A1/A2 English - There is / There are

On this page we look at using, there is and there are. Have a look at the quiz below once you have finished the lesson.

Discover essential A1/A2 English grammar principles on this page, tailored for beginners seeking a solid foundation in language learning

Positive

We use there is/are to show that something exists or is in a place.

There is a bridge in the park.

There is a shopping mall

 

There is for singular and there are is for plurals.

There is a person here.
There are people here.

 

We can shorten there is to there’s but there is no short form for there are.

There is a man in the car. > There’s a man in the car.

There are two cafés. There’re two cafés.

 

Come and join a course online

Try these other courses

Other info

Negative

If the sentence is negative, then for singular nouns we use there isn’t a or there’s nota (there is not a) and there aren’t any (there are not any) for plural. 

There isn’t a pharmacy near the hotel.
There aren’t any restaurants near the hotel.

You can also use there is no + uncountable noun and there are no + plural noun.

There’s no water.
There are no people in the crowd.

We can use there is and there are in other tenses.

There was match on TV last night. 
There were a lot of people in the mall yesterday. 
There will be a lot of traffic tomorrow

Questions

 Is there for singular nouns and uncountable nouns, and Are there for plurals when making a question. 

Is there a hospital close by?
Is there any hot water left?
Are there any books you like?

______ so many dogs in the park

_______ chocolate in the cupboard?

______ no one here.

Which sentence is correct?

Your grade is: __

Join classes today and

put some of your new grammar into action