There is/are

Remember:
You already know am / is / are.
In this lesson, you will learn how to use there is and there are to say that something exists or that something is in a place.

1. What do “there is” and “there are” mean?

There is and there are are used to say that something exists or is in a place.

Examples:

• “There is a dog in the garden.”
• “There are two chairs in the room.”

2. When do we use there is / there are?

You use there is / there are to talk about:

2.1 Existence (something exists)

• “There is a problem.”
• “There are many people here.”

2.2 Saying that something is in a place

• “There is a shop near my house.”
• “There are books on the table.”

3. Choosing the correct form: there is or there are

The form depends on the noun phrase after there is / there are: singular or uncountable nouns take there is; plural nouns take there are.

Use “There is”

• with one thing (singular)
• with uncountable nouns

Examples:

• “There is a cat outside.”
• “There is milk in the fridge.”
• “There is some water on the table.”

Use “There are”

• with more than one thing (plural)

Examples:

• “There are two cats outside.”
• “There are many students in the class.”
• “There are some apples in the bag.”

Important tip:

Always look at the noun after there is / there are, not the place.
For example: There is a book on the table. (book = singular, so is) / There are books on the table. (books = plural, so are).

4. Positive sentences

Structure: There is / There are + noun phrase (+ place)

Examples:

• “There is a chair in the room.” (chair = singular → there is)
• “There are three windows in the house.” (windows = plural → there are)

5. Negative sentences

Structure: There is / There are + not + noun phrase (+ place) (e.g., a/an + singular noun, any + plural/uncountable noun)
To make a sentence negative, add not. In everyday English, we often use isn't and aren't.
We often use any in negative sentences and questions: There isn't any milk. / Are there any chairs?

Examples:

• “There is not a TV in the room.” → There isn't a TV in the room.
• “There are not any chairs.” → There aren't any chairs.

6. Yes / No Questions

To make a question, change the word order.
Structure: Is / Are + there + noun phrase (+ place)?

Example:

• There is a bank nearby. → Is there a bank nearby?
• “Is there a toilet here?”
• “Is there any milk?”
• “Are there two bathrooms?”
• “Are there any students in the class?”

6.1 Short answers

Yes:

• “Yes, there is.”
• “Yes, there are.”

No:

• “No, there isn’t.”
• “No, there aren’t.”

7. There is / There are with some and any

We often use some and any with there is / there are.

• Some → positive sentences
• Any → negative sentences and questions

Examples:

• “There is some water.” (water = uncountable → is)
• “There isn’t any milk.” (milk = uncountable → is)
• “Are there any shops nearby?” (shops = plural → are)

8. Easy way to remember

Remember: Choose is/are from the noun after there (singular/uncountable = is, plural = are).

• One thing or uncountable → There is
• More than one thing → There are