Here you can take a lesson on the topic: English phrases There is and There are. English phrases There is and There are.
In English there is a special form of expressing the arrangement of things. For these purposes they are used rpm there is And there are. In this lesson we will look at in what cases and how to use these phrases correctly, as well as some of their distinctive features.
In Russian, we literally translate the phrase there is/ there are - there is, but it is believed that sentences starting with such a phrase are better translate from the end omitting the word "there". For example:
There is one chair in the room. - There (is) one chair in the room.
There are some chairs in the room. - There (are) several chairs in the room.
1. The English quite often use the phrase there is/there are, mainly to mark where and what is located, so the location is present in the sentence. The phrase itself there is/ there are is customary to put at the beginning of a sentence. Let's look at examples:
There is a knife on the table. - There (is, lies) a knife on the table.
There are five balls in the box. - There (are) five balls in the box.
Please note that the phrase there is is used before subjects singular, and there are - in front of the subjects in plural. Order affirmative proposals next: Subject (There) - Predicate (to be) - Object (Object) - Circumstance (Adverbial modifier).
Often in sentences with the phrase there is/ there are used in addition numerals, articles or indefinite pronouns. For example:
There is a cup of tea on the table. - There (is) a cup of tea on the table.
There is one stove in the kitchen. - There (is) one stove in the kitchen.
There is some furniture in the hall. - There (are) some furniture in the hall.
There are six couples in the game. - There (are, participate in) six pairs in the game.
There are some houses nearby. - There (are) several houses nearby.
As can be seen from the examples, with countable objects in the singular, you can use the numeral one, or the indefinite article a/an; with uncountable nouns (for example, furniture) the indefinite pronoun some is usually used; and with countable objects in the plural - any other numerals, or the indefinite pronoun some (also several - several).
Negative sentences with the phrase there is/ there are formed by adding the negative particle “not” to the verb to be. As a result, we get negative phrases there is not/ there are not, which can be reduced to the forms there isn't/ there aren't. Let's look at examples:
There isn't a door in this room. - There is no door in the room.
There isn't any milk in the refrigerator. - There is no milk in the refrigerator.
There aren't any people at the store. - There are no people in the store.
From the examples it is clear that in negative sentences, the pronoun some is replaced by the pronoun any. The same change occurs in interrogative sentences.
In many sentences with the phrase there is/there are, the word “no” is also often used to give the sentence a negative connotation. However, abbreviations in such phrases are not allowed. For example:
There is no ham on this sandwich. - There is no ham on this sandwich.
There are no palyers in this team. - There are no players in this team.
For creating questions with the phrase there is/ there are, it is enough to apply inversion, i.e. swap the subject with the predicate. For example:
Is there one TV in the bedroom? - Yes, there is. -No, there isn't. -Is there a TV in the bedroom? -Yes. -No.
Is there any sugar in the tea? -Yes, there is. -No, there isn't. -Is there sugar in tea? -Yes. -No.
Are there any windows in the castle? -Yes, there are. -No, there aren't." - Are there windows in the castle? - Yes. - No.
As can be seen from the examples, short answers to general questions also contain the phrase there is/there in the affirmative or negative form.
With the revolutions there is/ there are you can also build special questions with question words who? what? why? etc. (everything except the word where?). In such questions, interrogative words are put first, and then the sentence is constructed as in a general question. Let's look at examples:
What is there in your bag? - What (is) in your bag?
Why are there so many policemen in the bank? - Why are there so many police officers in the bank?
Who is there in your car? -Who's there in your car?
How many students are there in the classroom? - How many students are there in the class?
2. Special attention should be paid phonetic side there is/ there, as it contains some of the most difficult sounds in English to pronounce. These are the sounds /ð/ and /зə/. Try reading the following sentences, paying attention to pronunciation:
There is /ðзəiz/ a leather jacket in the car. - There (is) a leather jacket in the car.
There are /ðзəa:/ some bird feathers on the hat. - The hat (has) several bird feathers.
There isn't /ðзəiznt/ any water in the kitchen. - There is no water in the kitchen.
