What Is There?
Say that something exists: there is for one thing, there are for many. The most common sentence on street tours — and in your first conversations.
What is "There is / There are"?
A tiny word that points at things
There here is not a place — it is a little flag that says "this thing exists". One thing gets is, many things get are.
One thing: there is
a/an with singular nounsThere is a cat in the garden
Many things: there are
plural nouns followThere are two cats in the garden
Negatives: isn't / aren't
nothing at allThere isn't a car outside
Questions: Is there…?
flip is/are to the frontIs there a bank near here?
⚠️ There is not a place — it says "it exists".
One Verb, Two Shapes
is for one, are for many
The verb always follows the noun after it: a book → is, books → are. Learn the four shapes and the whole pattern is yours.
| Noun | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | There is a book | There isn't a book | Is there a book? |
| Plural | There are books | There aren't any books | Are there any books? |
| Uncountable | There is some milk | There isn't much milk | Is there any milk? |
The Patterns
There + is/are + the rest
Slide the words into the slots and the sentence builds itself. Watch what happens to a, an, and any when the sentence changes mood.
Thereisacat
Therearetwocats
Thereisn'tanymilk
Istherea banknear here?
Common Mistakes
Five traps to escape
The classic slips: mixing is and are, using have for existence, and doubling the negative. Here is how to avoid them.
There are a cat.
There is a cat.
💡 One thing → there is; many things → there are.
There is a lot of cars.
There are a lot of cars.
💡 A lot of + plural → there are.
No, there isn't no milk.
No, there isn't any milk.
💡 One negative only: isn't any, not isn't no.
Are there a bank?
Is there a bank?
💡 One bank → Is there…?; banks → Are there…?
There have two books on the desk.
There are two books on the desk.
💡 Existence is not have: use there is/are.
Quick Quiz
Test what you just learned
Three minutes, five questions — check what stuck. No essay questions, we promise.
There ___ a park near my house.
💡 Info supplémentaire2 sections
Quantifier Partners
Which words sit next to is and are
Some words only ride with is, some only with are, and some uncountable nouns never take a or an. Sort them in your head and the choice stops being a gamble.
Questions & Short Answers
Yes, there is. No, there isn’t.
Real conversations rarely answer in full sentences. Learn the four short answers and you can handle any existence question in one breath.
Yes, there is.
Answer for one thing
Is there a bank? — Yes, there is.
No, there isn't.
Negative answer for one thing
Is there any milk? — No, there isn't.
Yes, there are.
Answer for many things
Are there any chairs? — Yes, there are.
No, there aren't.
Negative answer for many things
Are there any eggs? — No, there aren't.
⚠️ Short answers copy the verb of the question: is → is, are → are.