There is / There are in English

Overview

"There is" and "there are" are used to say that something exists or is present in a particular place. This structure introduces new information to the listener. Instead of saying "A book is on the table" (which sounds unusual), English speakers say "There is a book on the table."

At the A1 (Beginner) level, this structure is essential for describing places, rooms, cities, and situations. You will use it constantly when talking about what is available, what exists, or what you can find somewhere.

The word "there" in this structure is not about location -- it is a grammatical placeholder. It is sometimes called "existential there" because its purpose is to announce that something exists.

How It Works

Affirmative

Form	Used with	Example
There is (There's)	singular nouns, uncountable nouns	There is a cat in the garden.
There are	plural nouns	There are three cats in the garden.

Negative

Form	Example
There is not (isn't)	There isn't any milk.
There are not (aren't)	There aren't any shops nearby.

Questions

Form	Example
Is there ...?	Is there a bathroom?
Are there ...?	Are there any restaurants nearby?

Short answers

• Is there a pool? -- Yes, there is. / No, there isn't.
• Are there any children? -- Yes, there are. / No, there aren't.

With "some" and "any"

• Affirmative: Use "some" -- There are some apples in the fridge.
• Negative: Use "any" -- There aren't any apples in the fridge.
• Question: Use "any" -- Are there any apples in the fridge?

Examples in Context

English	Note
There is a book on the table.	Singular noun
There are many people here.	Plural noun
Is there a bathroom?	Singular question
There isn't any milk.	Negative with uncountable noun
There are two bedrooms in the apartment.	Describing a place
Are there any questions?	Common classroom phrase
There's a problem.	Contraction -- common in speech
There aren't any tickets left.	Negative plural
There is some water in the bottle.	Uncountable noun with "some"
There are a lot of things to do.	Plural with quantity expression

Common Mistakes

Using "there is" with plural nouns

• Wrong: There is many people in the park.
• Right: There are many people in the park.
• Why: Use "there are" with plural nouns. "There is" is only for singular and uncountable nouns.

Confusing "there," "their," and "they're"

• Wrong: Their is a problem. or They're is a problem.
• Right: There is a problem.
• Why: "There" = existential or location word. "Their" = possessive adjective. "They're" = they are. These are homophones (they sound the same) but have completely different meanings.

Using "have" instead of "there is/are"

• Wrong: It has a park near my house.
• Right: There is a park near my house.
• Why: English uses "there is/are" (not "it has" or "have") to express existence. Many languages use "have" for this purpose, but English does not.

Forgetting to invert for questions

• Wrong: There is a restaurant nearby?
• Right: Is there a restaurant nearby?
• Why: To form a question, invert "there" and "is/are." Simply adding a question mark to a statement is not standard (though it may occur in very casual speech).

Usage Notes

In spoken English, "there's" is very commonly used even with plural nouns: "There's two cats outside." While this is technically incorrect, it is extremely common in casual speech. In writing, always match "there is" with singular and "there are" with plural.

British and American English use this structure identically.

"There is/are" is often followed by location phrases: "There is a bank on the corner. There are shops in the center." This pattern is very useful for giving directions and describing neighborhoods.

Practice Tips

• Describe your room: Look around and list what exists in your room. "There is a bed. There are two windows. There is a desk. There are some books on the shelf."
• Play the "what's in it" game: Think of a container (bag, fridge, box) and describe its contents. "In my bag, there is a phone. There are three pens. There isn't a laptop."
• Practice questions: Imagine you are checking into a hotel. Ask questions about the room and the hotel. "Is there Wi-Fi? Are there towels? Is there a minibar?"

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: To Be - Present Tense -- "there is/are" is built on the verb "to be"