Constructions There is and There are used to indicate the presence of something certain place, location of objects or their quantity. In this construction, the word there speaks formal subject and does not carry any meaning (it cannot be translated as " here», « there”), so such sentences are translated from the end.
- There is a mouse in the kitchen!- There's a mouse in the kitchen!
- There are some cookies in the box.- There are some cookies in the box.
- There was a man in the room.- There was a man in the room.
- There were men in the room waiting for you. There were men in the room waiting for you.
- I think there will be a lot of people at tomorrow's concert. I think there will be a lot of people at tomorrow's concert.
Statement
In affirmative sentences, the formal subject always comes first. there, followed by the verb to be in the correct form and " present subject"(object or person). Verb form to be depends on the number of the noun and the tense in the sentence.
There is and there was used for items or concepts in the singular or uncountable nouns.
There are and there were used for plural items.
If in the statement after revolutions there is / there was / there will be the countable object is in the singular, it is used with the indefinite article a / an. Definite article the practically not used.
- There is = There's (abbreviation)
- There's a cat in our garden.- In our yard (some) cat.
If this is a set of objects, then a numeral is used indicating their number or word some(several). Also used before uncountable nouns some.
- There are two cats in our garden.- There are two cats in our yard.
- There are some cats in our garden.- In our yard (there are some) cats.
- There's some milk in the fridge.– There is some milk in the fridge.
- There was some food in this lunchbox. There was food in this lunch box.
In the statement after construction there is/ there was/ there will be pronouns can be used someone(someone) and something(something).
- There was something strange in his room. There was something strange in his room.
- There was someone asking for your phone number. Someone asked for your phone number.
Negation
Negative offer with there is /there are formed by a negative particle not after the verb to be in the correct form.
in denial with there is not/ there wasn't / there will not be singular nouns are used with the indefinite article a/ an(no negative pronouns, since there can only be one negative in English).
- There wasn't a cat in our garden.
- There won't be a party next week. There will be no party next week.
In a negative sentence, nouns in plural or uncountable nouns are used with a pronoun any(any, none).
- There is not = there isn't (abbreviation)
- There isn't any money in his wallet.
- There are not = there aren't
- There aren't any pencils on my desk.
In denial after there is not / there wasn't / there will not be pronouns can be used anyone, anyone(someone, no one) and anything(something, nothing, nothing).
- There isn't anyone in the room.- There is nobody in the room.
- There wasn't anything interesting in that city. There was nothing interesting in that city.
Also, a negative sentence can be formed using a negative pronoun no before a noun, regardless of its number. In this case, the particle is not placed not after to be .
- There was no cat in our garden. There was no cat in our yard.
- There are no pencils on my desk. There are no pencils on my desk.
- There is no money in his wallet. There is no money in his wallet.
In a negative sentence after there is /there was /there will be pronouns can be used nobody,no one(no one) and nothing(nothing, nothing).
- There is no one in the room.- There is nobody in the room.
- There was nothing interesting in that city. There was nothing interesting in that city.
Question
Interrogative sentence with there is / there are is formed by placing the verb to be in the correct form at the beginning of the sentence.
As in negative sentences, singular nouns are used with the indefinite article in the question. a / an.
- Is there a cat outside?- Is there a cat outside?
- Will there be a party next week? Will there be a party next week?
In questions, plural nouns or uncountable nouns are used with the pronoun any(someone).
- Were there any pencils on my desk? Were there (some) pencils on my desk?
- Is there any money in your pockets? Do you have (any) money in your pockets?
In questions after is there / was there/ will there be pronouns can be used anyone, anyone(someone) and anything(something).
- Is there anything I can do for you?- Can I help you?
Brief answers to general questions also use the construction there is/ there are in the affirmative or negative form at the right time.
- Is there a cat outside?- Is there a cat outside?
- yes, there is.- Yes there is.
- no, there isn't.- Not.
- Was there anyone in my room? Was there someone in my room?
- yes, there was.- Yes.
- no, there wasn't.- Not.
