Are or Our?

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 or our?

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:
PronounPersonVerb "To Be" in the Simple Present Tense
IFirst person singularam
YouSecond person singularare
He/She/ItThird person singularis
WeFirst person pluralare
YouSecond person pluralare
TheyThird person plural are

Examples Sentences with "Are"

Here are some example sentences with "are":
  • They are looking forward to Christmas. correct tick
  • 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. correct tick (Physicist Albert Einstein)
  • Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese. correct tick (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:
PronounPersonPossessive Determiner
IFirst person singularmy
YouSecond person singularyour
He/She/ItThird person singularhis/her/its
WeFirst person pluralour
YouSecond person pluralyour
TheyThird person plural their

Examples Sentences with "Our"

Here are some example sentences with "our":
  • This is our dog. correct tick
  • We love even when our love is not requited. correct tick (Philosopher Mortimer Adler)
  • All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. correct tick (Entrepreneur Walt Disney)

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