Enskubók

1. Overview

2. Meaning: introducing something

Use there + be to introduce a person, thing or situation. The place can come at the end or be clear from the conversation.

• There’s a new student in our class.
• There are three bedrooms in the flat.
• There’s a problem with the computer.
• Is there any milk? Yes, there is.

The first there in this structure doesn’t mean “in that place”. Compare:

• There’s a bank near the station. This introduces a bank.
• The bank is over there. Here, there means “in that place”.
• There’s a bank over there. The first there introduces the bank; the second gives its location.

Don’t use have without a subject to introduce something in a place: There’s a park near my house, not Have a park near my house.

3. Choosing there is or there are

Choose the verb according to the noun that follows it.

A countable noun can have a singular and a plural form: a chair / three chairs. An uncountable noun isn’t normally counted as separate items: water, milk, bread, furniture, information.

• There is an orange in the bag.
• There are some oranges in the bag.
• There is some orange juice in the fridge.

Use a/an with a singular countable noun. Use an before a vowel sound: an apple, an umbrella. Don’t use a/an directly with uncountable nouns: some information, not an information.

To count an uncountable substance, use a container or unit:

• There is some water. / There are two bottles of water.
• There is some bread. / There are three slices of bread.

In the second examples, the verb agrees with bottles or slices.

4. Affirmative sentences and contractions

There is/are + noun + place

• There is a lamp next to the bed.
• There are some shops opposite the station.
• There is some rice in the cupboard.

There is often becomes there’s, especially in speech:

• There’s a bus stop outside.
• There’s some coffee in the kitchen.

Use the full form there are in ordinary writing. You may hear There’s two people outside in informal speech, but use There are two people outside in this unit and in standard written English.

When a list mixes singular and plural items, separate the sentences to keep the agreement clear: There is a desk in the room. There are also two chairs.

5. Negative sentences: what is missing?

There is/are + not + noun

The full forms are there is not and there are not.

You can also use no directly before the noun:

• There isn’t a lift. = There is no lift.
• There aren’t any towels. = There are no towels.
• There isn’t any bread. = There is no bread.

Don’t combine not and no in this structure: There aren’t any chairs or There are no chairs, not There aren’t no chairs.

6. Questions and short answers

Move is or are before there. Don’t add do or does.

Is/Are + there + noun?

Keep there in the short answer. Use Yes, there is, not Yes, it is or Yes, there’s.

Compare two different questions:

• Is there a hotel near here? Does a hotel exist nearby?
• Is the hotel near here? Is a particular hotel nearby?

A useful conversation:

Guest: Is there a lift in the building?

Receptionist: Yes, there is. It’s next to the stairs.

Guest: Are there any restaurants nearby?

Receptionist: Yes, there are. There’s an Italian restaurant opposite the hotel.

7. Some, any and quantities

Use some in affirmative sentences and any in most questions and negative sentences with plural or uncountable nouns.

This is a useful starting pattern, not a rule for every situation. Some is also possible in a question when the speaker expects a positive answer: Is there some cake left? I saw a piece earlier.

To ask about quantities:

• How many + plural countable noun + are there?
• How much + uncountable noun + is there?

The answer agrees with its own noun: water takes is, but two litres takes are. Also remember that people is plural: There are a lot of people outside.

8. Talking about the past

Use there was and there were for past situations. The same noun rules apply.

Short answers repeat was or were:

• Was there a problem? Yes, there was. / No, there wasn’t.
• Were there any visitors? Yes, there were. / No, there weren’t.

Use past time expressions such as yesterday, last night, in 1990 and ten years ago.

• There was a power cut last night.
• There were a lot of cars outside yesterday.
• How many people were there at the meeting?
• How much food was there at the party?

Don’t use did: Were there any problems?, not Did there be any problems?

9. Then and now

Use a time expression to make a change clear. But and now help connect the contrast.

Model description:

Twenty years ago, there was a small station in my town, but there weren’t any buses after eight o’clock. There were two shops near the station. Now there’s a large bus station, and there are several cafes nearby. There isn’t a cinema, but there’s a new library.

Keep the time and the noun in mind: was/were marks the past; is/are marks the present.

10. There is, it is or has?

These structures answer different questions.

Compare:

• There are two bedrooms in the flat. = The flat has two bedrooms.
• There’s a park near the flat. The park is nearby; it isn’t part of the flat.
• There’s a park near the flat. It’s very quiet. It refers to the park.

For weather, time and distance, use it:

• It’s cold. / It’s six o’clock. / It’s two kilometres to the station.

But use there to introduce a weather-related noun: There’s some snow on the road.

11. Common mistakes

12. Exercises

13. Final checklist

Before you finish, check your sentences:

• Does is/was match a singular or uncountable noun?
• Does are/were match a plural noun?
• Does a singular countable noun have a/an or another determiner?
• Do questions start with Is/Are/Was/Were there?
• Do short answers include there?
• Is the time clear: present or past?
• Have you used it to describe the weather or something already introduced?