There aren't /ðзəa:nt/ any toothbrushes in the bathroom. - There are no toothbrushes in the bathroom.
Is there /izðзə:/ a book on the table? - Is there a book on the table?
Are there /a:ðзə:/any glasses in the cupboard? - Are there glasses in the kitchen cabinet?
3. The phrase there is/ there are is also used in past tense. Since the main verb in the phrase is the verb to be, then in the past tense the singular phrase is - there was, and the plural phrase is there were. Let's look at different forms of proposals:
There was a supermarket in this area of the city. - There was a supermarket in this part of the city.
There were some interesting pistures in the gallery. - There were several interesting paintings in the gallery.
There wasn't a computer in the study. - There was no computer in the office.
There weren't any horses in the village. - There were no horses in the village.
Was there any food in the refrigerator? - Was there food in the refrigerator?
Were there any Italian restaurants in the city? - Were there any Italian restaurants in the city?
4. The phrases there is/ there are are often found in English proverbs and sayings.
There are none so blind as those that will not see. - There are none more blind than those who do not want to see.
There’s more than one way to skin a cat. - There is more than one way to skin a cat. / Not by washing, but by rolling.
There’s no bad weather, there are bad clothes. - There is no bad weather, only bad clothes.
There's no smoke without fire. - There is no smoke without fire.
There's no place like home. - There is no better place than home./ It’s good when visiting, but at home it’s better.
There's no time like the present. - There is no better time than now. / Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch. - There are no free lunches./ Free cheese is only in a mousetrap.
Thus, we have become familiar with one of the most frequently used English phrases, there is/ there are, its general characteristics, as well as some grammatical and phonetic properties. Since the phrase there is/ there are is mainly used to indicate the location of various objects, you can practice composing your own sentences. Take a look around. What do you see? Where are the things you are used to? etc. The more examples you have, the better!
Turnover there + be ( there is / there are) is used when it is necessary to indicate the presence or absence of a person/object in a certain place. There is / There are translated into Russian as “is available”, “is”, “is located”, “exists”.
Scheme of construction of turnover
Sentences with the phrase there is/there are are constructed according to the following scheme:
There is (are) + subject + adverbial place
Sentences with the grammatical phrase there+be mainly indicate the presence/absence of a phenomenon or object in a certain place.
The turnover is used in the following cases
When they want to emphasize the presence or absence of an object, rather than the place in which it is located:
There are many games for children. - There are many games for children.
When they want to emphasize the location of an object in space
There is a student in the classroom. - There is a student in the classroom.
The word there is a theoretical element of this grammatical phrase, and it is not necessary to translate it into Russian. A revolution is considered an introductory particle. If in a sentence the adverbial adverbial place is expressed by the pronoun “there”, then the sentence is translated into English as follows:
There were many children there. - There were a lot of children there.
The phrase there is/there are is not used in answers to the question “where?”, since the answer concerns the location of the object, and not the object itself:
Where is my book? Where's my book?
It is in my bag. It's in my bag.
But if the sentence sounds like:
There is some book in my bag;
then we use turnover -
There is a book in my bag.
Modal verbs with there is / there are
The construction of the phrase also uses modal verbs together with the verb to be:
There must be many interesting books in the library. The library should have many interesting books.
There can be problems for him. He might have problems.
The phrase there + be translates Russian sentences that begin with the words “exist” or “exist” and words that do not indicate space:
There are different school subjects. There are different school subjects.
There are different books for children. There are different books for children.
Also can be used in circulation and other words instead of to be:
to happen,
to exist,
to remain
to come,
to appear
There comes our train. Here comes our train.
There exist different animals. There are different animals.
Construction of interrogative sentences with turnover
If there is a revolution, the verb to be comes first, and after there comes the subject:
Are there books in your bag? Are there books in your bag?
If the word any is used in such a question, then the answer to it will contain the words some (affirmative answer), not any or none (negative answer):
Are there any books in your bag? Are there any books in your bag?
Yes, there are some.
No, there are not any/none.
