Positive forms
| Pronoun | Full form | Contraction | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I am | I'm | I'm a student. |
| You | You are | You're | You're from Italy. |
| He / She / It | He is / She is / It is | He's / She's / It's | She's my teacher. |
| We | We are | We're | We're at school. |
| They | They are | They're | They're happy. |
Negative forms
| Pronoun | Full form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | I am not | I'm not |
| You | You are not | You aren't / You're not |
| He / She / It | He is not / She is not | He isn't / She's not |
| We | We are not | We aren't / We're not |
| They | They are not | They aren't / They're not |
I am not:
The only negative contraction for "I" is I'm not. "I amn't" does NOT exist in standard English.
Questions
To make a question, put the verb before the subject:
| Question | Example |
|---|---|
| Am I …? | Am I late? |
| Are you …? | Are you from Spain? |
| Is he/she/it …? | Is she a doctor? |
| Are we …? | Are we in the right place? |
| Are they …? | Are they at home? |
Short answers
| Question | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Are you a teacher? | Yes, I am. | No, I'm not. |
| Is he Spanish? | Yes, he is. | No, he isn't. |
| Are they ready? | Yes, they are. | No, they aren't. |
Never contract in short positive answers:
Say "Yes, I am" — not "Yes, I'm". Say "Yes, she is" — not "Yes, she's".
Exercise
1. "______ she your sister?" — Choose the correct verb form.
2. My parents ______ from Portugal.
3. Which contraction is correct for "I am not"?
4. "Is the dog in the garden?" — "Yes, ______."
5. "______ you happy?" — "No, I'm not."