There Is / There Are
Existential 'there' to introduce new information
When to Use There Is / There Are
- •Introducing existence: There is a book on the table.
- •Stating quantity: There are three people waiting.
- •Describing places: There's a park near my house.
- •Abstract existence: There is a problem with the plan.
- •Questions: Is there any milk left?
How to Form There Is / There Are
Affirmative (+)
There is + singular/uncountable | There are + plural
Negative (-)
There isn't / There aren't / There's no...
Question (?)
Is there...? / Are there...?
💡 'There' is a dummy subject—the real subject comes after the verb. Match verb to the noun that follows.
Examples of There Is / There Are
✓There are many students in the class.
✗There is many students in the class.
Plural noun (students) needs 'are'.
✓There's a lot of traffic today.
✗There are a lot of traffic today.
Traffic is uncountable—use 'is'.
✓Is there any coffee left?
✗Are there any coffee left?
Coffee is uncountable—use 'is'.
Common Mistakes with There Is / There Are
💡 Practice Tips for There Is / There Are
- • There is + singular: There is a cat.
- • There are + plural: There are two cats.
- • There is + uncountable: There is water.
- • Informal: 'There's' often used even with plurals in speech
- • Different from 'there' (place): 'Put it there' vs 'There is a book'
Quick Quiz
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