In special questions, the question word comes first, followed by the word order of the general question. After interrogative expressions how many/ how much followed by the noun they refer to.
- Who is there in my room?- Who is in my room?
- Why are there so many people? Why are there so many people there?
- How much money is there in your wallet?- How much money is in your wallet?
Features of use
There is / There are can be used with almost all tenses and modal verbs, as well as with the construction to be going to. In this case, only the verb is changed. to be.
- There has been an accident this morning. I hope everything is alright now.“There was an accident this morning. Hope everything is fine now.
- She said that there had been nothing to drink at Matt's party. She said that there were no drinks at Matt's party.
- There must be some money in my pocket. There must be some money in my pocket.
- There may be a dog in their garden. Perhaps there is a dog in their yard.
- There should have been a letter from Craig in my mailbox. There should have been a letter from Craig in my mailbox.
- There is going to be a charity concert next week. They are going to hold a charity concert next week.
Enumeration of items
When listing multiple items after a construct there is / there are the verb to be is put in the singular or plural form depending on the number of the noun that follows it.
- There is one cat and one puppy in Jack's house. There is one cat and one puppy in Jack's house.
- There is a cat and two puppies in Jack's house. There is one cat and two puppies in Jack's house.
- There are two puppies and a cat in Jack's house. There are two puppies and one cat in Jack's house.
There with other verbs
The verb to be in construction there is / there are can be replaced by other verbs that express the meaning of presence, such as to exist(be, exist) to lie(lie), to live(live), to come(come, happen) to stand(stand) etc.
- There was a big stature in this park. There was a big statue in this park.
- There stood a big stature in this park. There was a big statue in this park.
- There lives an old woman in this house.- An elderly woman lives in this house.
- There came some noise from his room. There was (some) noise coming from his room.
Even if you have just started learning English, you probably met a sentence that would begin with a turnover there is or there are. We know from experience that even intermediate students have difficulty using there + be. Not because this construction is difficult to understand, but because there is no direct equivalent to the phrase in Russian. That is why students often forget to use it. In this article, we'll talk about possible use cases. there + be, we will give examples and a small test at the end of the article.
What does there + be mean
So what does turnover mean? there is / there are in English and when should we use them? you know what the word is there translates as "there", and the verb to be- to be. If you combine two words, you get "there is." Hence the function of this construction follows: when we want to report that something is somewhere, is, then we use there + be.
There is a new shopping center in that village. There is a new shopping center in that village.
There are many books in room 145. - There are many books in room 145.
Note that the turnovers themselves there is / there are are not translated into Russian. Conventionally, they can be translated into Russian with the words “there is”, “there is”, “exists”, “is located”. That's why we want to start translating literally from Russian it exists , it there. But you can't do that. Also, sentences that start with there+be, we start translating from the end, that is, first we report the place where this something is located.
How to use the there is / there are construction in English
Statement
We can use there + be in all times: present, past and future. Accordingly, for this we need to change the form of the verb be.
There is there is bottle of milk. (now there is, therefore the present tense and the form of the verb to be “is”)
There was a bottle of milk in the fridge. - In a refrigerator was bottle of milk. (used to be, so the past tense and the form of the verb to be “was”)
There will be a bottle of milk in the fridge. - In a refrigerator will be bottle of milk. (will be in the future, so the future tense and the form of the verb to be “will be”)
And also to be is unique in that it can be both singular and plural. If after there + be there is a noun in the singular, then take is or was. And if it goes in the plural - are or were. BUT will be- universal, and it can be used with both singular and plural.
And now let's give a plate in which everything is clearly shown:
| There | Be | What/Who is | Where is |
|---|---|---|---|
| There | is are was were will be |
something | somewhere |
Negation
A negative sentence can be formed in two ways: either using a negative pronoun no, or with the help of a negative particle not and pronouns any. And thus you will say that something is missing somewhere.
There is no table in the room. = There is not(isn't) any table in the room. - There is no table in the room.
There are no souvenirs on the shelf. = There are not(aren't) any souvenirs on the shelf. There are no souvenirs on the shelf.
