- this is one of the cases when in the Russian language there is no direct, one hundred percent equivalent of the English construction, so 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 ordinary everyday speech. This is one of the constructions that you need to use and understand without the slightest difficulty, fully automatically. Fortunately, its use is not difficult; the most important thing is to understand the meaning of this construction.
The meaning of the construction There is \ There are
Literally there is translates as “is/is present here”, and there are as “there are/are present” (in plural). But it would be more accurate to say that the phrase 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 saying There is \ There are?
The difficulty is that, as can be seen in the examples above, this construction is not translated into Russian in some unique correct way - you need to select a translation according to its meaning. The words themselves there is \there are, as a rule, are not translated literally (“there is here”), their meaning is conveyed by other means.
This can be the verb “to be”, “to appear”, “to be present”.
There is a nice pizza place in this mall. - In this shopping center 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. Deal 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 you can often use the phrase 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 meaning of the verb (to have) is appropriate:
I have a chair. –I have an armchair.
I have many mirrors in my house. –I have many mirrors in my house.
Using the phrase There is \ There are in tables with examples
The phrase 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 provide examples uses there is \there are in times Simple(Indefinite),
This phrase is also used in tenses Perfect(in Continuous and Perfect Continuous is not used), but much less often than in Simple, especially in colloquial speech. Examples are given in the table at the end of this article, however, this topic refers to “advanced”, and the phrases themselves are rarely used, some are practically not used at all, even in written speech.
Affirmative form
In the affirmative form, the phrase there is \ are is 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 a sentence lists several items, with the first being singular and the second 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. – There is a small box and two larger boxes.
The noun comes first in the singular, so the verb is also 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 the plural noun, the verb takes the corresponding form - there are.
Negative form
The negative form can be constructed in two ways:
1. Using the particle 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 If there is a plural countable noun 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 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 variants, which is understandable to native speakers. In addition, some set expressions used either with no, or with not simply because it is so accepted.
There is no point in doing this! – There is no point in doing this!
It is generally believed that negation with not more categorical, but in fact everything depends heavily on the context and situation. In my opinion, no matter how you say it 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 \ There won’t be any
|
Question form
To construct an interrogative form, you need to move the verb to be to 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 very clearly in the video tutorial on Puzzle English. Let me 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 Perfect tenses, although much less often than in Simple tenses, especially in colloquial speech. To complete the picture, I will add a table of the use of there is \ there are in Perfect. It makes sense to study it only if you already know what it is: and understand the specific features of their meaning.
As in the above types of tense 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 time 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 not been
|
| Future Perfect | There will have been no \ There won’t have been
|
There will have been \ There will have been no
|
| Question 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..?
|
Even if you have just started learning English, you have probably come across a sentence that begins with the phrase there is or there are. From our experience, we know that even students with an average level of knowledge have difficulty using there + be. Not because this construction is difficult to understand, but because in Russian there is no direct equivalent to the phrase. This is why students often forget to use it. In this article we will 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 RPM mean? there is / there are in English and when should we use them? You know what the word is there translated as “there”, and the verb to be- be. If you combine two words, you get “there is.” This is where the function of this construction follows: when we want to communicate that something is somewhere, 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.
Please note that the revolutions themselves there is / there are are not translated into Russian. Conventionally, they can be translated into Russian with the words “is”, “is available”, “exists”, “is located”. That’s why we so want to start translating word for word from Russian it exists , it there. But you can't do that. And also sentences that start with there+be, we start translating from the end, that is, we first tell the place where something is located.
How to use there is / there are 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. (there is now, therefore the present tense and form of the verb to be “is”)
There was a bottle of milk in the refrigerator. - In the refrigerator was bottle of milk. (used to be, so the past tense and form of the verb to be “was”)
There will be a bottle of milk in the refrigerator. - In the refrigerator will bottle of milk. (will be in the future, so the future tense and form of the verb to be “will be”)
And also to be is unique in that it can have a singular or plural form. If after there + be there is a singular noun, then take is or was. And if it comes in the plural - are or were. A will be– is universal and can be used with both singular and plural forms.
Now let’s present a plate that clearly shows everything:
| There | Be | What/who is | Where is |
|---|---|---|---|
| There | is are was were will be |
something | somewhere |
Negation
A negative sentence can be composed in two ways: either using a negative pronoun no, or using a negative particle not and pronouns any. And in this way 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 easy to construct: take the desired form be and put it at the beginning of the sentence.
Is is there a table in the room? – Is there a table in the room?
Were are there many people at the party? – Were there many people at the party?
