Explanations, Examples, Exercises
There is / There are
There is/There are is a common phrase in English, used to indicate that something “exists”or is in a certain location.
The main subject follows the verb when there is/are is used.
- There is an apple on the table.
- There are some apples on the table.
Other forms of “be” can also be used with there is/there are.
- There will be a party at Bill’s house on Saturday.
- There’re plenty of oranges left.
- There’ll be a lot of people in attendance.
- There’s” is by far the most common contraction, and it is sometimes used inadvertently with plural subjects by native speakers.
- There’s ten people outside!
Common mistakes
Since the expression there is/are usually has no equivalent in other languages, students sometimes use have instead.
Have a lot of food on the table. It has a lot of food on the table. There have a lot of food on the table. There is a lot of food on the table. | (Incorrect) (Incorrect) (Incorrect) (Correct) |
See also :
Grammar : Subject-Verb Agreement
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