We use There is and There are to say that something exists (or doesn't). Here is how to construct positive, negative, and interrogative sentences using these expressions:
Positive Sentences
Rule 1: You should use There is with singular countable nouns.
Example
Explanation
There is one pen on the table.
The word pen is a countable noun in the singular form, so it requires using There is.
Rule 2: You should use There are with plural countable nouns.
Example
Explanation
There are five pencils in the box.
The word pencils is a countable noun in the plural form, so it requires using There are.
Rule 3: You should use There is with uncountable nouns.
Example
Explanation
There is milk in the glass.
The word milk is an uncountable noun, so it requires using There is.
Negative Sentences
Rule 4: To construct a negative sentence (to say that something doesn't exist), you should add not after is or are.
Example
Explanation
There is not a tiger in the zoo.
The word tiger is a singular countable noun, so it requires using There is. To say that something doesn't exist, we use There is not.
There are not ten books on the self.
The word books is a plural countable noun, so it requires using There are. To say that book does not exist on the self, you should use There are not.
Rule 5: You should use There are not any with countable nouns and There is not any with uncountable nouns to indicate that a zero quantity of something exists.
Example
Explanation
There are not any people at the party.
The word people is a countable noun, so it requires using There are not any.
There is not any milk in the fridge.
The word milk is an uncountable noun, so it requires using There is not any.
Contractions
You can use contractions in spoken and written informal English. Here is how to contact There is and There are:
| Long form | Contraction |
|---|---|
| There is | There's |
| There is not | There's not / There isn't |
| There are | |
| There are not | There aren't |
| Long form | Contraction |
|---|---|
| There is | There's |
| There is not | There's not / There isn't |
| There are | |
| There are not | There aren't |
Note: You cannot contract There are.
Questions
Rule: To construct a question, you should place Is or Are in front of there.
Example
Explanation
Is there a pen on the table?
You can turn the positive sentence "There is a pen on the table." into an interrogative one by placing Is in front of there.
Are there any pencils in the box?
You can turn a positive sentence "There are some pencils in the box." into an interrogative one by placing Are in front of there.
Quiz
1/4
Complete the sentence. ___ a blanket on the bed.
0
correct answers.