Introduce what exists or is available
The expression there is or there are presents something as existing or being present. It often answers a practical question such as what a room contains or what services a neighborhood offers. In this pattern, the first word, there, is a grammatical introduction. It does not mean a place over there. You can therefore say There is a café here without contradiction. The actual place appears in another part of the sentence. English does not normally use it is for this introductory function. First decide whether you are announcing an item or describing an item that is already identified.
There is a café near the station.
Introduce a café that exists near the station.
The expression introduces a singular countable place to the listener. The indefinite article signals that the café is new to the conversation. The phrase near the station tells where the café is; there at the beginning does not.
There are two chairs in the room.
Report that the room contains two chairs.
The number makes the noun phrase plural, so the introductory construction takes the plural verb. The sentence presents the chairs as part of the room’s contents. It is not simply identifying a previously mentioned pair of chairs.
Find the main noun before choosing is or are
Look at the noun phrase after the verb, especially its main noun. A box of pencils is one box, while two boxes is plural. A number, a plural ending, or a word such as several can help identify the number. A phrase after the main noun does not always control agreement. In There is a bag of apples, the bag is the counted unit. The apples are inside the description of that unit. Keep the sentence short while learning this pattern, and introduce one clear noun phrase at a time before attempting long lists of mixed items.
There is a box of pencils on the desk.
Report one box containing pencils.
The main noun is box, which is singular. The plural word pencils only describes the contents; it does not turn one box into several boxes. To check agreement, remove the phrase of pencils for a moment.
There are several buses outside.
Report more than one bus outside.
The quantity word several and the plural noun buses both show more than one vehicle, so the standard verb is plural. The word outside does not affect agreement. Also, bus is countable, even though a general word such as transportation is not.
Follow a complete example
Build a sentence with this meaning: Report one box containing pencils. Before looking at the answer, identify which information controls the grammatical choice.
- First, identify the message: Report one box containing pencils. Keep that message fixed while comparing forms. A sentence can be grammatical yet communicate something different, so meaning is part of the decision.
- The main noun is box, which is singular. The plural word pencils only describes the contents; it does not turn one box into several boxes. To check agreement, remove the phrase of pencils for a moment.
- Now read the complete sentence: There is a box of pencils on the desk. Check the words around your choice as well as the choice itself. Explain what would change with a different subject or a different message. Then cover this example and rebuild the sentence from its meaning.
There is a box of pencils on the desk. Report one box containing pencils.
Use singular agreement with uncount nouns
Uncount nouns normally have no plural ending. Water, furniture, and information therefore use there is. A quantity word such as some can appear before them without making them plural. If you introduce a countable unit, check the unit instead: There are two bottles of water. The bottles are plural even though the water remains uncountable. This is a grammatical distinction, not a statement about how much material exists. A large quantity of water can still take a singular verb because it is being treated as a substance.
There is some water in the bottle.
Report an unspecified amount of water.
Water is an uncount noun in this sentence, so the construction takes singular agreement. Some does not by itself signal plural number. The amount could be small or large without changing the grammatical category of the substance.
There are two bottles of water.
Report two containers of water.
The counted units are bottles, and the number two makes the noun phrase plural. The substance inside those bottles does not control the verb. Compare this with a sentence whose main noun is simply water to hear the grammatical difference.
Ask what is available
For a neutral question, move the verb before there: Is there a restroom? or Are there any seats? The order of the noun phrase stays the same. With plural count nouns and uncount nouns, any is common in questions that ask whether something exists. It does not need to be translated as a separate word into every language. A singular count noun normally keeps an article. These questions are useful in travel, shops, classrooms, and shared spaces because they ask about availability without claiming that the item is already known.
Is there a restroom nearby?
Ask whether a restroom is available nearby.
The singular noun phrase needs the singular question form. Moving the verb before there marks the question. The indefinite article keeps the restroom nonspecific because the speaker is seeking a suitable facility rather than identifying a known one.
Are there any free seats?
Ask whether any seats are available.
The noun seats is plural, so the question uses the plural verb before there. Any is natural when checking whether an unspecified number exists. The adjective free describes availability and does not change to mark plural agreement.