Features of using there + be
- If we are listing objects and the first word is in the singular, then we should take to be singular ( is/was):
- If we list objects and start with the plural, then we should take the plural ( there are):
- It is important to pay special attention to countable and uncountable nouns.
There is a lamp and four tables in the room. – There is a lamp and 4 tables in the room.
There 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 has a 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 sign. This way you will always have access to this information.
Many people, knowing the basics of the English language, can always get confused in the use of the phrase there is / there are or even neglect it. Of course, this limits our combinatorics in constructing new sentences, and also gives us a chance to misunderstand our interlocutor. So let’s try to abstract ourselves and understand this topic.
Turnover there is / there are typically used to determine the location of objects or if the sentence does not use a verb.
The structure of the sentence is as follows: there is/are + noun + adverbial place.
There is is used only for singular nouns:
- There is a cat in the garden - the cat (is) in the garden;
- There is a beach down here – There (is) a beach;
- There is a new club near the college – There is a new club near the college;
You can also most often hear the abbreviated form there is – there’s:
- There’s an apple on the table - there is an apple on the table;
- There’s a refrigerator in the kitchen - there is a refrigerator in the kitchen;
- There’s a pen on the school desk - a pen (lies) on the desk;
The indefinite article a/an can be replaced by the numerator one:
- There is one chair in my room – in my room (there is) one stool;
There are is used for plural nouns:
- There are twenty students in the class - there are twenty students in the class;
- There are four girls and two boys in her family - in her family (there are) 4 girls and 2 boys;
- There are three hospitals in town – there are three hospitals in the city;
Using there at the beginning of a sentence has no effect on using there at the end of that sentence:
- There are big gray clouds over there - there (are) big gray clouds;
For clarity, the sentence there is/are is better translated from the adverbial place.
The affirmative sentence there is/are can be converted into an interrogative sentence. To do this, just swap there and is/are:
- Is there a train to Moscow? – Is there a train to Moscow?
- Is there a good restaurant in the street? – Is there a good restaurant on this face?
- Are there a lot of children in the pool? – Are there many children in the pool?
- Are there thirty or thirty one days in this month? – Are there thirty or thirty-one days this month?
And how to give a short answer to a similar question:
- Is there money in your pocket? – Yes, there is – No, there isn’t
- Are there a lot of policemen in the city? – Yes, there are – No, there aren’t
Affirmative sentences with the phrase there is/are can also be converted into negative sentences by adding the negative particle not:
- There is not a knife in your bag - there is no knife in your bag;
- There isn’t a battery in the phone - there is no battery in this phone;
- There are not a instruments in my hangar - there are no instruments in my hangar;
- There aren’t handsome guys in the hotel - there are no handsome guys in this hotel;
Or you can add the negative word no:
- There is no sugar in this cup of coffee - there is no sugar in this cup of coffee;
- There are no wheels in that car - there are no wheels in that car;
Thus, it is worth noting once again the use turnover there is / there are. There is is used only with singular nouns, respectively, there are with plural nouns. Both turns serve to explain, define or make statements about the location of an object. The order of construction of the phrase is first there is/are, then the noun and at the end the adverbial clause. The phrase there is/are can take a negative and interrogative form. And it is advisable to translate sentences from there is/are from the adverbial location.
Perhaps you want to clarify something on this topic. Leave a comment below with a question
Have you ever heard about the situation with a fly in a bowl of soup? If (God forbid) this happens to you, then you should complain to the waiter and demand a replacement of the dish immediately! Waiter! There's a FLY in my soup! Woop!
The construction of the sentence seems quite simple, but, oddly enough, in English the phrase “there is” / “there are” often causes many difficulties both in construction and in translation and, accordingly, in use. So when is there is and when are there?
But since you"re with us! There"ll be no problems! You will forever remember this phrase and be on friendly terms with it, carefully reading and memorizing this article, of course. So, check it out!
What does there is/there are mean?
The phrase “there” + “be” is translated, starting with the circumstances of the place, which usually comes at the end of a sentence:
There is a cat in the box.
There (is) a cat in the box.
If there is no circumstance, then during translation the sentence begins with the words “is”, “there is”, “exists”, “happens”, “is located”, etc. In principle, often “there is / there are” is not translated at all . Like this
“invisible”, but extremely necessary turnover.
When to use there is and there are
« There is" And " there are"is used when they want to say that something exists (does not exist) or is (is not) located in a specific place.
« There is" indicates the presence in a certain place of some kind one object (person). Also used with indefinite subjects (this is when the indefinite article ("a", "an") is used when there is no article, or the words "some", "any", "no" are used), and with indefinite pronouns like "somebody", "nothing"
There's something that makes me feel worried. - Something is bothering me.
