is
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
How often you will meet it
Rank 21 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 1,436,670 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.683% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 100 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
auxiliary verb
- the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
is in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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For that is the spirit of Yale.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1
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The artist is the creator of beautiful things.
The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1
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How far this was a popular superstition, and to what length his learning went, it is impossible to say.
Christian's Mistake · Dinah Maria Mulock Craik · Chapter 1
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The little girl said nothing, for there is no balm for the tragedy of the big fish that gets away.
The Heart of the Hills · John, Jr. Fox · Chapter 1
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The love of mimetic representation, either as a participant or as a spectator, is an ineradicable instinct of childhood and adolescence.
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1