Question
The question is built easily: take the right form be and put it at the beginning of the sentence.
Is there a table in the room? – Is there a table in the room?
Were there many people at the party? – Were there many people at the party?
Features of using there + be
- If we list objects and the first word is in the singular, then we should take to be in the singular ( is/was):
- If we list items and start with the plural, then the plural should be taken ( there are):
- It is important to pay special attention to the countable and uncountable noun.
There is a lamp and four tables in the room. – There is a lamp and 4 tables in the room.
There are four tables and a lamp in the room. There are four tables and a lamp in the room.
There is a lot of sugar in coffee. - There is a lot of sugar in coffee. (sugar is an uncountable noun, it does not have a plural form, so we use the verb is, despite the word “a lot” - a lot)
There are a lot of oranges in the box. - There are a lot of oranges in the box. (we can count oranges, the word is plural so we use are)
As you can see, from a grammatical point of view, this construction is not difficult to use. It is important not to forget to do this. In conclusion, as always, we invite you to take the test and download our plate. So you will always have access to this information.
In English, there is / are turnover is very common. This construction has no analogue in Russian, which makes it difficult to understand and use. What is its feature?
How and when to use there is / there are? You can be sure that you have asked yourself this question more than once. Let's see what the difficulties of using this turnover are.
semantic side
There is (there are) construction informs about the location of a particular object, person, information about which is still unknown. The rule of phonetics says that it is necessary to pronounce the phrase together, the main emphasis in the sentence should be on the subject.
There is a man in the window. In the window (there is) a person.
There are flowers in the garden. There are flowers in the garden.
Here are two sentences that at first glance are identical in meaning and analyze what is the main difference:
The cup is on the table. The cup (is) on the table. - This proposal emphasizes place, where the object already known to the interlocutor is located.
There is a cup on the table. On the table (is) a cup. - This proposal focuses on subject located at a certain place already known to the interlocutor (on the table).
In this way, turnover there is/there are used to convey new information about an object in a known location.
Translation
Sentences according to the rule with the construction there is / there are are translated from the end, that is, from the circumstance of place or time. Moreover, the word there is omitted, but in some cases it can be used twice if it makes sense to specify the meaning "there".
There are some mistakes in the test. - There are several errors in the work.
There are nobody there. - There is nobody there.
Subject
1. Before a countable noun in singular. number, the article a is used.
2. Before an uncountable noun or noun. in many some, any, many, a lot, much, few, little, two, three are used.
There are some roses in the garden.
There isn't any juice in the box.
There were many pupils in the camp.
Building an offer with a turnover
There + to be + subject + circumstance of time or place.
There + is + a book + on the table.
There + are + many happy days + in summer.
Are or Is?
Are used when the subject is a noun in the plural:
Is is used if the subject - noun is in the singular:
There are chairs at the table. - There are chairs near the table.
There is a chair at the table. - There is a chair near the table.
The tense forms of the verb to be in the turnover there is / there are !!!:
Present Indefinite: there is / there are - is, is;
Past Indefinite: there was / there were - was, was;
Future Indefinite: there will be (one form for plural and singular) - will be;
Present Perfect: there has been / there have been - was, was;
past perfect: there had been (one form for plural and singular) - was, was;
There were many people in the meeting. — There were many people at the meeting.
There have been a lot of pears in the garden this year. There were a lot of pears in the garden this year.
Different types of sentences with the construction there are/there is.
The turnover we are studying is often used in interrogative phrases. various kinds. The construction of a negative sentence with this construction also has a special feature. Let's consider each separately.
General question:
To be + there + subject + circumstance of time or place?
Is + there + a phone + in mother's room? Is there a phone in mom's room?
Short answers with turnover there is/there are
a) Yes/No, there + is/isn't.
Is + there + a phone + in mother's room? – No, there isn't
b) Yes / No, there + auxiliary verb (was, were, will, has, have, had) / auxiliary. verb + not
Were there many people in the class? – Yes, there were.
