There is and There are
We use 'there is' and 'there are' to say that something exists or is in a place. Learn how to use these constructions in English grammar, including the rules for singular, plural, and uncountable nouns, and how to form positive and negative sentences in the present, past, and future.
How to use
Rule 1: There is
Use it when you talk about one person, place, thing, and for uncountable nouns. You can also use short form – there's.
- There is a book on the table.
- There's milk in the fridge.
To make a negative sentence, add 'not' after 'there is'. You can also use short form – there isn't/there's not.
- There is not a book on the table.
- There isn't milk in the fridge.
To ask a question, put 'is' before 'there'.
- Is there a book on the table?
Rule 2: There are
Use it when you talk about two or more people, places, or things.
- There are chairs in the kitchen.
To make a negative sentence, add 'not' after 'there are'. You can also use short form – there aren't.
- There are not chairs in the kitchen.
- There aren't many people here.
To ask a question, put 'are' before 'there'.
- Are there chairs in the kitchen?
Rule 3: Past tense
To talk about the past, use "there was" (singular/uncountable) and "there were" (plural).
- There was a tree in the garden.
- There were many people at the party.
To make a negative sentence, add 'not' after 'there was/there were'. You can also use short forms – there wasn't/there weren't.
- There wasn't a TV in my room yesterday.
- There were not chairs in the kitchen.
To ask a question, put 'was/were' before 'there'.
- Was there a supermarket here before?
Rule 4: Future tense
To talk about the future, use 'there will be' for both singular and plural nouns.
- There will be a new school in our town.
- There will be many visitors this weekend.
To make a negative sentence, add 'not' after 'there will'. The result is 'there will not be'. You can also use short form – there won't be.
- There won't be any classes on Monday.
To ask a question, put 'will' before 'there'.
- Will there be food at the event?
