Beginner · A1–A2

There is / There are

There is and there are are used to say that something exists or is present somewhere. They are among the most frequently used structures in everyday English.

There is and there are — the basics

Use there is with singular countable nouns and uncountable nouns. Use there are with plural countable nouns.

Form	Use	Example
There is	Singular or uncountable	There is a cat on the roof. / There is milk in the fridge.
There are	Plural countable	There are three books on the table.

Contractions

Spoken / informal contraction

There is → There's a problem. · (There are has no written contraction.)

Questions and negatives

	Singular	Plural
Affirmative	There is a park nearby.	There are eggs in the fridge.
Negative	There isn't a park nearby.	There aren't any eggs.
Question	Is there a park nearby?	Are there any eggs?

Some and any

Use some in affirmative sentences. Use any in questions and negatives.

Some vs any

There are some apples in the bowl.

Are there any apples left?

There aren't any apples left.

Common mistake: Don't confuse there is/are (existence) with it is (identity/description). There is a dog outside (it exists there) vs It is a large dog (describing it).

Agreement tip: The verb agrees with the noun that follows — not with 'there'. Uncountable nouns always take is: There is a lot of information available.