Negative sentences with a turn are made using the word no, using the negative particle not or the pronoun any.
There is no food for you. There is no food for you.
There isn`t any money in his pocket. There is no money in his pocket.
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Constructions There is And There are are used to indicate the presence of something in a certain place, the location of objects or their quantity. In this construction the word there stands formal subject and does not carry any meaning (it cannot be translated as “ here», « there"), so such sentences are translated from the end.
- There is a mouse in the kitchen!- There's a mouse in the kitchen!
- There are some cookies in the box.— There are some cookies in the box.
- There was a man in the room.– There was a man in the room.
- There were men in the room waiting for you.– There were men in the room who were waiting for you.
- I think there will be a lot of people at tomorrow’s concert.– I think there will be a lot of people at tomorrow’s concert.
Statement
In affirmative sentences, the formal subject always comes first there, followed by the verb to be in the required form and “ present subject"(object or person). Verb form to be depends on the number of the noun and the tense in the sentence.
There is And there was used for singular objects or concepts or uncountable nouns.
There are And there were used for plural items.
If in the statement after revolutions there is / there was / there will be the countable subject is singular, it is used with the indefinite article a / an. Definite article the practically not used.
- There is = There’s (abbreviation)
- There's a cat in our garden.- There is (some) cat in our yard.
If this is a set of objects, then a numeral is used, indicating their number or word some(some). Also used before uncountable nouns some.
- There are two cats in our garden.- There are two cats in our yard.
- There are some cats in our garden.- There (are some) cats in our yard.
- There's some milk in the fridge.— There is some milk in the refrigerator.
- There was some food in this lunchbox.— There was food in this lunchbox.
In the statement after the construction there is/ there was/ there will be pronouns may be used someone(someone) and something(something).
- There was something strange in his room.“There was something strange in his room.”
- There was someone asking for your phone number.- Someone asked for your phone number.
Negation
Negative sentence with there is /there are is formed using a negative particle not after the verb to be in the required form.
In denial with there is not/ there wasn't / there will not be singular nouns are used with the indefinite article a/ an(no negative pronouns, since in English there can only be one negative).
- There wasn't a cat in our garden.
- There won't be a party next week.- There will be no party next week.
In a negative sentence, nouns in plural or uncountable nouns are used with a pronoun any(some, none).
- There is not = there isn’t (abbreviation)
- There isn't any money in his wallet.
- There are not = there aren’t
- There aren't any pencils on my desk.
In denial after there is not / there wasn't / there will not be pronouns may be used anybody, anyone(someone, no one) and anything(something, nothing, nothing).
- There isn't anyone in the room.- There is no one in the room.
- There wasn't anything interesting in that city. “There was nothing interesting in that city.”
Also, a negative sentence can be formed using a negative pronoun no before a noun, regardless of its number. In this case, the particle is not placed not after to be .
- There was no cat in our garden.– There was no cat in our yard.
- There there are no pencils on my desk.– There are no pencils on my desk.
- There is no money in his wallet.- There is no money in his wallet.
In a negative sentence after there is /there was /there will be pronouns may be used nobody,no one(nobody) and nothing(nothing, nothing).
- There there is no one in the room.- There is no one in the room.
- There was nothing interesting in that city.“There was nothing interesting in that city.”
Question
Interrogative sentence with there is / there are is formed by placing the verb to be in the required form at the beginning of the sentence.
As in negative sentences, questions use singular nouns with the indefinite article a / an.
- Is there a cat outside?– Is there a cat on the street?
- Will there be a party next week?– Will there be a party next week?
In questions, plural or uncountable nouns are used with a pronoun any(some kind).
- Were there any pencils on my desk?– Were there (some) pencils on my desk?
- Is there any money in your pockets?– Do you have (some) money in your pockets?
In questions after is there / was there/ will there be pronouns may be used anybody, anyone(someone) and anything(something).
- Is there anything I can do for you?- Can I help you?
Short answers to general questions also use the construction there is/ there are in the affirmative or negative form at the right time.
- Is there a cat outside?– Is there a cat on the street?
- Yes, there is.- Yes, I have.
