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English Grammar

Present Verb Tense

There Is & There Are


There is sometimes some confusion when to use "there is" or "there are". It is really quite simple.

It is very common to use the phrase "there is/there are" to state the something exists or to point out something in the distance (it can be the close distance or far distance)

Note: There is/There are is not the same as "have"

There is/There are can be used as the sentences subject. Have can't be used as the sentences subject.

"There is" - is used with the following subjects:
Singular nouns
Uncountable nouns
3rd person singular (he, she, my mother, my sister, etc.).

  • There is my sister on the corner.
  • There is a lot of water in the street. There must have been a flood.
  • There is a big cat in front of my house.

"There are" - is used with the following subjects:
3rd person plural (they, my sisters, the dogs, the students, etc.)