Learn 'There is' and 'There are' (Positive) - A1 English Grammar — A1 English grammar lesson by Langcom

Learn ‘There is’ and ‘There are’ (Positive) – A1 English Grammar

Raúl Maguiña

Fondateur de Langcom | Examinateur pour les examens de Cambridge et du SIELE

septembre 8, 2026

A1✏️ Grammaire⏱️ 4 min de lecture📅 Updated septembre 2026
To talk about things that exist in a place, we use there is for one thing (singular) and there are for many things (plural). This grammar helps you describe what you see around you, like objects in a room or places in a city. For example, you say There is a book on the table if you see one book. If you see two books, you say There are two books on the table. We often use a ou an with there is for singular nouns. For plural nouns with there are, you can use numbers, or words like some, many, ou lots of. This structure is very common in English.

What is “There is” and “There are”?

Nous utilisons there is et there are to say that something exists. They help us describe what we can find in a place.

Think of them as saying “hay” in Spanish. But in English, we have two forms: one for singular and one for plural.

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How to Use "There is" (Singular)?

Utilisation there is when you talk about one thing. You can also use the short form, there's.

  • Nous utilisons there is + a / an + singular noun.
  • There is a park in my town. (One park)
  • There's an apple in the basket. (One apple)

Remember to use a before consonant sounds and an before vowel sounds.

How to Use "There are" (Plural)?

Utilisation there are when you talk about two or more things (plural nouns).

  • Nous utilisons there are + number / some / many / lots of + plural noun.
  • There are three chairs in the room. (More than one chair)
  • There are some students in the classroom. (More than one student)
  • There are many shops in the city centre. (Many shops)

When to Use "There is" or "There are"?

The choice depends on the noun that comes after there is ou there are.

  • If the noun is singular (one thing), use there is.
  • If the noun is plural (two or more things), use there are.

It's simple! Look at the noun right after the verb to decide.

Summary: There is / There are (Positive)
Formulaire Utilisation
There is / There's For one singular noun (e.g., a book, an apple)
There are For two or more plural nouns (e.g., two books, some apples)

Exemples

  • There is a cat on the roof.
  • There's a new café near my office.
  • There are five books on the shelf.
  • There are many people at the concert.
  • There are some beautiful flowers in the garden.

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Erreurs courantes chez les hispanophones

Spanish speakers sometimes make a mistake by directly translating "hay" with "It is" or "They are." In English, when you talk about something existing in a place, you must use there is ou there are.

  • Incorrect : It is a good restaurant in my town.
  • Correct : There is a good restaurant in my town.
  • Incorrect : They are many cars on the street.
  • Correct : There are many cars on the street.

N'oubliez pas que, it is describes the quality of something already known, like It is a big restaurant. But there is introduces something new that exists.

Questions fréquemment posées

What is the main difference between "there is" and "there are"?

The main difference is number. We use there is for one thing (singular) and there are for two or more things (plural).

Can I use contractions with "there is" and "there are"?

Yes, you can use the contraction there's for there is. For example, There's a car outside. We do not use a contraction for there are in positive sentences.

Why can't I say "It is a park" instead of "There is a park"?

Vous utilisez It is to describe something specific that you already know or are pointing to. For example, It is a big park. Vous utilisez There is to introduce the existence of something new in a place. For example, There is a park in my city.

Can I use numbers with "there are"?

Yes, absolutely! You can say There are two schools ou There are ten students.

Leçons associées

À propos de l'auteur : Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña est le directeur de l'Asociación Educativa Langcom, un centre agréé de préparation à l'examen Cambridge English situé à votre pays. Fort de plus d'une décennie d'expérience dans l'enseignement des langues et les certifications internationales, il a aidé des milliers d'étudiants, d'enseignants et d'établissements d'enseignement dans 25 pays à obtenir les certifications d'anglais Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL et Michigan.

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