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usage 1 min read

is that not

When and how do I use is that not instead of isn't that?

A closer look

Is that not is usually the formal choice; keep not after the subject. In a client email: Is that not the final figure? In chat, say isn't that instead.

Is not that is wrong word order. Which register is yours?

  • Use is that not when the situation is formal and you want to sound deliberate. Usable sentence, client email: Is that not the figure we agreed on? Keeping not after the subject signals careful, formal wording.

  • Choose isn't that in everyday conversation, where the uncontracted form can read as stiff. Chat message to a colleague: Isn't that the deadline we set? The contraction is the ordinary choice when you're just checking something casually.

  • Both forms are grammatically correct and mean the same thing, so this is a register choice, not a correctness one. Quick test: if the setting is formal or written, keep not separate; if you'd hesitate to sound stiff, contract it.

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All articles

usage

is it is its

Use **is it** when you're asking a direct question, and **it's** when you're telling something, because it's is just the short form of *it is*. - Asking your flatmate about the rota: *Is it my turn to lock up?* The question puts *is* first. - Answering or offering information: *It's my turn.* Here *it's* stands for *it is*, so it keeps normal statement order. - Contrasting the two side by side: *Is it open?* versus *It's open.* Same words, but the question flips them and the statement doesn't. Watch out for reported questions. When you report what someone asked rather than asking it yourself, the wording follows statement order, so *it's* stays: *She asked if it's open on Sundays.* No inversion happens there, even though the meaning is a question, because the sentence as a whole is telling something, not asking.

usage

is or it is

Situational usage guide for is vs it is

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is over of

Situational usage guide for 'is over of'

usage

when or while

When or while: choosing the right time conjunction

usage

is and are worksheets

**When each form fits** Use **is** when the subject names one thing, and **are** when it names more than one or when the subject is *you*. That's the whole decision, and it applies to any sentence you're writing right now, not just worksheet exercises. **Choosing the form in a real sentence** - One person or thing: *The bus is late.* *My brother is at school.* - More than one: *The dogs are in the yard.* *The keys are missing.* - With *you*, even one person: *You are right.* *You are early today.* - A sentence you might double-check: *The list is long.* The subject is *list*, not *long*, and there's only one list, so **is** fits. **Words that look plural but take is** A few words that refer to one person or thing take **is** even though they may feel bigger. *Each*, *either*, *neither*, and *everyone* all pick out a single item, so they take the singular form: *Each of these hot dogs is juicy.* *Everyone is here.* When you see one of these words, count the meaning, not the letters. Quick check for your worksheet answers: find the subject first, decide whether it's one thing, more than one, or *you*, then match the verb. Singular subject, singular *is*; plural subject or *you*, plural *are*. Every practice sentence follows that same pattern, so once you can name the subject, the choice follows.

explainer

why isn t the

Explains why 'why isn't the...' puts the contracted auxiliary before the subject, using one concrete example and a stated boundary.