He, she, it, we, they: is or are?

Short answer: Pronouns replace names: he (a boy or man), she (a girl or woman), it (a thing or an animal), we (me and others), they (other people or things). Use is with he, she and it. Use are with we, you and they. Two names joined by and also take are.

▶ Open the rule card · ✏️ Practice this rule

At a glance

In short

• he = boy, she = girl, it = thing, we = me and others, they = other people or things.
• he, she, it + is. we, you, they + are.
• Two people joined by and: are.

What is the rule for “he, she, it, we, they + is / are”?

The rule

he, she, it, we and they take the place of names. Choose is or are to match.

How it looks

he / she / it + is · we / you / they + are

What it means

he = a boy or a man · she = a girl or a woman · it = a thing or an animal · we = me and other people · they = other people or things

When to use it

Use them so you do not say the same name again and again.

How it works

• Think of the person or thing. A boy: he. A girl: she. A thing: it. More than one: they.
• Match the verb. He, she and it take is. We, you and they take are.
• Two names joined by and make a plural subject: Ben and Mia are here.
• Use a pronoun so you do not say the same name again and again.

Examples of “he, she, it, we, they + is / are”

• He is my brother.
  he takes the place of a boy's name.
• She is happy.
  she takes the place of a girl's name.
• They are hungry.
  they means more than one person or thing.
• We are friends.
  we includes me.
• Ben and Mia are in the garden.
  Two people joined by and: are.
• The book is on the table. It is new.
  It takes the place of the book.
• My cousins are kind. They are at home.
  They takes the place of two or more people: are.
• My sister is tall. She is ten.
  She replaces my sister: is.

Common mistakes with “he, she, it, we, they + is / are”

• Lan is a girl. He is seven. → Lan is a girl. She is seven.
  Lan is a girl, so we use she.
• He are my brother. → He is my brother.
  he goes with is.
• My mom and dad is at home. → My mom and dad are at home.
  Two people, so we use are.
• They is happy. → They are happy.
  they takes are.
• The dog is big. He are strong. → The dog is big. He is strong.
  he takes is, not are.

Exceptions: watch out

• A pet
  We can say it for a pet: The cat is sleepy. It is sleepy. We say he or she if we know the pet well.

Is or are? A quick guide

Look at the subject. One thing takes is. More than one thing takes are. The pronoun you takes are even for one person.

See also: I am, you are, it is

Check yourself

1. Fill the gap: “She ___ happy.”
   Show the answer

   is she takes is.

2. Fill the gap: “Mia and Ben ___ friends.”
   Show the answer

   are Two names joined by and take are.

3. Which pronoun replaces “the cats”?
   Show the answer

   they More than one thing: they.

How to practice “he, she, it, we, they + is / are”

The interactive version adds step-by-step help, spoken instructions and a quick check. One rule card, one sound lesson and the first lesson of every stone are free to try; the rest is part of Full Access. See Full Access.

• Practice lesson: he, she, it, we, they + is/are

Questions

When do I use “it” for a person?

Use he or she for a person. Use it for things and most animals. You can say he or she for a pet you know well.

Is “you” singular or plural?

Both. You can mean one person or many, and the verb is always are: you are.

Why “the family is” but “my friends are”?

A family can be seen as one group (is), while friends are separate people (are). Both patterns exist, so learn them as you meet them.

More Grammar Foundations rules

• Naming words: nouns: A noun is a naming word. It names a person, an animal, a place or a thing.
• A or An?: Before one thing, say a or an. Choose by the first sound.
• One and many: plural -s: For more than one thing, add -s: one cat, two cats.
• Plurals: -es, -ies and special nouns: Most nouns add -s. Some add -es or -ies, and some change a lot.
• this, that, these, those: Use this and these for things near you. Use that and those for things far away.
• I am, you are, it is: Use am with I, are with you and is with it.

Used in these writing topics

• Connected sentences: descriptive
• Connected sentences: narrative

Part of the 📘 Grammar tool. Level G1: Grammar Foundations. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.

Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.

Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30

← I am, you are, it is have and has →