eng5-2.1· Unit 2: My World· ~13 min

There is / There are

Singular vs plural existence; questions.

We use 'there is' and 'there are' to say that something exists or to describe what is in a place. Use 'there is' (or the short form 'there's') with a singular noun: 'There is a cat on the sofa.' Use 'there are' with a plural noun: 'There are three books on the desk.' To make a negative sentence, use 'there isn't' (there is not) for singular and 'there aren't' (there are not) for plural: 'There isn't a dog in the garden.' / 'There aren't any chairs in the room.' To ask a question, put 'is' or 'are' before 'there': 'Is there a window in your room?' — 'Yes, there is.' / 'No, there isn't.' 'Are there any pencils on the table?' — 'Yes, there are.' / 'No, there aren't.' In positive sentences use 'a' or 'an' with singular nouns and 'some' with plural nouns. In questions and negatives use 'any' with plural nouns. For example: 'There are some flowers in the vase, but there aren't any apples on the table.'

Key terms

there is — We use 'there is' (short form: there's) to say one thing exists in a place.
there are — We use 'there are' to say two or more things exist in a place.
singular — One person or thing (e.g. a cat, a book, an apple).
plural — Two or more people or things (e.g. cats, books, apples).
some — Used with plural nouns in positive sentences (e.g. There are some books).
any — Used with plural nouns in questions and negative sentences (e.g. Are there any books? / There aren't any books).
There is / There are — Positive, Negative, Question
FormUseExample
There is (there's)singular nounThere is a cat on the sofa. / There's a cat on the sofa.
There areplural nounThere are three books on the desk.
There isn't (there is not)singular negativeThere isn't a dog in the garden.
There aren't (there are not)plural negativeThere aren't any chairs in the room.
Is there …?singular questionIs there a window in your room?
Are there …?plural questionAre there any pencils on the table?

Use 'is' for one thing and 'are' for two or more things.

Short Answers
QuestionYes answerNo answer
Is there a lamp?Yes, there is.No, there isn't.
Are there any cats?Yes, there are.No, there aren't.

In short answers, repeat 'there is' or 'there are'. Do NOT use 'it is' or 'they are'.

some / any — When to Use
Sentence typeWordExample
Positive (plural)someThere are some flowers in the vase.
Negative (plural)anyThere aren't any apples on the table.
Question (plural)anyAre there any pencils in the bag?
Positive (singular)a / anThere is a cat. / There is an apple.

'Some' = positive plural. 'Any' = negative or question plural. Singular uses 'a' or 'an'.

✎How to make a negative sentence
  1. 1Step 1: Start with the positive sentence: There are some grapes on the table.
  2. 2Step 2: Change 'are' to 'aren't': There aren't … grapes on the table.
  3. 3Step 3: Change 'some' to 'any': There aren't any grapes on the table.
✎How to make a question from a positive sentence
  1. 1Step 1: Start with the positive sentence: There is an umbrella by the door.
  2. 2Step 2: Move 'is' to the front and add '?': Is there an umbrella by the door?
  3. 3Step 3: Keep 'an' — the article does not change: Is there an umbrella by the door? — Yes, there is. / No, there isn't.
🚫Common mistake

Do NOT use 'there are' with a singular noun. WRONG: 'There are a dog in the garden.' RIGHT: 'There is a dog in the garden.' — 'a dog' is one dog, so use 'there is'.

🚫Common mistake

Do NOT use 'some' in questions or negatives. WRONG: 'Are there some apples?' / 'There aren't some books.' RIGHT: 'Are there any apples?' / 'There aren't any books.' — Use 'any' for questions and negatives.

💡Note

The short form of 'there is' is 'there's' (There's a book.). There is no short form for 'there are' — always write 'there are'.

⚠️Caution

Short answers to 'Is there …?' and 'Are there …?' must use 'there is / there are', NOT 'it is' or 'they are'. For example: 'Is there a lamp?' → 'Yes, there is.' (NOT 'Yes, it is.')

Rules

  1. 1Use 'there is' (there's) with one singular noun: There is a cat in the room.
  2. 2Use 'there are' with plural nouns: There are two dogs in the garden.
  3. 3Negative singular: there isn't (there is not); negative plural: there aren't (there are not).
  4. 4Questions: Is there a...? / Are there any...? — short answers: Yes, there is. / No, there aren't.
  5. 5Use a/an with singular nouns in positives; use some with plural positives and any with plural questions and negatives.

Practice

10 easy · 10 medium · 10 hard

10 random questions per test

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