He scary (He is scary)

When a subject pronoun is followed directly by an adjective (He scary; She happy), the linking verb-the copula (a form of be)-is usually missing. The result is a fragment or a non-standard clause: Pronoun + be + adjective is the complete pattern.

Below: the simple rule, clear examples for work, school, and casual contexts, tone-aware rewrites, and a compact checklist to fix sentences quickly.

Quick answer

If a pronoun is followed by an adjective, add the correct form of be (am/is/are/was/were) or a suitable linking verb: He is scary; They are ready; I was surprised. In speech omission occurs, but in email, essays, and reports include the verb.

Rule: Pronoun + be + adjective (I am, you are, he/she/it is, we/they are; past: was/were).
For a casual tone, use contractions: He's happy, We're ready.
For appearance or impression, choose seem/look/appear: He looks scary; She seems tired.

Core explanation: what's missing and why

The missing item is the copula, usually a form of be, which links subject and adjective. Without it the clause reads as a fragment.

Choose the be-form to match person, number, and tense, or use an alternate linking verb when the meaning calls for it.

Present: I am, you are, he/she/it is, we/they are.
Past: I/he/she/it was, we/they were.
Alternate linking verbs: seem, look, feel, appear (for perception or appearance).

Wrong: 'He scary.'
Right: 'He is scary.'
Wrong: 'They late for the meeting.'
Right: 'They are late for the meeting.'

Quick fixes and tone-aware rewrites

Decide tense and tone, then insert the copula or a linking verb. Use contractions for natural speech and full forms for formal writing.

Formal: full be-form - She is ready.
Neutral: contraction - She's ready.
Casual/stylistic: short reply or ellipsis - Ready!

Original: 'She happy.'
Formal: 'She is happy.' Neutral: 'She's happy.' Casual (text): 'So happy!'
Original: 'I ready.'
Formal: 'I am ready.' Neutral: 'I'm ready.'
Casual: 'Ready!'
Original: 'They hungry.'
Formal: 'They are hungry.' Neutral: 'They're hungry.'
Casual: 'Starving.'
Wrong: 'You late?' (intended as a question). Right (question): 'Are you late?' Right (statement): 'You are late.'

Real usage: when omission is OK (dialogue, dialect, headlines)

Dropping be is common in fast speech, some dialects, and stylized dialogue. It creates voice but is non-standard for formal prose.

Headlines and captions use fragments for brevity; avoid copying headline omission into body text.

Dialogue/dialect: omit sparingly and consistently for character voice.
Headlines: short fragments are normal there but not in regular sentences.
Chat: omission is common ('You okay?') but weaker in professional messages.

Dialogue (stylistic): 'He scary,' said the child. (Acceptable as character voice.) In prose: 'He is scary.'
Headline: 'CEO Resigns' (headline style). In article: 'The CEO resigned.' or 'The CEO has resigned.'
Chat: 'You okay?' (spoken shorthand). Formal: 'Are you okay?'

Work examples: emails, reports, and status updates

Professional messages should include the copula for clarity. Add time or reason when a status needs context.

Prefer full forms in formal emails; contractions are fine in quick team chat.
Add a time phrase if it helps: 'out until Friday' → 'is out until Friday.'

Wrong: 'John out until Friday.'
Right: 'John is out until Friday.'
Wrong: 'The server down.'
Right: 'The server is down.'
Wrong: 'We confident in the plan.'
Right: 'We are confident in the plan.'
Wrong: 'She late to the meeting.'
Right: 'She was late to the meeting.'

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the phrase. Context often shows the intended tense and whether a linking verb other than be is better.

School examples: essays, lab reports, and feedback

Academic writing calls for full clauses. Use past tense for completed experiments and present tense for general facts.

Lab/experiment: past tense for completed work (was), present for general statements (is).
Peer feedback: suggest a full clause rather than a fragment.