Deny existence or availability
Use there isn’t with a singular count noun or an uncount noun, and there aren’t with a plural noun. Full forms with not are also correct. Any often accompanies plural and uncount nouns in negatives: There isn’t any milk. Another option uses no after an affirmative verb: There is no milk. These patterns have similar basic meanings, but avoid combining them automatically. There isn’t no milk is not the standard pattern practiced here. Some dialects do use two negative words together; recognize this variation, but do not mix it into this beginner writing model.
There isn’t a pharmacy on this street.
Say that this street has no pharmacy.
The noun pharmacy is singular and countable, so the negative construction contains the singular form of be. The article stays before the noun. The phrase on this street limits the statement to this street; it does not claim that pharmacies do not exist elsewhere.
There aren’t any tickets left.
Say that no tickets remain available.
The plural noun takes a plural negative verb. Any is natural in a statement denying the availability of an unspecified number of tickets. The last word, left, means remaining, not a direction.
References for this explanation
Separate new information from a known location
Compare There is a museum near the park with The museum is near the park. The first introduces a museum; the second locates a museum that the listener can identify. Both may describe the same real place, but they organize the information differently. It can then refer back to the known museum: It is open today. The introductory there does not stand for the museum in the same way. Ask what your listener already knows and what you are adding. This distinction helps you avoid using there is in every English sentence that mentions a place.
There is a new museum in town.
Introduce the existence of a new museum.
The speaker is announcing a place rather than locating an already identified one. The indefinite noun phrase suits that presentation. Once the museum has been introduced, a later sentence can refer to it with the or with a pronoun such as it.
The museum is near the park.
Locate the museum that both speakers already know about.
The museum itself is the subject of this sentence. The definite article signals an identifiable reference, and the verb directly connects it with a location. No introductory there is needed because the sentence is organized around the known museum.
Try the reasoning with less help
Build a sentence with this meaning: Introduce the existence of a new museum. Before looking at the answer, identify which information controls the grammatical choice.
- First, identify the message: Introduce the existence of a new museum. Keep that message fixed while comparing forms. A sentence can be grammatical yet communicate something different, so meaning is part of the decision.
- The speaker is announcing a place rather than locating an already identified one. The indefinite noun phrase suits that presentation. Once the museum has been introduced, a later sentence can refer to it with the or with a pronoun such as it.
- Now read the complete sentence: There is a new museum in town. Check the words around your choice as well as the choice itself. Explain what would change with a different subject or a different message. Then cover this example and rebuild the sentence from its meaning.
Compare your reasoning
There is a new museum in town. Introduce the existence of a new museum.
Use short replies and recognize informal lists
A short answer can repeat the construction: Yes, there is or No, there aren’t. A positive short answer always ends with the full verb, never with there’s. In casual conversation, many speakers use there’s before a list beginning with a singular noun. You will hear that usage, but this lesson practices there are with plurals because it works reliably in careful writing and examinations. Recognize the casual form when you hear it, but use the plural form when you speak or write. For a long list, separate the items into shorter sentences if agreement is difficult, rather than guessing from the first word you happen to notice.
Yes, there is.
Confirm that a restroom is available.
The reply repeats the singular verb from the question, and there comes before it. A positive short answer does not end with the contraction there’s. The noun is clear from the earlier question, so it is left out.
There are three people waiting.
Use careful standard English to introduce three waiting people.
The noun people is plural even though it does not have a regular s ending. The number three confirms that. Careful standard English uses the plural verb here.
Notice the difference
Common mistakes
Introduce rather than identify
Instead ofIt is a café near here.
For this meaningThere is a café near here.
When the message is that a café exists nearby, the natural neutral pattern is there is. The phrase It is can be right when you identify something already under discussion, so the correction depends on the message. Before you choose how to begin, ask whether the listener already knows what it refers to.
Count the unit
Instead ofThere are a bottle of water.
For this meaningThere is a bottle of water.
The main noun is bottle, and the indefinite article shows one bottle. The phrase of water describes its contents. Do not let the quantity of the substance or the length of the noun phrase distract you from the counted unit. Plural bottles would require a plural verb, but one bottle requires singular agreement.
Start the question with is, not does
Instead ofDoes there a bus stop?
For this meaningIs there a bus stop?
