There is v There are in English
‘There is’ and ‘there are’ tells us what exists or what we can see in English.
They are used all the time and it’s very important to understand the difference.
In this lesson, you’ll learn the difference and practise using them correctly.
When to use there is and there are?
- They are used to talk about what you can see or what exists in the world.
- ‘There is’ is used with singular nouns.
- ‘There are’ is used with plural nouns.
- Negatives – add ‘not’. We can make contractions (there isn’t/there aren’t)
Examples
There isn't a book on the table.
There are lots of cars on the road.
There is a new study about the effects of social media.
Remember: ‘is’ for singular nouns, ‘are’ for plural nouns.
Practise
Choose the correct ‘there is’ or ‘there are’ for each sentence.
Common mistakes learners make
- Using the wrong form (singular or plural)
- Confusing ‘there are’ with ‘they are’
- Misusing double negatives (There isn’t no milk in the fridge)
Common mistakes learners make
- Using the wrong form (singular or plural)
- Confusing ‘there are’ with ‘they are’
- Misusing double negatives (There isn’t no milk in the fridge)
Watch: There is/there are explained by a British tutor
In this video, Claire clearly explains the difference between ‘there is/there are’ plus more examples.