- No, there isn't .- No.
- Was there anybody in my room?– Was there someone in my room?
- Yes, there was.- Yes.
- No, there wasn't.- No.
In special questions, the question word comes first, followed by the word order of the general question. After interrogative expressions how many/ how much followed by the noun to which they refer.
- Who is there in my room?-Who's in my room?
- Why are there so many people?– Why are there so many people there?
- How much money is there in your wallet?- How much money is in your wallet?
Features of use
There is / There are can be used with almost all tenses and modal verbs, as well as with the construction to be going to. In this case, only the verb changes to be.
- There has been an accident this morning. I hope everything is alright now.– There was an accident this morning. I hope everything is fine now.
- She said that there had been nothing to drink at Matt’s party.“She said there weren't any drinks at Matt's party.”
- There must be some money in my pocket.- There must be some money in my pocket.
- There may be a dog in their garden.– Perhaps there is a dog in their yard.
- There should have been a letter from Craig in my mailbox.“There should have been a letter from Craig in my mailbox.”
- There is going to be a charity concert next week.– Next week they are going to hold a charity concert.
Listing items
When listing multiple items after a construct there is / there are the verb to be is put in singular or plural form depending on the number of the noun that follows it.
- There is one cat and one puppy in Jack’s house.– There is one cat and one puppy in Jack’s house.
- There is a cat and two puppies in Jack's house.– There is one cat and two puppies in Jack’s house.
- There are two puppies and a cat in Jack’s house.– There are two puppies and one cat in Jack’s house.
There with other verbs
The verb to be in the construction there is / there are can be replaced by other verbs that express the meaning of presence, such as to exist(to be, to exist), to lie(lie), to live(live), to come(to come, to happen), to stand(stand), etc.
- There was a big statue in this park.– There was a big statue in this park.
- There stood a big statue in this park.– There was a large statue in this park.
- There lives an old woman in this house.– An elderly woman lives in this house.
- There came some noise from his room.- There was (some) noise coming from his room.
The more you begin to appreciate and love your familiar native Russian language. It seems to us that in Russian there are no confusing tenses, no regular/irregular verbs, no articles. Everything is simple and clear. But this, of course, is not true. And the Russian language has its own complex rules and confusing definitions. In this article we will look at the slightly confusing construction there is/are, which is quite unusual because it is at the beginning of a sentence and is usually not translated in any way.
How and when to use there is/there are?
We use this construction when we need to say about location any item. That is, that something (someone) somewhere located. You need to immediately remember that we always put it at first offers. I think you have already guessed that we use there is when we are talking about one subject, and there are when we are talking about several.
We will literally translate the first sentence as follows: "There there is (is) book on the shelf". Of course, in Russian it sounds ugly, and no one talks like that in real life. But at the first stage it is important to understand meaning what we say .
This literal translation will help you speak correctly and, most importantly, understand the logic of this construction. But when you say this phrase many times and there is no need to translate it word for word, then you can move on to a beautiful literary translation: There are two books on the shelf.
Order of words in a sentence
with there is/are
Remember to put “there is/ there are” at the beginning when you talk about the location of something. This will help your interlocutor understand from the very beginning that we are talking about finding something somewhere. In such a sentence, each word is in its specific place. Let's look at the word order in a sentence.
| 1 place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place |
| There | be (in the required form) | What (who) is | Where is |
| There | is | a cat | in the room |
| There | are | cats | in the street |
Negative form c there is/are
The negative form is formed by adding a particle not. It is used when you want to say that something no/wasn't/won't be anywhere. We can cut there is not = there isn't And there are not = there aren't.
Also with the construction there is/ there are the word is often used no (No). But abbreviations in such phrases are not allowed, because not is a particle that can be abbreviated, and no is a word that cannot be abbreviated.
How to ask questions with there is/are?
The construction of questions with this construction follows the standard rules of the English language. To ask a question, just move the words is/are to the beginning of the sentence, before the word there. Let's look at an example of how to turn an affirmative sentence into an interrogative one.
Statement
Question
A positive response will look like this.
