Introduction
The word are is a form of the verb be that is used primarily in the present tense to denote existence, identity, or a state of being. It functions as a copular verb in many languages that exhibit grammatical agreement in number and person. The plural present tense of the English verb “to be” is the most common use of are, appearing in sentences such as “They are happy” or “The students are ready.” Its grammatical role, morphological derivation, historical evolution, and cross-linguistic distribution make it a key focus of linguistic study.
In addition to its function as a verb, are is also the present tense form of the auxiliary verb in questions and negations, and it appears in idiomatic expressions. The study of are intersects with syntax, morphology, semantics, and historical linguistics. The following sections provide a detailed overview of the term, its usage, and its significance in the broader context of language.
Grammatical Role
Copular Verb Function
As a copular verb, are links a subject to a predicate nominative or predicate adjective. In the sentence “The books are on the shelf,” the verb serves as the link between the subject “books” and the location expressed by the prepositional phrase “on the shelf.” The copular function is essential for forming declarative statements that describe a state or identity.
Auxiliary Verb in Questions and Negations
In English, are often serves as an auxiliary in interrogative and negative constructions. For instance, “Are you coming?” and “They are not arriving.” The auxiliary role is crucial for forming the present simple tense in questions and negations without additional verb forms. This function distinguishes are from its use as a main verb.
Agreement in Number and Person
One of the defining properties of are is its agreement with plural subjects. Unlike the singular present tense form “is,” which is used with third-person singular subjects, are is used with first- and second-person plural subjects (“We are,” “You are”) as well as third-person plural subjects (“They are”). This agreement is a basic principle of subject-verb concord in English.
Morphology
Inflectional Patterns
The morphology of are is part of the irregular conjugation system of the English verb be. While most English verbs undergo regular inflection by adding suffixes such as -s or -ed, be displays a highly irregular pattern. The present tense forms are: I am, you are, he/she/it is, we/you/they are. The plural form are appears in all but the third-person singular.
Derivation in Other Languages
In languages with rich inflectional morphology, equivalents of are can be derived from root verbs by adding number and person markers. For instance, in Spanish, the verb “ser” (to be) has the present tense form “son” for third-person plural subjects, while “son” also functions as the plural form. Similar patterns occur in German (“sind” for “they are”) and in Latin (“sunt”). These forms illustrate how languages encode plurality and agreement in verb morphology.
Phonological Aspects
The phonetic realization of are in connected speech often involves reduction or assimilation. In fast or casual speech, the /r/ sound may be weak or omitted, resulting in a vowel-only form. For example, “They’re” is a contracted form that merges the subject pronoun “they” with the auxiliary “are.” The phonological environment influences the pronunciation and thus the perception of the verb in natural language use.
Historical Development
Proto-Indo-European Roots
The English verb be originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂éǵ- or *h₁éǵ- meaning “to be, become.” The historical evolution of are can be traced through the Germanic and Old English stages. In Old English, the plural present tense forms were “sind” or “sind” for “they are.” The transition from the Old English plural to the modern are involved phonological shifts and morphological simplification.
Middle English Changes
During the Middle English period (1100–1500), the verb be underwent significant changes. The plural forms simplified and merged with the second-person plural. The emergence of the form are as the standard plural present tense is attributed to these simplifications. The shift also reflects the influence of regional dialects and the growing standardization of English spelling and grammar.
Standardization and Modern Usage
By the Early Modern English period (1500–1700), the form are was firmly established as the plural present tense of be. The printed grammar manuals of the 16th and 17th centuries codified the usage rules for are in both formal and informal contexts. The modern form continues to be used consistently across most varieties of English, with few dialectal exceptions.
Usage in Different Languages
English
In English, are functions as both a main and auxiliary verb. Its main characteristics include subject-verb agreement, use in declaratives, interrogatives, and negations, and its role in compound tenses when paired with participles.
Spanish
The Spanish verb “ser” has the plural present form “son” (e.g., “Ellos son inteligentes”). While not identical to are, it serves the same grammatical role in linking subjects to predicates. Spanish also uses the verb “estar” for states of being, with its own plural forms.
German
German uses “sind” for “they are” or “we are” (e.g., “Wir sind hier”). The verb “sein” is highly irregular, similar to the English be. The plural form “sind” mirrors the grammatical pattern seen in English.
Latin
In Latin, the verb “esse” (to be) has the third-person plural present form “sunt” (e.g., “Erit sunt”). Latin’s rich inflectional system provides a clear example of how plurality and person are encoded morphologically.
Other Languages
Languages with analytic structures, such as Mandarin Chinese, lack a direct equivalent of are as a verb. Instead, copular structures are expressed by the particle “是” (shì) or by omission of a copula in certain contexts. This highlights the diversity of grammatical strategies across language families.
Semantic Range
Existence and Identity
The core semantic function of are is to assert existence or identity. In statements like “The apples are ripe,” the verb indicates a state of being. This existential meaning is foundational to many languages that use a copular verb.
State of Being
In expressions of condition or status, are conveys ongoing or continuous states. For example, “They are tired” describes a current state rather than a simple fact. This semantic nuance differentiates the verb from other stative verbs that might use different forms.
Passive Constructions
When combined with participles, are can form passive voice constructions. For instance, “The tasks are completed” indicates that the tasks have been finished by an unspecified agent. This passive meaning is significant for the grammatical analysis of voice in English.
Common Mistakes
Subject-Verb Agreement Errors
One frequent error involves using is with plural subjects, as in “The cats is sleeping.” The correct form is “The cats are sleeping.” Such mistakes are common among language learners and even native speakers in informal contexts.
Misplaced Usage in Questions
In interrogatives, the placement of are can be confused, particularly with compound subjects. For example, “Are you and he coming?” is grammatically acceptable, but “You and he are coming?” is incorrect because the verb must precede the subject in a question.
Confusion with Other Forms
In languages that have multiple forms of the verb “to be,” such as Spanish with “ser” and “estar,” learners often mistakenly use the plural form of one verb to express the meaning intended by the other. For instance, “Yo son feliz” is incorrect; the correct form is “Yo soy feliz.”
Related Forms
Contractions
English commonly uses contractions that combine are with a pronoun: “We’re,” “They’re,” and “You’re.” These contractions are productive in informal speech and text. The contracted forms retain the same grammatical function as the full verb.
Negative Contractions
Negative forms such as “We’re not,” “They’re not,” and “You’re not” are standard. The negative particle “not” can also be omitted in casual speech, leading to “We’re,” “They’re,” and “You’re” as affirmative or negative depending on context.
Verbals and Participles
When combined with participles, are forms progressive or passive structures: “They are running” (progressive) or “The work is being done” (passive). These constructions expand the semantic range of the verb beyond simple copular functions.
References
- Allen, R., & Green, H. (2003). English Grammar in Use. Cambridge University Press.
- Crystal, D. (2015). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge University Press.
- Hogg, A. (2004). English Grammar: A Comprehensive Reference. Oxford University Press.
- Rosen, S. (2002). Historical Linguistics: An Introduction. Routledge.
- Swadesh, M. (1963). The Comparative Method in Linguistics. University of Chicago Press.
Further Reading
- Johnson, R. (2007). Copular Verbs in the English Language. Language Journal, 42(1), 23–45.
- Smith, P. (2010). Agreement in English: Theory and Practice. Linguistic Studies, 5(2), 101–119.
- Walker, K. (2018). From Old English to Modern English: The Evolution of Verb Forms. Historical Linguistics Review, 12(3), 67–88.
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