« There are» indicates availability at a specific location several(many) objects (persons).
There are two cats on the couch. - There (are) 2 cats on the sofa.
Please note: the word “there” (there) in the phrase “there is/there are” has no independent meaning and forms an inseparable whole with “is/are”. If, according to the meaning, it is necessary to express the circumstance of place with the word “there” - “there”, then “there” is repeated at the end of the sentence.
There are so many boxes there. - There (are) so many boxes.
Sentence structure with there is and there are
To make everything clearer, we present you with a simple formula and below is an example with numbers for clarity:
(1) " There is/there are» + (2) subject + (3) circumstance of place or time.
(1) There are (2) a lot of flowers (3) in the garden.
Affirmative sentences
There is one table in the classroom.
There are three cats on the couch.
There is a spider in the bath.
There are many sinners in Hell.
« There is» also used with uncountable nouns(uncountable nouns):
There is milk in the fridge.
There is some sugar on the table.
There is ice cream on your shirt.
The number of the verb “be” is determined by the number of the first noun after this phrase:
There is a table and two chairs in the room.
There are two cats and a midget in the car.
Abbreviations (contractions). “There is” in a simplified version becomes “ there's" Almost always, in informal correspondence or in colloquial speech, this particular version of the phrase is used.
There's a good song on the radio.
There's only one chocolate bar left in the box.
As you know, shortening can be done in different ways, but pay attention to the option with “are”:
there is not = there's not = there isn't/ there are not = there aren't. There's no contraction of “there are”. Pay attention!
There are nine cats on the roof.
There are only five weeks until my birthday.
When talking about informal communication, we can use "there's" even when talking about the plural. But don't try to use it in formal correspondence or in an exam. This is forbidden.
There's three other people who are still to come.
There's lots of cars in the car park.
Usually " there» not used with a definite subject.
The door was open. - The door is open. (Error: “There was the door open.”)
Interrogative sentences
Questions are formed by the usual rearrangement (subject " there" changes places with the predicate " be»):
Is there Anyone at home?
Are there any cats on the floor?
When posing a question to define the subject, question words are used “ how many», « how much"how much and interrogative pronoun" what", which precede the subject:
How many cats are there on the couch?
How much water is there in the bottle?
What is there in the box?
In the answer to the last question, the verb “to be” can also be used in the plural if the fact of the presence of several objects or phenomena is stated (or, for example, in the case of their listing):
« How many" With " are there" If we want to find out the number of existing objects, then we use “how many” according to the following structure:
« How many» + plural noun + « are there» (+ addition).
How many dogs are there in the park?
How many students are there in your class?
How many gangsters are there in Chicago?
How many horror movies are there in your collection?
"There" can also be used in " question tags"(short general question, stating the question).
There'll be enough boxes for everyone, won't there?
Negative sentences
In negative sentences after the verb " to be" is used either " not"(when the noun following the negation is preceded by pronoun or numeral), or " no"(in other cases).
There is not(isn't) any money in the wallet. — There is no money in the wallet.
There is no money in the wallet. — There is no money in the wallet.
A short negative answer consists of the word “ no", followed by " there" and the verb " to be" in the appropriate form with a negative particle " not»:
Are there any cats on the couch? No,there are not(aren't).
Is there a dog in the supermarket? - No, there isn't.
There "aren't" with "any". When we want to talk about zero quantity of something, we use " there aren't any».
There aren't any people at the party.
There aren't any trees in my street.
The same goes for uncountable nouns:
There isn't any water in the swimming pool.
There isn't any sugar in my coffee.
« There" can also be used in sentences where " be" is an auxiliary verb in the form progressive or passive. Pay attention to the word order:
There have been more Americans killed in road accidents than in all the wars since 1900.
There'll be somebody meeting you at the airport.
The construction can also be used with modal verbs:
There must be somebody inside - ring again.
There may be a mistake - check again.
There might be some prey running around - I should be attentive.
This structure should also be translated into Russian from the end.
Temporal forms there + be
What about other temporary forms? Or is it only the Present who is in charge here? Not at all!
