There Is / There Are
Talk about what exists or is present somewhere.
There is (singular)
Use 'there is' with singular or uncountable nouns.
- There is a book on the table.
- There is some milk in the fridge.
There are (plural)
Use 'there are' with plural nouns.
- There are five chairs in the room.
- There are many people at the party.
Negatives and questions
Use isn't/aren't for negatives, and Is there / Are there for questions.
- There isn't any sugar left.
- There aren't any seats available.
- Is there a bank nearby?
- Are there any questions?
There was / there were (past)
Use the past forms 'there was' and 'there were' to talk about things that existed in the past.
- There was a storm last night.
- There were many people at the concert.
- There wasn't any food left.
- Were there any problems?
More examples in context
This structure is used constantly to describe places, situations, and quantities.
- There is a spider on the wall!
- There are three bedrooms in this apartment.
- There isn't enough time to finish.
- Is there a pharmacy around here?
- There used to be a cinema on this street.
- There will be a meeting tomorrow morning.
Common mistakes to avoid
These are frequent 'there is/are' errors, and how to correct them.
- ✗ There is many people here. → ✓ There are many people here. (plural noun needs 'are')
- ✗ It has a problem. → ✓ There is a problem. (use 'there is', not 'it has', for existence)
- ✗ There is a books on the table. → ✓ There are some books on the table.
- ✗ Are there a bank near here? → ✓ Is there a bank near here?
Quick practice
Complete each sentence with the correct form, then check your answer.
- ___ a fly in my soup! (answer: There is)
- ___ any tickets left for tonight's show? (answer: Are there)
- ___ no milk in the fridge. (answer: There is / There's)
- ___ several accidents on this road last year. (answer: There were)
- ___ a gym in this building? (answer: Is there)