Special question:
Special question word (what) + to be + there + circumstance of time or place?
What are there on the bed? - What's on the bed?
Separated question:
To be + there + subject + or + alternative subject + circumstance of time or place?
Is there tea or milk in the cup? Is there tea or milk in the cup?
Negative sentence:
1. There + to be + not + subject + circumstance of time or place.
There aren't any photos in the box. – There are no photographs in the box.
There isn't a pen in the pencil case. - There is no pen in the pencil case.
2. There + to be + no + subject + circumstance of time or place (this is the more common option).
There are no people in the street. - There are no people on the street.
There was no juice in the bottle. - There is no juice in the bottle.
Substitutes to be
Instead of to be, other verbs can be used that do not change the meaning of the construction, but give a different meaning to the whole sentence. Substitutes can be modal or intransitive verbs that are close in meaning to to be (live, exist, stand, lie, come):
There mustn't be any mistakes in your work. There should be no mistakes in your work.
There lived a model in the village. — There was a model in the village.
If you use this element of English grammar correctly, then your speech will be more lively and interesting. be guided there rule is (there are) and you will easily master all the features of this design.
- this is one of the cases when there is no direct, one hundred percent equivalent in Russian English design Therefore, its use often causes difficulties for beginners.
Meanwhile, turnover there is \ there are is used quite often, not only in business or scientific language but also in everyday speech. This is one of the constructions that you need to use and understand without the slightest difficulty, on full automatic. Fortunately, its use is not difficult, the most important thing is to understand the meaning of this construction.
Meaning of the construction There is \ There are
Literally there is translates as “there is / is present”, and there are as “there is/are present” (plural). But it would be more accurate to say that there + to be is used to indicate the presence or presence of something or someone.
For example:
There is an old church in this town. There is an old church in this city.
There are ten or eleven kids in the classroom. There are ten or eleven children in the class.
There is always a way out. - There is always a way out.
There are two ways out of this tunnel. There are two exits from this tunnel.
What is the difficulty of the turnover There is \ There are?
The difficulty is that, as can be seen in the examples above, this construction is not translated into Russian by a certain the right way- you need to choose a translation according to the meaning. The words themselves there is \ there are, as a rule, are not translated literally (“there is”), their meaning is conveyed by other means.
It can be the verb "to be", "to be", "to be present".
There is a nice pizza place in this mall. - In this mall there is good pizzeria.
There is only one player. Where are the others? - Here present only one player. Where are the others?
But in Russian, verbs like “to be” are often omitted.
Good, now there are all four players. Deal the cards. - Okay, here now. (there is) all four players. Hand over the cards.
What other door? There is only one door. What other door? Here (there is) only one door.
In general, you need to remember that if you want to say something about presence/absence object or person in some place, then often you can use the turnover there is \ there are.
There is a chair here. - There is an armchair.
There are many mirrors in this house. - There are many mirrors in this house.
Just don't confuse presence/absence with possession, with the case when we say that a certain person possesses something. In this case, the verb (to have) fits the meaning:
I have a chair. – I have an armchair.
I have many mirrors in my house. – I have many mirrors in my house.
The use of the turnover There is \ There are in tables with examples
The turn there is \ there are can be used in the affirmative (as in the examples above), negative and interrogative forms. It can also be used in different tenses: present, past and future. The tables below show examples of the use of there is \ there are in tenses Simple(Indefinite)
This turnover is also used in times Perfect(not used in Continuous and Perfect Continuous), but much less often than in Simple, especially in colloquial speech. Examples are given in the table at the end of this article, but this topic is “advanced”, and the turns themselves are of little use, some are practically not used at all even in written speech.
affirmative form
In the affirmative form, there is \ are used as follows:
| There is \ there are in the affirmative form | ||
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |
| present simple | There is
|
There are
|
| past simple | There was
|
There were
|
| Future Simple | There will be
|
There will be
|
Sometimes several items are listed in a sentence, with the first being in the singular and the second in the plural (or vice versa). In this case, the turnover there + to be agrees in number with the noun that comes after it.
