Basic Sentence Patterns — I can use basic sentence patterns (I am…, I have…, There is/are…) in writing and speaking at my level.

Three simple sentence starters can help you talk and write about almost anything. They are: "I am…", "I have…", and "There is/are…" People use these sentences every single day — to introduce themselves, to talk about what they own, and to describe the world around them. Learning these three patterns will help you speak and write in English right away.

These three sentence starters help you do three big things: tell people who you are, tell people what you have, and tell people what is around you. With just these three patterns, you can talk about yourself, your family, your home, and your neighborhood.

Each sentence pattern has a job. Look at the three patterns and what each one does.

Each pattern in the diagram moves from left to right: who → verb → what. The "I am" pattern can be followed by a name ("a teacher"), a feeling ("happy"), or a place ("from Mexico"). The "I have" pattern is always followed by a thing or person ("a car," "two brothers"). The "There is/are" pattern starts with "There" and then tells what exists somewhere. This one is a little different because "There" is just a starter word — the real information comes after "is" or "are."

Pattern 1: "I am…" (am / is / are)

The word "am," "is," and "are" are all forms of the verb "be." Use "am" when you talk about yourself. Use "is" when you talk about one other person or thing. Use "are" when you talk about more than one person, or when you use "you" or "we." Look at these examples: "I am a student." / "She is a nurse." / "We are ready." This pattern tells people who you are, what you are, or how you feel. It does not describe an action. It just connects you to a word that describes you.

Pattern 2: "I have…" (have / has)

The word "have" tells what you own or who is in your life. Use "have" when you talk about yourself or more than one person. Use "has" when you talk about one other person or thing. Look at these examples: "I have two children." / "She has a question." / "We have time." Always put a thing or a person after "have" or "has." You cannot say "I have tired" — tired is a feeling, not a thing. For feelings, use "I am tired."

Pattern 3: "There is / There are…"

Use "There is" to say one thing exists or is in a place. Use "There are" to say more than one thing exists or is in a place. Look at these examples: "There is a coffee shop on Main Street." / "There are five books on the table." The word "there" at the start is just a starter. The real thing you are talking about comes after "is" or "are." Ask: is it one thing or more than one? One thing → "There is." More than one → "There are."

A common mistake is using the wrong verb. The table below shows which word to use. The big rule is: match the verb to who you are talking about. When you talk about yourself, say "I am" or "I have." When you talk about one other person, say "she is" or "he has." When you talk about a group, say "they are" or "we have."

Let us practice all three patterns together. Imagine you are meeting someone new and you want to tell them about yourself. You will use "I am…" to say who you are, "I have…" to say what you have or who is in your family, and "There is/are…" to say what is near you. Follow the steps below. After each step, try saying the sentence out loud.

Many people make the same small mistakes when they first learn these patterns. That is normal! Look at the mistakes below. Read the wrong sentence. Then read the right sentence. Try saying the right sentence out loud.

Once you know these three patterns, you can start to do more with them. You can say "no" (make a sentence negative). You can ask a question. You can talk about the past or the future. The table below shows simple examples of each.

Look at the "Say No" column. For "I am," you just add "not": "I am not ready." For "I have," you add "do not": "I do not have a car." For "There is," you add "not": "There is not a store here." These small changes let you say a lot more. The "I am" pattern and the "There is" pattern both use "am" or "is" or "are" — so to make them negative or into questions, you move or change that word. The "I have" pattern uses "do" to help make questions and negatives. Practice each one a little at a time.