What does ‘There is’ mean?

We use There is to talk about one singular thing or person. It means that something exists in a place.

• Use There is + a/ an + singular noun.
• Use a before words that start with a consonant sound (e.g., a book, a chair).
• Use an before words that start with a vowel sound (e.g., an apple, an orange).

What does ‘There are’ mean?

We use There are to talk about two or more things or people. It means that multiple things exist in a place.

• Use There are + number + plural noun.
• You can also use There are + some + plural noun when you don’t know the exact number.

How do we make questions with ‘There is’ and ‘There are’?

To ask a question, we change the order of the words. We put Is or Are before there.

• For singular questions, use Is there…?
• For plural questions, use Are there…?

We use any in questions with plural nouns.

We can also give short answers:

• Yes, there is. / No, there isn’t.
• Yes, there are. / No, there aren’t.

How do we make negative sentences?

To make a negative sentence, we add not after is or are.

• For singular, use There is not or the contraction There isn’t.
• For plural, use There are not or the contraction There aren’t.

We use any in negative sentences with plural nouns.

Examples

• There is a big window in the living room.
• There are three chairs around the table.
• Is there a park near here?
• No, there isn’t a park.
• Are there any books on the shelf?
• Yes, there are some books.
• There isn’t a TV in my bedroom.
• There aren’t any apples in the fridge.

Practice

Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

Confusing ‘Hay’ with ‘There is’ / ‘There are’

In Spanish, you use ‘Hay’ for both singular and plural. In English, you must choose There is for one thing and There are for many things.

• Wrong: There are a cat.
• Correct: There is a cat.
• Wrong: There is two dogs.
• Correct: There are two dogs.

Confusing ‘There is’ with ‘It is’

There is talks about existence. It is identifies something already known or pointed out.

• Correct: There is a new student in class. (A new student exists.)
• Correct: It is Maria. (Identifying the student.)

Confusing ‘There is’ / ‘There are’ with ‘Have’

In Spanish, ‘tener’ (to have) can sometimes be used for existence. In English, have is for possession, and there is / there are is for existence.

• Wrong: The room has a window. (If you mean ‘A window exists in the room.’)
• Correct: There is a window in the room.
• Correct: I have a window in my room. (Possession)

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between There is and There are?

There is is for one singular item or person (e.g., There is a book.). There are is for two or more plural items or people (e.g., There are two books.).

When do I use ‘a’ or ‘an’ with There is?

Use a before words that start with a consonant sound (e.g., a table). Use an before words that start with a vowel sound (e.g., an apple).

Can I use ‘some’ with There are?

Yes, you can use some with There are when you are talking about an unspecified number of plural items (e.g., There are some chairs.).

Is ‘There’s’ the same as ‘There is’?

Yes, There’s is a common contraction for There is. It is used in informal speaking and writing (e.g., There’s a cat.).

Related lessons

• There is / there are
• There is / there are