Are vs Our

What would the world be without words? It would be so silent; people would be using signs to communicate with each other. There would be no written or oral history, no music and singing, and everyone would be illiterate.

However, we are born with the ability to speak and form words, thus enabling us to communicate with each other through a spoken and written language. From the simple, single syllables that we utter as children to the complex sentences that we create as adults, we use words to convey our thoughts and feelings.

There are words that mean the same but are spelled differently while there are words that sound the same although they may mean different things. This can sometimes be confusing. Take the case of the words “are” and “our,” for example.

The word “are” is the present, plural, indicative form of the word “be.” It is used in the second and third persons and is a verb that is used to indicate a state of being. It is used as a simple verb as well as an auxiliary or helping verb.

The term are comes from the Old English word “earun” or “aron” which was used as a conjugation of the word “be.” Its first usage as a word that can replace the word “be” as a first person plural indicative verb was in the 17th century.
Here are some examples for its use:

We are going to Tinago Falls. (First person plural present tense.)

Are you coming or not? (Second person plural present tense.)

They are coming with us. (Third person plural present tense.)

The word “our,” on the other hand is used to refer to something belonging to or associated with the person speaking and other people. It is an adjective which is the possessive form of the word “we.” It is used in the plural form and as an attributive adjective.

The term “our” comes from the Old English word “ure” which means “of us.” It, in turn, came from the Proto-Germanic word “ons” or “unser” meaning “our.” It was in use since before the 8th century as a supplementary genitive plural of the word “be.”

Some examples of its use are:

Our son is a member of the national basketball team.
It is our duty as citizens of this country to uphold its laws and protect its natural resources.

That dog is ours.

Summary:

1. The word “are” is a verb while the word “our” is an adjective.
2. The word “our” refers to something belonging to someone particularly the one speaking and other people while the word “are” indicates a state of being and is used as an auxiliary verb.
3. The word “are” is used in the first, second, and third persons while the word “our” is used in the plural form.
4. The word “are” comes from the Old English word “earun” which is a conjugation of the word “be” while the word “our” comes from the old English word “ure” which means “of us.”

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