Wrong: 'The experiment successful.'
Right: 'The experiment was successful.'
Wrong: 'She ready to present.'
Right: 'She is ready to present.'
Wrong: 'They confused by the question.'
Right: 'They were confused by the question.'
Original: 'Results clear.' Better: 'The results are clear.' (formal) or 'Results look clear.' (for appearance)

Casual examples: texts, social posts, and conversation

Casual writing tolerates contractions and shorter forms, but avoid omissions that could confuse readers.

Social posts: contractions keep tone friendly; omission can read as an error unless intentional.
Questions in chat rely on punctuation and context: 'You okay?' is fine informally because tone implies a question.

Wrong: 'Mom mad.'
Right: 'Mom is mad.'
Casual: 'Mom's mad.'
Wrong: 'He fine.'
Right: 'He is fine.'
Casual: 'He's fine.'
Wrong: 'I tired.'
Right: 'I am tired.'
Casual: 'I'm so tired.'

How to fix your sentence: a compact editing checklist

Use this quick flow when you spot Pronoun + Adjective or a clipped fragment.

1) Identify the pronoun (I/you/he/she/it/we/they).
2) Choose tense: present, past, perfect, or progressive.
3) Insert be (am/is/are/was/were) or a linking verb (seem/look/feel).
4) Pick tone: full form for formal, contraction for neutral, omission only for deliberate voice.
5) Read aloud: if it sounds incomplete, add auxiliary (has been, is getting) or rephrase.

Fixing 'They tired.': Step 1: they. Step 2: present. Step 3: 'They are tired.' Casual: 'They're tired.'
'She sick.': If becoming ill → 'She is getting sick.' If currently ill → 'She is sick.'
If intent is appearance: 'He scary.' → 'He looks scary.' (appearance)

Similar mistakes, hyphenation, spacing, and a memory trick

Errors that look like a missing copula include wrong word forms, missing auxiliaries, or inverted questions. Watch hyphenation and contraction spacing when editing quickly.

Adjective vs adverb: 'She runs quick' → 'She runs quickly.' (adverb required)
Missing auxiliary: 'They been late' → 'They have been late' or 'They were late.'
Question inversion: 'You going?' → 'Are you going?' (add auxiliary and invert)
Hyphen rule: use a hyphen in a compound before a noun ('well-known author') but not after be ('She is well known').
Contraction spacing: 'She's' = 'She is' (no space). Avoid 'Shes' or 'She s'.
Memory trick: P-B-A = Pronoun, Be, Adjective. If you see Pronoun + Adjective, insert Be.

Wrong: 'She runs quick.'
Right: 'She runs quickly.'
Wrong: 'He gone yesterday.'
Right: 'He went yesterday.' or 'He has gone.'
Hyphen example: 'well-known scientist' (before noun) vs 'She is well known' (after be, no hyphen).

FAQ

Is 'He scary' ever correct?

Only as a deliberate stylistic choice in dialogue or dialect. In standard writing use 'He is scary' (present) or 'He was scary' (past).

How do I choose is/are/was/were?

Match the subject and tense: he/she/it → is (present)/was (past); we/they/you → are (present)/were (past); I → am/was.

When should I use 'look' or 'seem' instead of 'be'?

Use 'look' or 'seem' when you mean appearance or impression: 'He looks scary' (appearance) vs 'He is scary' (a trait or state).

Can I use contractions in formal writing?

Avoid contractions in formal essays and professional reports. Use them in emails and informal communication as appropriate.

Quick check before sending: what's the fastest test?

Read the sentence aloud. If a pronoun is directly followed by an adjective and the sentence sounds clipped, insert the correct be-form (P-B-A). If unsure, try 'seems/looks' or expand the clause.

Need a second pair of eyes?

If you're unsure about a sentence, paste it into a grammar checker that explains suggestions so you learn the rule rather than just accepting automatic fixes.

Run a few example sentences through a checker to compare copula suggestions and formal versus casual rewrites; practice builds intuition.