Practice
He and I are or am?
I am ready. He is ready. When both people are the subject together, the sentence changes: He and I are ready.
Use are with the compound subject he and I, and use am only when I is the single subject.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
he and I are /hi ən aɪ ɑr/
The short answer
Write He and I are, not He and I am. A subject joined by and normally takes a plural verb. Am belongs with the singular subject I.
He and I are meeting the client at noon.
Why it works: He and I names two people, so the sentence uses the plural verb are.
5 more examples
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He and I are responsible for the schedule.
The subject contains two people joined by and, so are agrees with the plural subject.
Not this:
I amresponsible for the schedule today. What changes: Here I is the only subject, so am is correct. -
He and I are waiting outside the library.
Both people are waiting, which makes the subject plural.
Not this:
He iswaiting outside the library. What changes: He alone takes is, not are or am. -
My brother and I are taking the same course.
A noun plus I joined by and also makes a plural subject.
Not this:
I amtaking the course this semester. What changes: The subject is only I in this sentence. -
He and I were tired after the flight.
The same plural idea applies in the past. The past form for a plural subject is were.
Not this:
I wastired after the flight. What changes: I alone takes was in the past. -
He and I are not available on Thursday.
Adding not does not change the verb choice. The subject still refers to two people.
Not this:
I am notavailable on Thursday. What changes: Am remains correct when I is the only subject.
Read the full guide
Find the whole subject before you choose the verb. If the subject is he and I, replace it with we. Because we are is correct, he and I are is correct too.
Find the whole subject
Do not choose a verb after looking only at I. Read the complete subject. In he and I, and joins two people, so the subject is plural.
He and I are on the same team.
The whole subject means we. Say We are on the same team.
Choose the verb: He and I ___ ready to leave.
Use are: He and I are ready to leave.
Use am with I alone
Am is the form of be that goes with I as one subject. It does not stay when another person joins I with and.
I am early for the appointment.
Only one person is named, so am is the correct form.
Choose the verb: I ___ early for the appointment.
Use am: I am early for the appointment.
Use the we check
Replace he and I with we when you are unsure. This check works because both phrases refer to the speaker and one other person. If we are sounds right, choose are.
He and I are preparing the presentation.
We are preparing the presentation. Both subjects need are.
Replace Maya and I with we: Maya and I ___ working late.
Use are: Maya and I are working late.
Keep separate clauses separate
A sentence can describe each person separately. In that case, each clause has its own subject and verb. Do not combine those verbs after making one compound subject.
He is in the office, and I am at home.
There are two clauses. The subject he takes is in the first clause, and the subject I takes am in the second clause.
Complete both clauses: He ___ free now, and I ___ free after lunch.
Use is and am: He is free now, and I am free after lunch.
Use the same idea in the past
The subject rule also helps with past forms. Use were for a plural subject such as he and I. Use was when I is alone.
He and I were surprised by the result.
He and I means two people, so the past plural form is were.
Choose the past verb: He and I ___ at the meeting yesterday.
Use were: He and I were at the meeting yesterday.
Before you go
Remember this
Use are when he and I name two people together. Use am when I stands alone as the subject. The quick check is to replace he and I with we: if you would say we are, write he and I are.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "He and I are or am?"
Why is He and I are correct?
He and I names two people. English normally treats two subjects linked by and as plural, so the sentence takes are. The same pattern appears in We are ready.
He and I are responsible for the schedule.
Can I write I and he are?
The verb is still are because the subject still contains two people. In many careful contexts, writers and speakers place the other person first and say he and I, but the verb choice does not depend on that order.
I am responsible for the schedule today.
When do I use am?
Use am when I is the subject on its own: I am ready, I am at home, or I am learning. Once another subject joins I with and, use the plural form are.
He and I are waiting outside the library.
Why can a sentence contain is and am together?
A sentence such as He is busy, and I am free has two clauses. Each clause has its own subject, so each clause chooses its verb separately. This is different from the one compound subject in He and I are busy.
He is waiting outside the library.
Does the same rule work in the past?
Yes. He and I were late uses the past plural form were. I was late uses was because I is the only subject. The number of people in the subject still decides the verb form.
My brother and I are taking the same course.