“Here Is” Or “Here Are”? Easy Usage Guide (Helpful Examples)

Making sure we get the correct verb form of “to be” after “here is” and “here are” is important. Both forms are correct; it just depends on what comes after them. This article will explore which one you should use and when.

Is It “Here Is” Or “Here Are”?

You should use “here is” when the following noun or object is in the singular form (i.e., “here is the thing you asked for”). You should use “her are” when the following nouns or objects are in the plural form (i.e., “here are the things you wanted me to get”).

Is It "Here Is" Or "Here Are"?

The only difference comes down to the singular and plural usage. Other than that, both of the phrases mean the same thing. We use “here is/are” when we want to show what the thing is.

When Should I Use “Here Is”?

So, we’ll start by diving a little deeper into when we should use each of the phrases. Let’s start with “here is,” which we now know works best with singular nouns and objects.

You should use “here is” when you’re only talking about one noun or object. That means it works best in the singular form to reference one thing.

The situations where “here is” works are apparent, and we can see them in the following ways:

  • Here is that thing you needed.
  • Here is the pen you ordered.
  • Here is your parcel.

As you can see, all of the objects are singular, making them suitable to use with “here is.” Sometimes, we might come across other objects which use both the singular and plural:

  • Here is your sack of carrots.
  • Here is your box of matches.

In these cases, we take the first word (“sack” and “box”) and compare it to the rules for “here is.” Since both words are singular, we use “here is.”

When Should I Use “Here Are”?

“Here are” works when we want to use the plural form. That means more than one object is present, and we can usually group that object together with an “S” at the end.

“Here are” is the plural form. We use the plural form of “to be” to reference multiple nouns at once, which should all come directly after “are.”

You’ll see “here are” in the following situations:

  • Here are all of your parcels.
  • Here are the things that you needed me to retrieve.
  • Here are his belongings.

When we use two objects, both objects need to be in the plural form for “here are” to work:

  • Here are your sacks of carrots.
  • Here are your boxes of matches.

This time, “sacks” and “boxes” are also plural, making “here are” the best form to use.

Examples Of How To Use “Here Is” In A Sentence

We can go even further with the examples to help you to understand when both are used. We’ll start with “here is.”

  1. Here is your mother’s diary. Treat it well.
  2. Here is your birth certificate if you want it.
  3. Here is my dog.
  4. Here is your friend. I knew we’d find him eventually.
  5. Here is your new family, and they’re so happy to welcome you into the fold.
  6. Here is your computer, just make sure you don’t damage it again.
  7. Here is his box of paper.

“Here is” only works in the singular form. A pronoun will almost always come after “is” in these situations, like “my” or “your.” After the pronoun, we include the object as singular.

Examples Of How To Use “Here Are” In A Sentence

Now, let’s go over “here are” and how we can make it work.

  1. Here are the things you ordered online.
  2. Here are your packages; I hope everything is in working order.
  3. Here are your belongings; just make sure everything is present before signing them back over to you.
  4. Here are your sister’s ashes. We’re so sorry for your loss.
  5. Here are the sheets of paper you asked for.
  6. Here are his favorite things. I’m sure he’d like them back.
  7. Here are all the things you wanted back in the day.

“Here are” works with the plural form. We use it with pronouns in the same way as “here is,” only including the objects in question after stating whatever pronoun is relevant to us.

Is “Here Is” Or “Here Are” Used The Most?

Of the two phrases, it might help you to learn which is used more. Of course, they are used in the same way, so it mostly depends on whether people use the singular or plural form.

According to the graph, “here is” is more popular than “here are,” and both phrases have followed a very similar trend over the last 200 years.

Is "Here Is" Or "Here Are" Used The Most?

“Here is” is more popular because it’s easier to use the singular form when we want to point something out. Usually, if someone has asked us to find something for them, it’s only one thing rather than multiple, which is why “here is” is better in this way.

Is It “Here Is All” Or “Here Are All”?

When we introduce the word “all” to the equation, we’re presented with a difficult conundrum. Luckily, once you understand how “all” impacts the meaning, you’ll have an easier time using it.

“Here is all” and “here are all” are both correct. “Here is all” is correct when the object after “all” is singular or uncountable. “Here are all” is correct when the object after “all” is plural.

That might sound counterintuitive, especially since “all” usually always refers to multiple things. You would think that “here are all” is always correct, but this is not the case.

To demonstrate this, look at the following:

  • Here are all the things you asked for.
  • Here are all the friends I’ve made.

Here, “things” and “friends” are plural, making “here are all” the correct phrase to use. Nine times out of ten, you’ll use “here are all” because it works best when you’re talking about plural forms.

  • Here is all the stuff you wanted.
  • Living here is all I know.

“Stuff” is uncountable, and “I” refers to one thing. For this reason, “here is all” is correct. It’s much more difficult to come across usually, and “Here is all” isn’t very common, but you can still see it in the above cases.

Is It “Here Is The List” Or “Here Are The List”?

“Here is the list” is the only correct form to use because it uses “list” in the singular form. Even if we include a plural after (i.e., “list of names”), we still always use “here is the list.”

We can look at the following examples to explain it:

  • Correct: Here is the list of names you asked for.
  • Incorrect: Here are the list of things you wanted.

“Are” is incorrect here because “list” is in the singular form. You can only use “are” when the following object is plural, meaning that this sentence is correct:

  • Here are the lists of names you wanted.

Now, “lists” is plural, making “are” the more suitable choice.

Is It “Here Is The Information” Or “Here Are The Information”?

“Here is the information” is correct because “information” is uncountable. We use “is” when we’re working with uncountable nouns because there is no way we can write it in a plural form.

  • Correct: Here is the information you asked for.
  • Incorrect: Here are the information you wanted.

There is no plural of “information” because it is its own plural form. “Informations” is incorrect, meaning that “here are the informations” is also incorrect.

Can “Here Is” And “Here’s” Be Used Interchangeably?

“Here is” and “here’s” are interchangeable. “Here is” is better in formal situations, while “here’s” is better informally. “Here’s” is a contraction of “here is,” where the apostrophe replaces the “I” in “is.”

The following are all correct:

  • Here is my dog.
  • Here’s my dog.
  • Here is his house.
  • Here’s his house.

Can “Here Are” And “Here’re” Be Used Interchangeably?

“Here are” and “here’re” are not interchangeable because we cannot contract “are” in words. “Here’re” is never correct, so we should only ever use “here are” when talking about the plural of objects.

There was once a time where “are” was contractable in English, but this was many centuries ago. Today, we’ll never contract “are” to “‘re,” meaning that “here’re” is never a valid option.

Quiz: Have You Mastered The “Here Is” Or “Here Are” Grammar?

Finally, let’s see what you’ve learned from this article and test your new grammar skills. We’ll throw a test at you and include the answers at the end. That way, you can find out whether you’ve figured out the singular and plural differences of “here is” and “here are.”

  1. (A. here is / B. here are) the documents that I printed.
  2. (A. here is / B. here are) all of the stuff you needed.
  3. (A. here is / B. here are) my best friends. I hope you treat them kindly.
  4. (A. here is / B. here are) my father’s farm. Do you like it?
  5. (A. here is / B. here are) the things I did as a child.

Quiz Answers

  1. B
  2. A
  3. B
  4. A
  5. B