Difference Between Our and Are (With Table)

The English language is one of the most widely used languages across the world. The language is made up of different elements, which consist of the alphabet, letters, parts of speech, pronoun, verbs, prepositions, and many more. Some words can be confusing and can mislead the pronunciation, and give different meanings. One such example is the use of our and are. Both of the words are often confused by way of speaking and pronunciation, but both of them have different grammatical roles to play.

Our vs Are

The main difference between our and are is that our is a possessive determiner which is in its plural form and are in the present tense plural form and also the second person singular form of ‘be’. ‘Our’ is used as a pronoun or an adjective, while the term ‘are’ is used as a verb. Both of them are used in sentence formation to make a meaningful and relatable sentence.

Our is a determiner which is in possessive nature spoken in a plural form and which typically means belonging to us. It is used as a pronoun or as an adjective, helping the proper formation of the sentence. It is used to describe something that is owned by us, whether it be a substance or a service.

Are is the tense modification of the verb be. It is said to be in present tense form. The verb ‘be’ refers to the state of being of a substance or thing. Are is a verb modification helping in the formation of a sentence. It can be said that it acts as a helping verb.

Comparison Table Between Our and Are

Parameters of Comparison

Our

Are

Meaning

Something that belongs to us.

Refers to the state of being.

Etymology

Comes from the word ‘ure’ which means ‘of us’.

Comes from the word ‘aron’ or ‘earun’ which was related to the term ‘be’.

Used as

Pronoun, or an adjective

Modified verb

Perspective

First-person perspective

First, second, and third-person perspective

Usage

He is our son.
This is our home.

They are first-year students.
Are you going to the college festival?

What is Our? 

The term ‘our’ comes from the word ‘ure’, which means ‘of us’ in English. It initially came from a Proto-Germanic word. The term is as old as the 8th century. Our is a possessive determiner that is spoken in a first-person perspective. It is referred to something which belongs to us.

Our can work as an adjective which is usually used as a modification for a noun to show something that belongs to us or is something that is we own. It typically refers to some conditions owned or a state of ownership. 

Some of the typical examples of uses of the verb ‘our’ is given below: The exchange services provided by our company are the best in the town; Our publishing company owns most of the printing presses in this area. Here, in both of the above examples are is used to show something that we on typically the services be on all the services we provide.

Other examples: The cat with the golden and white fur is ours. Our daughter is the leader of the basketball team in her school. 

What is Are? 

The term ‘are’ comes from the word ‘aron’ or ‘earun’, which was related to the term ‘be’. The term is in use since the 17th century and is used in the context of first-person perspective and third-person perspective in plural form. It is used to describe something or to refer to something as a state of being.

It is an adjective that is the possessive form of the word “we.” It is used in the plural form and as an attributive adjective. The word being, when used in the present tense form, is written as are. If a second person perspective uses the verb form are it can be used in both singular form and plural form. An example of the second person singular present tense for the use of are: You are an artist in the academy. 

Plural tense form examples are: We are a group of students performing in drama classes. You all are a group of students performing in drama classes. They are drama artists. ‘Are’ can also be used when we ask someone a question such as: Are you on drama club students?

Main Differences Between Our and Are

  1. Our is used as a pronoun or an adjective, whereas ‘are’ is used as a verb. 
  2. Our is used to describe something that belongs to us while are is a verb modification of ‘be’, which typically describes the state of being. 
  3. Our is mostly used in plural form while are is used in both plural form as well as the singular form. 
  4. Our is used since the 8th century, while ‘are’ was introduced in the 17th century. 
  5. Our is used in cases of the first-person perspective while are is used in the first, second, and third-person perspective. 

Conclusion

In the English language, both speech and grammar play an important role in how our views are reciprocated to each other. Some words sound very similar but did you had a different meaning and different grammatical rules which they need to fulfil. The proper uses of words and the proper pronunciation of words are very important in the formation of speech and how we can way our thoughts in the form of speech. 

Our is a word that is used to show ownership, and are is a word used to describe a state of being. While our is used in the first-person perspective, the latter word is used in all three perspectives. It can be used in first person, second person, and third-person perspectives. Both of them have specific roles to play in the formation of speech.