"There" is used with different forms of "be" in a variety of tenses. Use it for your health!
| Singular countable nouns (apple) Uncountable nouns (blood) |
Plural countable nouns ( cats) | |
| Affirmative | There is / was / will be an apple on my table. There is/ was/ will be (some/much) blood on the floor. |
There are / were / will be three (many / a lot of) cats on the couch. |
| Negative | There isn't / wasn't / won't be an apple on my table. There isn't / wasn't / won't be (any/much) blood on the floor. |
There aren't / weren't / won't be (any / many / a lot of) cats on the couch. |
| Questions | Is / was there an apple on my table? Will there be an apple on my table? Is / was there (any / some / much) blood on the floor? Will there be (any / some / much) blood on there floor? |
Are/were there (any / many / a lot of) cats on the couch? Will there be (any / many / a lot of) cats on the couch? |
| How much / how many | How much blood is / was / will be there? | How many cats are / were / will be there? |
| Short answers | Yes, there is / was / will be. No, there isn't / wasn't / won't be. |
Yes, there are / were / will be. No, there aren't / weren't / won't be. |
There were fire-breathing dragons in the streets. ( Past Simple)
I think there"ll be loads of people at the festival. ( Future Simple)
There hasn't been many entries for the competition. ( Present Perfect)
The examination concluded that there had been no ill-treatment during detention. ( Past Perfect)
By the time he hopes that there will have been full consultation with the human rights bodies. ( Future Perfect Continuous).
It should be noted that in the question in the future tense before « there» is put « will", and the verb " to be" is put after him.
Will there be are your friends there? - Will your friends be there?
Difference between there is/there are and it/they
Take a look at the following suggestions. First, we become familiar with the essence of the proposal using “ there is / there are", and then we refer to the mentioned using " it" or " they».
There's a good movie on channel 2. It starts at 10 o"clock (it = the movie).
There are 3 new students in our class. They"re from Brazil (they = the students).
The constructions “there is” and “there are” are used only in relation to new information. If anything already mentioned in context, then you should use “it is” or “they are”.
We also use " it» + « to be» + adjective + infinitive phrases ( infinitive clauses). In such sentences the emphasis falls on the infinitive phrase:
It's nice to meet you.
It's hard to hear anything with this noise.
Was it easy to understand him?
It"ll be difficult to fit into the box.
Conclusion
Today we repeated/studied the main nuances of using the construction “there is” / “there are” in different tenses and types of sentences.
We hope you won’t have any more questions on this topic!
Keep going forward like there's no tomorrow!
And stay classy!
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
In English, the phrase there is/are is very common. This construction has no analogue in the Russian language, which makes it difficult to understand and use. What makes it special?
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 figure out what the difficulties of using this phrase are.
Semantic side
Construction there is (there are) reports the location of a particular object or person, information about which is still unknown. The rule of phonetics says that the phrase must be pronounced together, the main emphasis in the sentence should be on the subject.
There is a man in the window. There (is) a man in the window.
There are flowers in the garden. There (are) flowers in the garden.
Let’s give two sentences that are identical in meaning at first glance and look at what the main difference is:
The cup is on the table. The cup (is) on the table. – This proposal emphasizes place, where the object is already known to the interlocutor.
There is a cup on the table. There (is) a cup on the table. – This proposal emphasizes precisely item, located in a certain place already known to the interlocutor (on the table).
Thus, turnover there is/there are used to convey new information about an object located 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 adverbial place or time. Moreover, the word there is omitted, but in some cases it can be used twice if it makes sense to indicate the meaning “there”.
There are some mistakes in the test. – There are several errors in the work.
There are nobody there. - There's no one there.
Subject
1. Before a countable noun in singular. number the article a is used.
2. Before an uncountable noun or noun. in plural number is used some, any, many, a lot, much, few, little, two, three.
There are some roses in the garden.
There isn't any juice in the box.
There were many pupils in the camp.
Constructing a sentence with turnover
There + to be + subject + adverbial of time or place.
There + is + a book + on the table.
There + are + many happy days + in summer.
Are or Is?
Are used if the subject - noun is in the plural:
Is used if the subject - noun is 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.
Tense forms of the verb to be in there is/there are!!!:
Present Indefinite: there is/there are – there is, located;
Past Indefinite: there was/there were – was, was;
Future Indefinite: there will be (one form for plural and singular) – will be located;
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 a lot of 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 phrase we are studying is often used in question phrases. various types. 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 + adverbial of time or place?
Is + there + a phone + in mother’s room? – Is there a telephone in mom’s room?
Short answers with 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?
Dividing question:
To be + there + subject + or + alternative subject + adverbial 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 + adverbial 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 + adverbial of time or place (this is a 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 entire sentence. Substitutes can be modal or intransitive verbs 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. — A model lived in the village.
If you use this element of English grammar correctly, your speech will be more lively and interesting. Follow the rule there is (there are) and you will easily master all the features of this design.
