There + be: 'There is' And 'There are'

Look at the picture of a livingroom. We can describe the existence of things in the room by using "there is" and/or "there are". The examples below talk about the existence or presence of things in the livingroom by using "there is" and "there are". Pay attention to them.

• There is a window in the livingroom.
• There is a sofa next to the window.
• There is an orange carpet on the floor.
• There is a standing lamp next to the sofa.
• There is a wooden shelf beside the window.
• There are some books and a photograph on the shelf.

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A. Using "There is" and "There are"

I. Countable Nouns

Singular Nouns:

+: There is (There's) + singular noun
?: Is there + singular noun?
-: There is not (There isn't) + singular noun

Example sentences:

• There is (There's) a big tree in the garden.
• There is (There's) a book on that shelf.
• There is (There's) a car in the garage.
• There is (There's) the book you're looking for.
• A: Is there a book in the bag?
  B: Yes, there is. / No, there isn't.

Plural Nouns

+: There are + plural noun
?: Are there + plural noun?
-: There are not (There aren't) + plural noun

Example sentences:

• There are big trees in the garden.
• There aren't many books on that shelf.
• There are three cars in the garage.
• There are the books you're looking for.
• A: Are there many books on that shelf?
  B: Yes, there are. / No, there aren't.
• A: How many students are there in your class?
  B: There are twenty.

II. Uncountable Nouns

+: There is (There's) + uncountable noun
?: Is there + uncountable noun?
-: There is not (There isn't) + uncountable noun

Example sentences:

• There is (There's) some money in the drawer.
• There is some tea on the table.
• There is some ice in the fridge.
• There is not (There isn't) any money in the wallet.
• We can't go skiing. There is not (There isn't) any snow.

Note: "Some" is usually used with positive and interrogative sentences, while "any" is used with interrogative and negative sentences. To learn the difference between "some" and "any", read Some VS Any: What's The Difference?.

B. Example Dialogue

Practice the following dialogue. Pay attention to the italicized words.
In the kitchen
An estate agent is showing Mr. and Mrs. Harris the kitchen.

Estate Agent: "There you are. A wonderful new kitchen."

Mr. Harris: "It's very small."

Estate Agent: "There's the cooker and there's the refrigerator."

Mrs. Harris: "Where?"

Estate Agent: "Behind you. The refrigerator's behind you."

Mrs. Harris: "I can't open it."

Mr. Harris: "I can't put the table outside. Then you can open the refrigerator."

Mrs. Harris: "What's that under the table? On the floor?"

Estate Agent: "It's a box."

Mrs. Harris: "What's inside the box?"

Estate Agent: "There are spoons, knives, forks, ...."

Mr. Harris: "Plates ...."

Mrs. Harris: "And there are cups, too. Where will we put all these things?"

Estate Agent: "Put them in the cupboard. There's a cupboard behind the door."

C. EXERCISE

A. Write sentences with "There is" or "There are" using the provided nouns. Look at the example.

Example:
1. a cup - the table.
   Answer: There is a cup on the table.
2. a book - the shelf.
3. a lot of cars - the parking lot
4. so many ants - on the table
5. some tea - the table
6. some ice - the fridge
7. a computer - the room
8. few good restaurants - my town
9. some money - my pocket
10. a big lamp - the center of the room
11. two English dictionaries - our library

B. Complete these sentences with "there is / there isn't / is there / there are / there aren't / are there".

1. The fridge is empty. ... any food in it.
2. Surabaya is a big city. ... many good hotels there.
3. ... more than 17,500 islands in Indonesian archipelago.
4. I like shopping here. ... a wide variety of products to choose from.
5. The park is not crowded. ... many visitors that day.
6. I don't think we need to eat out. ... enough rice for dinner.
7. ... a new building next to the parking lot. It is the school auditorium.
8. ... an ATM near here? I need to draw some money.
9. ... komodo dragons in the zoo?
10. How many computers ... in the office?

C. Let's play a "Horse Race" game. Answer each question as quickly as possible. You may play it in full-screen mode if necessary.

Expand Your Knowledge

📘 Some VS Any: What's The Difference? 📘 English Dialogue And Exercise: SO VS NEITHER 📘 Need More Grammar Guide? Explore Our Library

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