For example:
There is a small box and two bigger boxes. Here is a small box and two larger boxes.
The noun in the singular comes first, so the verb is also in the singular - there is.
There are two big boxes and one bag. There are two large boxes and one bag.
The first in the list is a plural noun, the verb takes the corresponding form - there are.
negative form
The negative form can be built in two ways:
1. Using particles not.
In this case, abbreviations are usually used: there is not = there isn’t, there was not = there wasn’t, there were not = there werent’, there will not be = there won’t be.
There isn't a chair here. - There is no chair here.
If after not there is a countable noun in the plural or an uncountable noun, then the pronoun is added - not any.
There aren't any chairs here. - There are no chairs here.
There isn't any oil here. “There is no oil here.
After no goes a noun without an article or a pronoun any.
There is no chair (chairs) in the room. There is no chair(s) in the room.
There is no oil here. “There is no oil here.
There is a slight stylistic difference between these options, understandable to native speakers. In addition, some set expressions are used either with no, or with not simply because it is the way it is.
There is no point in doing this! “There is no point in doing this!
It is generally believed that negation not more categorical, but in fact it all depends on the context, the situation. In my opinion, no matter how you say no or not, you will be understood in any case.
| There is \ there are in negative form | ||
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |
| present simple | There is no \ isn't
|
There are no aren't
|
| past simple | There was no \ wasn't
|
There were no wasn't
|
| Future Simple |
|
There will be no
|
Interrogative form
To build interrogative form, you need to rearrange the verb to be at the beginning of the sentence.
| There is \ there are in interrogative form | ||
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |
| present simple | Is there..?
|
Are there..?
|
| past simple | Was there..?
|
Were there..?
|
| Future Simple | Will there be..?
|
Will there be..?
|
Video lesson on the topic There is \ There are
The topic There is \ There are is explained in sufficient detail and is very accessible in the video tutorial on Puzzle English. I remind you that on this service for learning English, you can not only watch free video lessons, but also go through exercises (composing phrases).
Turnover There is \ There are in Perfect tenses (for advanced level)
Attention: this topic is very difficult, advanced and full of nuances. It is by no means for beginners. I provide a general overview of it for informational purposes only.
This phrase is sometimes used in tenses Perfect, though much less frequently than in Simple tenses, especially in colloquial speech. To complete the picture, I will add a table of use there is \ there are in Perfect. It makes sense to study it only if you already know what it is:, and understand what the features of their meaning are.
As in the above types of temporary forms, in constructions like There has been, we are talking about an action that took place before the moment of speech, the result of which is relevant at the moment of speech.
|
affirmative form |
||
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |
| Present Perfect | There has been
|
There have been
|
| past perfect | There had been
|
There had been
|
| Future Perfect | There will have been
|
There will have been
|
| negative form | ||
| Singular | Plural | |
| Present Perfect |
|
There has been no\hasn't been
|
| past perfect | There had been no \ hadn't been
|
There had been no\ hadn't been
|
| Future Perfect | There will have been no
|
There will have been
|
| Interrogative form | ||
| Singular | Plural | |
| Present Perfect | Has there been..?
|
Have there been..?
|
| past perfect | Had there been..?
|
Had there been..?
|
| Future Perfect | Will there have been..?
|
Will there have been..?
|
The construction there is (are) in the present tense. Rule. Example
Location construction there is (are) refers to the most common constructions of English grammar.
There is (are) construction used when we want to say that a certain object is in a particular place.
EXAMPLE. There is a cat on the table.
In English, this phrase means the following:
On the this the table lies some cat.
(i.e. the table is specific (this one, mine), and I see the cat for the first time 🙂
General view of the construction there is (are) in the present tense
Pay attention to the articles highlighted in blue:
article a means that I have not seen this OBJECT before (some kind of cat)
article the means that this PLACE is familiar to me (this table, my table, etc.)
1. Affirmative sentences with the construction there is (are):
There is+ a + n. (singular) + place (its location)
There are+ n. (plural) + place (their location)
EXAMPLES
There is a cat in the tree. - On the this tree (have) some cat.
