Grammar A1 - there is and there are
Boundary Overview
The Rule: In English syntax, existential constructions introduce the presence, existence, or location of an entity into the discourse for the first time using the dummy (expletive) subject there combined with the copular verb be. Grammatical number is determined strictly by the post-verbal noun phrase (the notional subject):
- "There is" (contracted in speech as "there's") introduces a single countable entity (
there is a / an + singular noun) or an uncountable mass entity (there is some / no + mass noun). - "There are" introduces two or more entities (
there are + plural noun / number / quantifier). It establishes the presence of plural countable entities and cannot be used with singular or mass nouns. - Crucial Boundary Distinction: Do not confuse existential there is / there are with deictic personal pronouns it is / they are. Use there is / there are to present an item's existence into the conversation; use it is / they are only after the entity has been identified to describe its specific traits, qualities, or location.
⚖️ Discrimination Map (Structural Boundaries & Functions)
Zone 1: The Number Vector (Singular Countable vs. Plural Countable)
- The Rule: The copula be agrees in grammatical number with the notional subject that immediately follows it.
- Singular Countable Frame:
There is + a / an + Singular Noun (+ Prepositional Phrase)- There is a new laptop on the conference desk.
- There is an urgent message waiting in your inbox.
- Contraction Note: In spoken and informal English, there is regularly contracts to there's ("There's a bus arriving now").
- Plural Countable Frame:
There are + Plural Noun / Number / Quantifier (+ Prepositional Phrase)- There are three clients in the reception lobby.
- There are many opportunities for growth in this sector.
- Contraction Note: While there're occasionally surfaces in rapid vernacular speech, it is avoided in standard written English. Always write there are in full.
- Common Error: ❌ "There is three cars in the driveway." → ✅ "There are three cars in the driveway."
Zone 2: The Mass & Quantifier Vector (Uncountable Nouns, "Some", & "Any")
- The Rule: Uncountable (mass) nouns—entities that cannot be counted individually, such as liquids, materials, and abstract concepts—categorically require the singular verb form there is. They never take there are.
- Affirmative Statements with "Some":
- With Plural Countable: There are some documents on your desk. (Indefinite plural quantity).
- With Uncountable Mass: There is some coffee left in the kitchen. (Indefinite unmeasured volume).
- Negative Statements with "Any" & "No":
- Formed using
there isn't / there aren't + anyorthere is / there are + no + noun: - Plural Negative: There aren't any chairs in room 4. / There are no chairs in room 4.
- Uncountable Negative: There isn't any milk in the refrigerator. / There is no milk in the refrigerator.
- Formed using
- Interrogative Frames with "Any":
- Is there any sugar in the pantry? (Singular uncountable inquiry).
- Are there any spare seats near the window? (Plural inquiry).
- Common Error: ❌ "There are some water on the floor." → ✅ "There is some water on the floor." | ❌ "There aren't some files here." → ✅ "There aren't any files here."
Zone 3: The Discourse Vector (Existential "There Is" vs. Anaphoric "It Is" / "They Are")
- The Rule: Use there is / there are to announce or introduce an entity into the communicative space for the very first time (new information). Once the entity has been introduced, shift to it is (singular) or they are (plural) to provide further descriptive details, actions, or states (known information).
- The Two-Step Discourse Progression:
- Step 1 (First Mention / Presentation): There is a printer in the hallway. (Introduces existence).
- Step 2 (Anaphoric Reference / Elaboration): It is broken. (Describes the established printer).
- Plural Progression: There are five technicians outside. → They are repairing the server rack.
- Category Distinctions:
- Existential Assertion: There is a cat under the porch. (❌ "It is a cat under the porch.")
- Pronominal Identification: What is that sound? — It is the wind.
- Environmental / Meteorological "It": English uses dummy it—never there—for weather, time, and distance:
- ❌ "There is raining outside." → ✅ "It is raining outside."
- ❌ "There is 3:00 PM." → ✅ "It is 3:00 PM."
- ❌ "There is five kilometers to the station." → ✅ "It is five kilometers to the station."
- Common Error: ❌ "I like this city because it is many parks." → ✅ "I like this city because there are many parks."