At negative answer we add the particle not.
To reinforce this, let's look at another example.
How to ask questions using question words?
With the phrases there is/there are, you can also build sentences using question words. Here are some of them:
- what - what,
- which - which,
- why - why,
- how long - how long,
- when - when.
In such questions, we put these words first, and then the sentence is built as in a simple question.
There is/are in past and future tenses
If you want to talk about something that was or will be somewhere, then for this it is enough to change form of words is/are (verb be). We will look at how this verb changes in great detail in the next article. For now, just remember that to change the tense using the construction there is/are, you need to change the verb.
Since there is/there are is mainly used to say where is this or that object, then you can easily practice using this construction. Take a look around. What do you see? Where are the things you are used to? So, There is...
Hello, dear students and seekers!
Today we’ll talk about the fact that there is bread in the breadbox, and there is still a little paste in the tube. Do not be surprised! This is directly related to our grammar topic “There is/There are”. After all, we often have to look for things and ask our relatives where everything is, or, in turn, report to others where their lost umbrella or watch is.
This simple design and the rule for its use will help us with this. It is used when we talk about something for the first time, that it exists. Let's analyze:
There is some toothpaste in the tube. There is a book on the table. (there is used for singular).
There are five slices of bread in the bread bin. There are a lot of pens in my bag. (there are– for plural).
Such offers are most often translated into Russian from the end, i.e. with circumstances (first we say "Where", and then "What"). This often has to be explained to children, since the habit of Russian thinking gets in the way.
Let's return to our proposals:
There is some paste in the tube. There is a book on the table.
There are five pieces of bread in the bread box. There are a lot of pens in my bag.
Word there in this design is formal(i.e. according to the rules it should be, but it is not translated). The design itself corresponds in the Russian version to such words as to be, to be, to be etc., and may not be translated at all. When translating, you need to look at the context and choose what sounds right to the Russian ear.
Let's say
There is her hand lotion on the bedside table.
In this case, we can easily say that on the nightstand "lies" or "costs" hand cream, although in reality there are no such words in the English version.
Additionally
In sentences with there is/are there is not necessarily an indication of place or time at the end, i.e. such a sentence simply communicates about the presence of an object or phenomenon(this means that we don’t care where, but the very fact of the existence of something is important). For example:
I'm sorry I'm late. There was a lot of traffic.- Sorry, I'm late. Traffic was heavy (literally: there was a lot of traffic).
Thereisacoldwind.- (Cold wind is blowing.
Negative form is formed in the standard way for the verb to be, i.e. just added not . Shall we practice?
There is not (=isn’t) any toothpaste in the tube.
Note: in this sentence some changed to any. Who knows the rule, well done. For those who don’t know, you can read about him.
Well, I think you can handle the rest of the suggestions yourself!
Besides, instead of not possible use no . Moreover, after no no article or any required, no placed before a noun:
There is no life on the planet.
Interrogative form is formed by putting the verb in first place:
Is there a book on the table? Is there any toothpaste in the tube?
Are there five slices of bread in the bread bin? Are there how many pens in my bag?
Note: It is worth mentioning the use of the construction for uncountable nouns, which often causes difficulties. For - the construction is used in the singular, i.e. we simply mean a certain amount of something that we cannot count (keep in mind the word “quantity” - it is in the singular), for example:
There is some water in the bottle.
There was/There were
There was / There were- this is still the same construction, only in the simple past tense (Past Simple).
| Sg. (units) | Pl. (plural) | |
| + | There was some toothpaste in the tube. There was a book on the table. | There were There were a lot of pens in my bag. |
| — | There was not (=wasn’t) any toothpaste in the tube. There wasn't a book on the table. | There were not (weren’t) five slices of bread in the bread bin. There were not many pens in my bag. |
| ? | Was there any toothpaste in the tube? Was there a book on the table? |
Were there five slices of bread in the bread bin. Were there how many pens in my bag? |
I hope the examples in the table clearly explained to you what’s what. But if you still have questions, be sure to ask them in the comments - they will not go unanswered!