The construction already uses be, so the question moves that verb in front of there. It does not add does, the helper for ordinary verbs such as stop or work. Here bus stop is a noun phrase naming a place, not an action verb. Once you see that, the question pattern is easier to choose.
From understanding to using
Make your own example.
Try these without answer choices. Say your answer aloud or write it below, then compare your reasoning with the model.
Your turn 1
Describe a room containing one table, three chairs, and some water. Use three separate sentences.
Compare with a model
There is a table. There are three chairs. There is some water.
Introduce a table, chairs, and an amount of water.
The first noun is singular and countable, so it takes a singular verb and an indefinite article. The second phrase is explicitly plural and changes the verb. The third names a substance without counting containers, so it returns to singular agreement. Splitting the description into separate sentences makes each agreement choice visible and avoids the complication of a mixed list.
- Does your answer say what the task asked for?
- Does the form match the person or noun in your message?
- Can you explain your choice before looking at the model?
Your turn 2
Ask whether any tickets remain, then give a negative short answer and a complete negative statement.
Compare with a model
Are there any tickets left? No, there are not. There are not any tickets left.
Check ticket availability and report that none remain.
The plural noun controls the form in the question and both replies. The question moves the verb in front of there, while the statements keep it after there. Any works in both the question and the full negative. A contraction is possible in the negative answers, but keeping the full form helps you see where the negative word belongs.
- Does your answer say what the task asked for?
- Does the form match the person or noun in your message?
- Can you explain your choice before looking at the model?
Put it into practice
Make the next choice.
Choose a response and learn why it works. Your score reflects your first answer to each question. You can revisit anything you miss.
Choose an answer, then open the explanation to check your reasoning.
Question 1
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Introduce a café that exists near the station.
___ a café near the station.
- There is
- There are
Check the answer
Answer: There is
There is: The expression introduces a singular countable place to the listener. The indefinite article signals that the café is new to the conversation. The phrase near the station tells where the café is; there at the beginning does not.
There are: The noun phrase contains one café. The plural form does not agree with that singular phrase in the standard pattern.
Question 2
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Report that the room contains two chairs.
___ two chairs in the room.
- It is
- There are
Check the answer
Answer: There are
It is: The phrase It is normally identifies or describes something already known. It does not introduce these plural room contents, and it also has the wrong number.
There are: The number makes the noun phrase plural, so the introductory construction takes the plural verb. The sentence presents the chairs as part of the room’s contents. It is not simply identifying a previously mentioned pair of chairs.
Question 3
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Report one box containing pencils.
There ___ a box of pencils on the desk.
- is
- are
Check the answer
Answer: is
is: The main noun is box, which is singular. The plural word pencils only describes the contents; it does not turn one box into several boxes. To check agreement, remove the phrase of pencils for a moment.
are: Pencils is part of a phrase describing the box. The main noun is singular, so it controls the singular verb.
Question 4
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Report more than one bus outside.
There ___ several buses outside.
- is
- are
Check the answer
Answer: are
is: The noun phrase is plural, so the standard form used in careful speech and writing is are.
are: The quantity word several and the plural noun buses both show more than one vehicle, so the standard verb is plural. The word outside does not affect agreement. Also, bus is countable, even though a general word such as transportation is not.
Question 5
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Report an unspecified amount of water.
There ___ some water in the bottle.
- is
- are
Check the answer
Answer: is
is: Water is an uncount noun in this sentence, so the construction takes singular agreement. Some does not by itself signal plural number. The amount could be small or large without changing the grammatical category of the substance.
are: A quantity of an uncount substance takes is. Use are when the main noun is a plural countable unit, such as bottles.
Question 6
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Report two containers of water.
There ___ two bottles of water.
- is
- are
Check the answer
Answer: are
is: The main noun is bottles, which is plural. The uncount noun inside the following phrase does not control agreement.
are: The counted units are bottles, and the number two makes the noun phrase plural. The substance inside those bottles does not control the verb. Compare this with a sentence whose main noun is simply water to hear the grammatical difference.
Question 7
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Ask if you can find a restroom nearby.
___ a restroom nearby?
- Is there
- Does there
Check the answer
Answer: Is there
Is there: The singular noun phrase needs the singular question form. Moving the verb before there marks the question. The indefinite article keeps the restroom nonspecific because the speaker is seeking a suitable facility rather than identifying a known one.