Zone 4: Syntactic Interrogation & The Proximity Principle
- The Rule: In interrogative constructions, the copula inverts with the expletive subject there (
Is there...?/Are there...?). In compound noun lists, spoken English predominantly selects verb number based on the first listed noun (the Principle of Proximity). - Question Architecture & Short Responses:
- Singular: Is there a bank nearby? → Yes, there is. / No, there isn't.
- Plural: Are there any questions? → Yes, there are. / No, there aren't.
- Quantitative Questions:
How many + Plural Noun + are there (+ Prepositional Phrase)?- How many participants are there in the seminar? (❌ "How many participants are?")
- The Proximity Principle in Coordinated Lists:
- When a list begins with a singular noun, standard conversational English uses there is:
- There is a whiteboard and four markers in the classroom. (Governed by singular a whiteboard).
- When a list begins with a plural noun, use there are:
- There are four markers and a whiteboard in the classroom. (Governed by plural four markers).
- When a list begins with a singular noun, standard conversational English uses there is:
- Common Error: ❌ "Are there a post office near here?" → ✅ "Is there a post office near here?" | ❌ "Are there three books? — Yes, they are." → ✅ "Yes, there are."
🎴 Interactive Web Practice (Comprehension Check)
Question 1 (Number Concord & Plural Agreement): Choose the correct form and explain why: "______ (There is / There are) several urgent emails that require our immediate review."
Answer: "There are several urgent emails that require our immediate review."
Explanation: In existential constructions, the verb to be must agree with the notional subject that follows it. Because several urgent emails is a plural countable noun phrase, the auxiliary verb must conjugate as the plural form there are.
Question 2 (Existential Introduction vs. Anaphoric Reference): Correct the following two-sentence passage: "It is a new Italian restaurant on Main Street. There is very popular among local residents."
Answer: "There is a new Italian restaurant on Main Street. It is very popular among local residents."
Explanation: The first clause introduces the restaurant into the conversation for the first time, which requires the existential construction there is. The second clause refers back to that specific, already identified restaurant; therefore, the singular personal pronoun it is must be used for anaphoric reference.
Question 3 (Mass Nouns & Negative Polarity): Why is "There aren't some milk in the fridge" ungrammatical, and what is the standard correction?
Answer: Correction: "There isn't any milk in the fridge" (or "There is no milk in the fridge").
Explanation: Two grammatical rules are violated here. First, milk is an uncountable mass noun, which strictly requires singular verb agreement (there is / there isn't, never there aren't). Second, in negative polarity contexts, standard English replaces the assertive determiner some with the non-assertive quantifier any.
Question 4 (Proximity Principle in Coordinated Lists): Complete the sentence using there is or there are: "______ a laptop, two monitors, and a keyboard on the workstation."
Answer: "There is a laptop, two monitors, and a keyboard on the workstation."
Explanation: Under the Principle of Proximity in English existential syntax, when a coordinated series of nouns opens with a singular countable noun (a laptop), the verb agrees with that first immediately adjacent item, selecting there is (often contracted as there's in spoken discourse).
Applied Practice Tasks
Practice 1 (Singular Indefinite Concord): ______ (There is / There are) an emergency exit at the end of the second corridor.
Answer:
There is Explanation: The singular countable noun phrase an emergency exit requires the singular copula there is.
Practice 2 (Interrogative Plural Quantifier): ______ (Is there / Are there) any open positions available in the marketing department?
Answer:
Are there Explanation: The interrogative form inverts the verb and subject. Because open positions is plural, the question opens with Are there.
Practice 3 (Uncountable Mass Agreement): Be careful while walking; there ______ (is / are) some water spilled on the tile floor.
Answer:
is Explanation: Water is an uncountable mass noun, requiring singular agreement (there is) regardless of the modifying quantifier some.
Practice 4 (Weather vs. Existence Distinction): ______ (It is / There is) extremely windy along the waterfront this afternoon.
Answer:
It is Explanation: Environmental and meteorological states use the dummy pronoun it is, not the existential presentation marker there is.
Practice 5 (Short Answer Formula): "Are there any updates on the flight schedule?" — "No, there ______."
