There is / There are: Expressing Existence (A1 English Grammar) — A1 English grammar lesson by Langcom

There is / There are: Expressing Existence (A1 English Grammar)

Raúl Maguiña

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

juillet 14, 2026

A1✏️ Grammaire⏱️ 4 min read
We use There is et There are to say that something exists or is present in a place. This is a very common way to describe what you can see around you. For singular nouns or uncountable nouns, we use There is. For example, There is a book on the table. For plural nouns, we use There are. For instance, There are two chairs in the room. These phrases are essential for describing locations, objects, and people in English. Mastering them helps you communicate clearly about the world.

What is the difference between There is et There are?

There is et 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?
Summary of <span data-no-translation>There is</span> et <span data-no-translation>There are</span>
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?

Exemples

  • 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.

Entraînement

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Erreurs courantes chez les hispanophones

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.

Questions fréquemment posées

What is the main use of There is et 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 et There aren’t?

Yes, you can use contractions. There’s is common for There is. There isn’t et 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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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 ÉTATS-UNIS. 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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