Are or Our?

search our site by Craig Shrives

What Is the Difference between "Are" and "Our"?

"Are" and "our" are easy to confuse because they sound so similar. However, "are" and "our" have very different uses.

• "Are" is like "am" and "is." For example:
• I am angry.
• She is angry.
• We are angry.
(The words "are," "am," and "is" are all forms of the verb "to be" in the present tense.)
• "Our" means "belonging to us." It is like "my," "your," and "his." For example:
• This is my daughter.
• This is your daughter.
• This is our daughter.
(These words are called possessive determiners.)

Are

"Are" is from the verb "to be." Here is a table showing where "are" fits among the other verbs "to be" in the simple present tense:

Pronoun	Person	Verb "To Be" in the Simple Present Tense
I	First person singular	am
You	Second person singular	are
He/She/It	Third person singular	is
We	First person plural	are
You	Second person plural	are
They	Third person plural	are

Examples Sentences with "Are"

Here are some example sentences with "are":

• They are looking forward to Christmas.
• When you are courting a nice girl, an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder, a second seems like an hour. That's relativity. (Physicist Albert Einstein)
• Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese. (Filmmaker Luis Bunuel)

Our

"Our" means "belonging to us." "Our" is a possessive determiner. Here is a table showing where "our" fits among the other possessive determiners:

Pronoun	Person	Possessive Determiner
I	First person singular	my
You	Second person singular	your
He/She/It	Third person singular	his/her/its
We	First person plural	our
You	Second person plural	your
They	Third person plural	their

Examples Sentences with "Our"

Here are some example sentences with "our":

• This is our dog.
• We love even when our love is not requited. (Philosopher Mortimer Adler)
• All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. (Entrepreneur Walt Disney)

Ready for the Test?