Does there: The helper does cannot replace the form of be in this question. The pattern begins with is or are, depending on the noun phrase.
Question 8
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Ask if any seats remain free.
___ any free seats?
- Is there
- Are there
Check the answer
Answer: Are there
Is there: Careful standard English matches the plural noun seats with are. The singular question form does not fit this exercise.
Are there: The noun seats is plural, so the question uses the plural verb before there. Any is natural when checking whether an unspecified number exists. The adjective free describes availability and does not change to mark plural agreement.
Question 9
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Say that this street has no pharmacy.
There ___ a pharmacy on this street.
- isn’t
- aren’t
Check the answer
Answer: isn’t
isn’t: The noun pharmacy is singular and countable, so the negative construction contains the singular form of be. The article stays before the noun. The phrase on this street limits the statement to this street; it does not claim that pharmacies do not exist elsewhere.
aren’t: This plural negative does not match a pharmacy. Use it with a plural noun phrase such as any pharmacies instead.
Question 10
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Say that no tickets remain available.
There ___ any tickets left.
- isn’t
- aren’t
Check the answer
Answer: aren’t
isn’t: Tickets is plural. The singular negative would fit an uncount noun or one singular count noun, but not this phrase.
aren’t: The plural noun takes a plural negative verb. Any is natural in a statement denying the availability of an unspecified number of tickets. The last word, left, means remaining, not a direction.
Question 11
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Introduce the existence of a new museum.
___ a new museum in town.
- There is
- There are
Check the answer
Answer: There is
There is: The speaker is announcing a place rather than locating an already identified one. The indefinite noun phrase suits that presentation. Once the museum has been introduced, a later sentence can refer to it with the or with a pronoun such as it.
There are: A new museum is singular. Introducing new information does not cancel ordinary number agreement.
Question 12
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Locate the museum that both speakers already know about.
The museum ___ near the park.
- there is
- is
Check the answer
Answer: is
there is: Adding the entire introductory construction after the noun phrase produces the wrong word order for this straightforward location statement.
is: The museum itself is the subject of this sentence. The definite article signals an identifiable reference, and the verb directly connects it with a location. No introductory there is needed because the sentence is organized around the known museum.
Question 13
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Say yes when someone asks about finding a restroom nearby.
Yes, there ___.
- is
- are
Check the answer
Answer: is
is: The reply repeats the singular verb from the question, and there comes before it. A positive short answer does not end with the contraction there’s. The noun is clear from the earlier question, so it is left out.
are: The question concerns one restroom. A matching short answer keeps singular agreement rather than switching to a plural form.
Question 14
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Use careful standard English to introduce three waiting people.
There ___ three people waiting.
- is
- are
Check the answer
Answer: are
is: You may hear a contracted singular form in casual speech, but it is not the careful plural agreement requested in this exercise.
are: The noun people is plural even though it does not have a regular s ending. The number three confirms that. Careful standard English uses the plural verb here.
Keep the conversation going
What to practice next
After a break, go back to your own examples above and do each task again without looking at the models. Compare the meaning and form with the models, and fix each mistake by explaining its cause. Then use one of your sentences in a short conversation of your own.
By Loquus ·
Sources
- British Council LearnEnglish: It and there as dummy subjects
- British Council LearnEnglish: Using there is and there are
- British Council LearnEnglish: Present simple: be
- British Council LearnEnglish: Questions and negatives
- British Council LearnEnglish: Personal pronouns
- British Council LearnEnglish: Count nouns
- British Council LearnEnglish: Uncount nouns
- British Council LearnEnglish: The indefinite article
- British Council LearnEnglish: The definite article
- British Council LearnEnglish: Quantifiers
- British Council LearnEnglish: Demonstratives
Learning research behind the practice
Worked examples, retrieval practice, and later review inform the activities. These studies do not establish the effectiveness of this specific lesson.
- Karpicke and Roediger: The critical importance of retrieval for learning
- Butler and Roediger: Feedback enhances the positive effects and reduces the negative effects of multiple choice testing
- Institute of Education Sciences: Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning
- Rittle Johnson and Star: Compared to what?