“am/is/are” words or often called as verb “to be” are used to link between subject to a noun, adjective, phrase or for stating a fact or often called as complement. Noun is a word for place or thing and adjective is the word to describe the noun from different angle such as qualities, characteristics or comparison.

Adjective is “word” that describe or modifies the noun, often in form of noun characteristics, quality or quantities.

phrase is combination of more than one words that make up an incomplete sentences(incomplete sentence = sentences without subject) but has a meaningful intention (for example: in the house, near the parking area, happy teacher, gloomy day, and so on)

Type of Adjectives Example Remarks
Descriptive Hot water “Hot” is the adjective word that describe the noun “water”
Quantitative Five persons “five” is the adjective word that quantify the noun “persons”
Proper Indonesian Batik “Indonesian” is the adjective that specifically refer the noun into particular places, person name, organization or any entity

“am/is/are” is used on present tense (activities that happen right now or stating fact)

Rule of Thumb

  • “Am” is used to link first person singural pronoun “I”
  • “Is” is used to link thrid person singural subject such as “he, she, it”
  • “Are” is used to link third person plural subject “they”, “you”

Am

“AM” linking verb is used to link “I” as the subject with adjective,noun or phrase (can also be called as complement)

— example: i am happy, i am a shy person

Is

“Is” linked verb is used to link singular subjects with adjective, noun or phrase (can also be called as complement).

below are the lists of singular subjects:

  1. he
  2. she
  3. it
  4. “one/single thing”

— example: he is a firefighter, she is mad

Are

The opposite of “Is” linking verb, used to link plural subjects with adjective, noun or phrase (can also be called as complement).

below are list of plural objects

  1. they
  2. you
  3. we
  4. “group of person/multiple thing”

— example: they are busy with math homeworks (“busy with math homeworks” is complement)