Answer:
aren't Explanation: In negative short responses to plural existential questions, the contracted plural form there aren't (or there are not) is mandatory.
📊 Quick-Reference Table
| Feature / Dimension | There Is (There's) | There Are |
|---|---|---|
| Grammatical Agreement | Singular countable nouns & Uncountable mass nouns | Plural countable nouns (two or more items) |
| Canonical Formula | There is + a/an [Singular] / some [Mass] (+ Location) | There are + [Plural Noun / Number / Quantifier] |
| Spoken Contraction | Standard and frequent: There's | Rare/avoided in writing; written as There are |
| Affirmative Example | "There is a projector in the meeting room." | "There are ten chairs around the table." |
| Negative Construction | "There isn't a pen." / "There isn't any paper." | "There aren't any handouts left." |
| Zero-Negator Structure | "There is no coffee in the pot." | "There are no available rooms today." |
| Interrogative Inversion | "Is there a pharmacy nearby?" | "Are there any vegetarian options?" |
| Short Answer Forms | "Yes, there is." / "No, there isn't." | "Yes, there are." / "No, there aren't." |
| Mass Noun Concord | ✅ Mandatory (there is tea / information / money) | ❌ Ungrammatical (there are money ❌) |
| Discourse Role | Introduces new singular/mass entity into discourse | Introduces new plural entities into discourse |
| Contrast with "It / They" | Presentation (There is a dog) vs. Anaphora (It is brown) | Presentation (There are dogs) vs. Anaphora (They are brown) |
| Prototypical Learner Trap | Using there are with uncountable mass nouns | Using it is to introduce existence ("It is a book here" ❌) |
Resonant Notes
The following notes in the vault share direct thematic, structural, and syntactic connections with Grammar A1 - there is and there are:
🔴 Core Structural Patterns & Existential Frames
- there-is-are — Foundational natural grammar pattern analyzing the basic existential structural frame (
There + is / are + Noun Phrase). - there-is-no-noun — Pattern guide examining absolute negative existential constructions (
There is no + Noun) without auxiliary contraction. - there-is-no-point — Fixed formulaic chunk utilizing the singular existential frame with gerundive complements to express futility.
- Language Notes/Natural Grammar/01-Keywords/am-is-are — Core auxiliary and copula keyword node detailing present simple inflection across person and number.
- Language Notes/Natural Grammar/01-Keywords/be — Root verb entry governing all copular and auxiliary constructions in English.
🟡 Foundational A1 Syllabus & Determiner Systems
- Grammar A1 - a and an — Contrastive determiner guide analyzing phonological indefinite article selection obligatory after there is.
- Grammar A1 - Demonstrative Pronouns — Deictic reference guide contrasting spatial pointers (this, that, these, those) with existential presentation (there is / are).
- Grammar A1 - Prepositions of Place — Spatial syntax note outlining prepositional complements (in, on, at, under) that anchor existential assertions.
- Grammar A1 - to be verb — Foundational guide exploring the affirmative, negative, and interrogative mechanics of the verb to be.
- Grammar A1 - Subject Pronouns — Pronominal architecture note distinguishing personal subject pronouns (it, they) from the expletive subject there.
- Grammar A1 - WH Questions — Interrogative framework detailing quantitative inquiries (
How many... are there?).
🟢 Quantifiers, Polarity, & Discourse Functions
- Language Notes/Natural Grammar/01-Keywords/any — Non-assertive polarity keyword node essential for negative and interrogative existential frames.
- Language Notes/Natural Grammar/01-Keywords/no — Negative determiner node governing direct existential negation (there is no... / there are no...).
- Language Notes/Natural Grammar/01-Keywords/it — Pronominal keyword note analyzing the functional boundary between anaphoric it and expletive there.
- some-others — Indefinite quantifier pattern analyzing reciprocal distribution in plural contexts.
- a-little-uncountable-noun — Quantifying pattern demonstrating positive low-volume modifications in singular existential structures.
- Grammar C2 - Impersonal and Generic Subjects — Advanced syntactic treatise on dummy subjects (it and there) and information structure packaging.