There is / there are
Quy tắc
There is and there are announce that something exists or state its location, acting as placeholders for the real subject.
We use there is and there are to announce that something exists or to state where an item is located. In this structure, there is a grammatical placeholder, and the real noun follows the verb: (1) There is (singular countable and uncountable nouns): Use there is with one singular person or thing ("There is a computer on the desk") and with uncountable substances ("There is fresh milk in the fridge"). Contraction: There's is very common in spoken English ("There's a cat outside the door"). (2) There are (plural countable nouns): Use there are with two or more people or items ("There are four chairs in the room", "There are many parks in this city"). Contraction note: There're is not standard in written English. Negatives: Singular uses there is not or there isn't ("There isn't a cloud in the sky"). Plural uses there are not or there aren't ("There aren't any clean towels left"). Questions: Invert there and the verb be: "Is there a bank near here?" → "Yes, there is. / No, there isn't.". "Are there any questions about the lesson?" → "Yes, there are. / No, there aren't.". Some vs. Any: Use some in affirmative statements ("There are some letters for you"). Use any in negative sentences and questions ("There isn't any milk", "Are there any empty seats?").
Ghi nhớ
- Use there is with singular countable nouns and uncountable nouns: there is a pen, there is milk.
- Use there are with plural nouns: there are two books, there are many people.
- Use some in affirmative statements and any in negative statements and questions.
Bẫy thường gặp cần tránh
Never substitute have or it is for there is when announcing existence. In my town has a park is incorrect; English requires there is a park.
Guía visual
How to read this A1 topic
At A1, aim for one clear sentence: subject, verb, agreement, and a simple complement.
1. Find the subject
English normally needs an explicit subject before the verb.
It is cold.
2. Check the verb form
Be, have, and third-person -s carry a lot of early grammar.
She works here.
3. Keep a model sentence
Learn one short pattern and swap the words carefully.
I am a student.
Decision path before answering
Use these checks before choosing between close options.
- 1Mark the subject, main verb, object, and any connector.
- 2Underline the time expression or discourse clue.
- 3Reject any option with the wrong agreement, tense, article, pronoun case, or word order.
- 4Read the whole sentence once more for naturalness and register.
Contrasts that often decide the answer
Event or background
Simple forms move events forward; continuous forms show an action in progress.
I left while she was talking.
Fact or stance
Modals, hedges, and reporting structures show how certain or responsible the speaker sounds.
This may indicate a problem.
Clause or compressed phrase
Advanced writing often compresses full clauses into participle, noun, or prepositional phrases.
Having reviewed the data, we revised the plan.
Ví dụ
- 1There is a quiet green park located just behind our apartment building.
- 2There are four comfortable chairs arranged around the dining room table.
- 3There is some fresh orange juice cooling in the kitchen refrigerator.
- 4There are twenty-five international students in our morning English course.
- 5There isn't a grocery store in this small coastal fishing village.
- 6There aren't any clean ceramic plates left on the kitchen shelf.
- 7Is there a good Italian restaurant located anywhere in this neighborhood?
- 8Are there any telephone messages waiting for me on the reception desk?
- 9There is a notebook, a dictionary, and three pens inside my leather bag.
- 10There are many historical monuments to explore throughout this capital city.
Ngoại lệ
When introducing a list of multiple items, English standard grammar agrees with the first item in the list: "There is a sofa and two armchairs in the parlor" (sofa is singular, so is is used). Do not confuse there is (announcing existence) with it is (identifying or describing an already known object): "There is a new coffee shop on the corner. It is very cozy and bright."
Lỗi thường gặp
(1) Using have for existence: "In my city has a famous museum." → "In my city there is a famous museum." (English expresses existence with there is, never bare have). (2) Singular verb with plural noun: "There is three cars in the driveway." → "There are three cars in the driveway." (Plural nouns demand there are). (3) Confusing there is with it is: "It is a spider on the wall." → "There is a spider on the wall." (Announcing presence requires there is).
Tự kiểm tra
Describe everything in your room using six sentences with there is and there are, then practise this topic.
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