Grammar guide Updated 2026-09-10
There Is and There Are: Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes
There is and there are are how English says that something exists. They are not about place, even though the word there usually is — There is a problem means a problem exists, not that a problem is over there. This is the first structure most learners meet and one of the last they stop making mistakes in, because the choice depends on the noun that follows, not on the word before it.
There is / there are at a glance
| Sentence type | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| affirmative | There is a book on the desk. | There are two books on the desk. |
| negative | There isn't a problem. | There aren't any problems. |
| question | Is there a bank near here? | Are there any shops near here? |
| short answer | Yes, there is. / No, there isn't. | Yes, there are. / No, there aren't. |
| uncountable noun | There is some milk in the fridge. | — (uncountables are always singular) |
The rule in one line
Use there is before a singular noun or an uncountable noun, and there are before a plural noun: There is a cat in the garden. There is some water in the glass. There are three cats in the garden.
The verb agrees with what comes after it, and that is where nearly every mistake happens. There's and there are can contract, but there're is rarely written; in speech it disappears anyway.
Because uncountable nouns are grammatically singular, they take there is: There is a lot of traffic today. There is some information in the leaflet. There is no time.
Negatives, questions and short answers
Negatives simply add not: There isn't a pharmacy in this street. There aren't any tickets left. With plural and uncountable nouns, English prefers any in negatives and questions: There aren't any chairs. There isn't any sugar.
Questions invert is or are with there: Is there a vegetarian option? Are there any questions? Short answers keep that order: Yes, there is. No, there aren't. With a question word, keep the same inversion: How many students are there in the class? Why is there a queue?
There is with a list, and the deferential first item
When a list follows, standard English agrees with the first item: There is a pen, two notebooks and a rubber on the desk. Many speakers say there's before a plural list in informal speech, but in writing, agree with the first noun.
This is a useful rule for exam writing, where a mismatched verb stands out. If the list feels awkward, reorder it: There are two notebooks, a pen and a rubber on the desk.
There is in other tenses
The structure travels through every tense you need. In the past it becomes there was for a singular or uncountable noun and there were for a plural: There was a party next door last night. There were twenty people in the room.
In the future it is there will be: There will be a test on Monday. Will there be time for questions? With the perfect it is there has been or there have been: There has been a mistake. There have been three complaints this week. In every case the singular or plural choice is still decided by the noun that follows — nothing else about the structure changes.
There is, it is, and have
Three structures cause confusion at A1 and keep causing it later. There is announces that something exists: There is a new café on King Street. It is identifies or describes something already known: It is a very good café. Have expresses possession: The café has twenty tables.
Put together they make a natural paragraph: There is a café on the corner. It is open until midnight. It has a small terrace. If you can swap there is for exists and the sentence still makes sense, you have chosen the right structure.
The mistakes learners make most often
Almost every wrong sentence in this area is one of the five below. Read the pair out loud — the wrong version then the right one — and the contrast does the teaching.
✘ There is many reasons to learn English. → ✔ There are many reasons to learn English.
Reasons is plural, so the verb must be are. The verb agrees with the noun after there.
✘ There are a lot of traffic in the morning. → ✔ There is a lot of traffic in the morning.
Traffic is uncountable, so it is grammatically singular and takes there is.
✘ It has a cat on the sofa. → ✔ There is a cat on the sofa.
To say that something exists, English uses there is, not have. It has a cat means it owns a cat, which is a different idea.
✘ Is there any chairs in the room? → ✔ Are there any chairs in the room?
Chairs is plural, so the question uses are there, not is there.
✘ There is a book on the desk? → ✔ Is there a book on the desk?
Questions invert is or are with there; word order alone cannot make a question in English.
How to practise there is and there are
The structure is short, so practise it in volume: describe what is in a room, a bag or a photo, out loud, in sentences that begin with there is and there are. It is one of the fastest ways to make the choice automatic.
The free there is / there are drill has thirty questions across multiple choice, gap fill and listening dictation, each with an explanation. For pictures and pair work, the ideas in our speaking activities post pair perfectly with this grammar. Then check it in mixed company with the mixed review or today's Quiz of the Day. Teachers can print the drill as a worksheet with an answer key.
Take the There Is / There Are drill (30 questions) → Build a worksheet Quiz of the Day
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between there is and there are?
Use there is with a singular noun or an uncountable noun (There is a book. There is some milk) and there are with a plural noun (There are two books). The verb agrees with the noun that follows there, not with the word there.
How do I make negatives and questions with there is / there are?
Add not for negatives: There isn't a problem. There aren't any tickets. Invert is or are with there for questions: Is there a bank near here? Are there any shops? Short answers keep the same order: Yes, there is. No, there aren't.
Why is there is many reasons wrong?
Because reasons is plural, so the verb has to be are: There are many reasons. The commonest agreement mistake with this structure is matching the verb to the word there instead of to the noun that follows.
What is the difference between there is and it is?
There is announces that something exists: There is a café on the corner. It is identifies or describes something already known: It is a good café. If the thing has not been mentioned yet, you want there is.
Keep reading
Every guide on this blog is paired with a free drill: the same rules, applied question by question, with explanations and a printable worksheet.