When we introduce an item or a topic, we often use the phrase “There is…” (singular form) or “There are…” (plural form).
Pattern (singular form): “There is…” (“There’s…”)
Waiter, there’s a fly in my soup.
There is a beach at the lake.
Question: “Is there…?”
Is there a pet shop at the mall? – Yes, there is.
Is there a library nearby? – No, there isn’t. / No, there’s not.
Negative: “There is not…” / “There isn’t…” / “There’s not…”
I don’t want to go camping at that park – there isn’t any beach there.
Pattern (plural form): “There are…”
There are some apples on the table. Help yourself.
There are five cars waiting in line for the ferry.
Question: “Are there…?”
Are there any eggs left in the fridge? – Yes, there are (three eggs left).
Are there eight days in a week? – No, there are seven (days in a week).
Also: “How many…are there?”
How many months are there in a year? – There are 12 months in a year.
Negative: “There are not…” / “There aren’t…”
Are there any rooms available at this hotel? – No, I’m sorry, there aren’t.
Note: The phrase “There is…” (“There’s…”) is used to introduce an object or a topic. After the introduction, we can use the pronoun “it” to refer to the introduced object or topic: “It is…” (“It’s…”).
There’s a cat sleeping on the porch. It’s white with black spots. (i.e., the cat is white with black spots)
There’s a museum in the city. It’s very famous. (i.e., the museum is famous)
Exercise. Look at the picture below. Write sentences about this picture using “There is/are…” or “There isn’t/aren’t…” in response to the prompts.
Example:
Any swings? ==> There are swings.
Click for larger image
1. A lot of people?
2. A food stand?
3. A horse?
4. A roller coaster?
5. Any trees?
6. Any benches?
7. A lamp post?
8. A trash can?
9. Any stairs?
10. An elevator?
Exercise. Complete the following sentences with there’s / is there / it’s / is it.
Example:
“________ a car with its lights on.” “________ a red Ford?” ==> “There’s a car with its lights on.” “Is it a red Ford?”
1. “________ a nice hotel in Flagstaff.” “________ close to the airport?”
2. “________ a pool at the hotel?” “Yes, ________ an outdoor pool.”
3. We don’t want to rent that apartment. ________ too small.
4. “________ an English class for beginners on Monday nights?” “Yes, but ________ full. The class on Tuesday is open, though.”
5. I like that restaurant by the mall. ________ got the best pizza I’ve ever tasted.
6. “________ a spot on your shirt.” “I’ve brushed it off. ________ gone now?”
7. I haven’t heard of that movie. ________ good?
8. “________ a bank near the hotel?” “Yes, ________ just two blocks away.”
9. “________ a wallet in lost and found.” “________ brown?”
10. This ice cream is not very good. ________ too sweet.