Examples of use of are
1. "Are they depressed because they are ill or are they ill because they are depressed?
2. "People are being killed because they are Shiites, and others are killed because they are Sunnis.
3. There are people in authority who are not professional, who are irresponsible, who are inhuman.
4. There are international conferences where ideas are kicked about, position papers are written, intentions are good.
5. Two are American, three are Australian, four are French and four are Dutch.