There are two cats in the tree. - On the this tree two some cats.
Design there is (are) translates as is, is
- Verb is (are) in this construction, you can NOT translate or use other verbs denoting location when translating, for example: sitting, hanging, lying etc.
EXAMPLE. There is a cat in the tree. - can be translated as On this tree sits cat.
- In this construction, the word there lost its original meaning there.
2. Translation of a sentence from there is (are)
The translation of a sentence with this construction must begin with a word that answers the question where?(usually placed at the end of a sentence).
EXAMPLE
3. Interrogative sentences with the construction there is (are)
EXAMPLE
There is a problem. - Is is there a problem?
EXAMPLES
1) — Is there a problem? - There is a problem?
Yes, there is.- Yes.
— no, there isn't. No.
2) Are there books in your bag? Are there any books in your portfolio?
Yes, there are. - Yes.
or
- No, there aren't. - Not.
3) What is there in the room? - What is in this room?
— There is furniture in the room. - AT this the room has furniture.
4. Negative sentences with the construction there is (are)
Most often in negative sentences no(translated in this case as No).
EXAMPLE
Note 1.
If after construction there is there are two or more words, then the verb is a link BE usually agrees with the first of them.
EXAMPLES
There is a lamp and some pencils on the table.
There are some pencils and a lamp on the table.
Note 2.
If a plural noun is preceded by a lot of, then the verb is used in the plural.
EXAMPLES
There are a lot of books on the table.
5. Forms of construction there is (are) in simple tenses
- There is (are)- in present time
- There was (were)- in the past time
- There will be- in future tense
6. A poem with the construction there is (are):
This is the Key of the Kingdom.
in that Kingdom there is a city;
in that city there is a town;
in that town there is a lane;
in that lane there is a yard;
in that yard there is a house;
in that house there is a room;
in that room there is a table;
On that table there is a basket;
In that basket there are some flowers.
Flowers in the basket, Basket on the table,
Table in the room, Room in the house,
House in the yard, Yard in the lane
Lane in the street, street in the town,
Town in the city, City in the Kingdom.
Of that Kingdom this is the Key.
7. Exercises for practicing the construction there is (are) in the present tense
In an affirmative sentence there is (are) construction has one of three options:
- There is an apple on the apple tree.
- There are three (many/some) apples on the apple tree.
- There is some milk in the glass.
In design there is / are a noun may be preceded by a DETERMINANT (functional word, for example, the indefinite article (an, a), (three), quantity indicators (many, some) and their derivatives).
EXPLANATION
1. An indefinite article is placed before a noun in the singular a (an): an apple
2. Before a noun in the plural is placed cardinal number / many / some: three apples - three apples , many apples - a lot of apples, some apples - several apples.
3. An uncountable noun is preceded by indefinite number pointer some: some milk - a little milk.
Exercise 1. Paraphrase the sentences using the construction there is or there are
SAMPLE The cherries are in the basket. => There are some cherries in the basket.
- The newspapers are on the table. =>
- The flowers are in the vase =>
- The cheese is in the fridge. =>
- The story by A. Christie is in the book. =>
- The kitten is under the bed. =>
Grammar comment.
Question. How the sentences differ: There is a bird in the tree. and The bird is in the tree? — Answer. Translation.
There is a bird in the tree. - Please note that when using the construction there is, we are talking about a certain subject ( a bird), which is located in a specific place (in the tree) and the translation will be - Sitting on (this) tree ( some) bird.
But if we rephrase the sentence, then its meaning will change!
The bird is in the tree. - This sentence refers to a specific bird ( the = this), which is located in a specific place (in the tree) and the translation will be - This bird on the tree.
Now it remains to understand what is the difference between the words "some" and "this" ...
Exercise 2. Translate to English language, using the construction there is or there are
- There's tea in a cup. => There is some tea in the cup.
- Candy in a vase. =>
- There are gifts in the box. =>
- There is food on the table. =>
- There is porridge in a bowl. =>