What is the difference between There is and There are?
There is and There are both talk about things that exist. The main difference is about quantity.
- We use There is for one thing (singular) or for uncountable things.
- We use There are for two or more things (plural).
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How do we use There is for singular things?
Use There is when you talk about one item or person.
- Positive: There is + a/an + singular noun. There is a cat in the garden.
- Negative: There isn’t (or There is not) + a/an + singular noun. There isn’t a pen on the desk.
- Question: Is there + a/an + singular noun? Is there a car outside?
- Short Answer: Yes, there is. / No, there isn’t.
How do we use There are for plural things?
Use There are when you talk about two or more items or people.
- Positive: There are + number/some/many + plural noun. There are three apples in the basket.
- Negative: There aren’t (or There are not) + any + plural noun. There aren’t any students in the classroom.
- Question: Are there + any + plural noun? Are there any chairs in the room?
- Short Answer: Yes, there are. / No, there aren’t.
When do we use There is with uncountable nouns?
Uncountable nouns are things we cannot count, like water, information, or money. We always treat them as singular.
- We use There is with uncountable nouns. There is some water in the bottle.
- For negative, we use There isn’t any. There isn’t any milk in the fridge.
- For questions, we use Is there any. Is there any sugar?
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| There is | Singular nouns, Uncountable nouns | There is a book. / There is water. |
| There are | Plural nouns | There are two books. |
| There isn’t | Negative singular/uncountable | There isn’t a pen. / There isn’t any sugar. |
| There aren’t | Negative plural | There aren’t any chairs. |
| Is there…? | Question singular/uncountable | Is there a problem? / Is there any food? |
| Are there…? | Question plural | Are there many people? |
Examples
- There is a big tree in the park.
- There are many birds in the sky.
- Is there a hospital near here?
- No, there isn’t.
- Are there any good restaurants in this town?
- Yes, there are.
- There isn’t any coffee left.
- There are five people waiting.
Practice
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Chat with an Advisor on WhatsAppCommon mistakes for Spanish speakers
Spanish speakers sometimes make mistakes because of the word ‘hay’.
- Mistake 1: Using ‘it is’ or ‘they are’ instead of ‘there is/are’.
Incorrect: It is a book on the table.
Correct: There is a book on the table.
Incorrect: They are two cars outside.
Correct: There are two cars outside. - Mistake 2: Using ‘is’ for plural or ‘are’ for singular.
Incorrect: There are a chair.
Correct: There is a chair.
Incorrect: There is two tables.
Correct: There are two tables.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main use of There is and There are?
The main use is to say that something exists or is present in a specific place. For example, There is a dog in the park.
Can I use contractions like There’s and There aren’t?
Yes, you can use contractions. There’s is common for There is. There isn’t and There aren’t are used for negative forms.
Do we use There is or There are with ‘some’ and ‘any’?
We use There is some with uncountable nouns and There are some with plural nouns in positive sentences. For negative sentences and questions, we use any: There isn’t any milk. Are there any questions?
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