ is always followed by ‘am’.

Examples:

a. I is watching a movie.❌

    I am watching a movie.✅

b. I is a painter.❌

    I am a painter. ✅