Use there is before a singular or noun and there are before a plural noun to say that something exists: There is a park near my house. There are two hospitals in the city. In the past, use there was and there were. The verb agrees with the noun that follows.
What there is and there are mean
We use there is and there are to say that something exists or to introduce something new. The word there is not a place here. It is only a starting word, and the real subject comes after the verb.
Because the subject comes after the verb, the verb must agree with it: singular and nouns take is, and plural nouns take are.
- There is a library on my street. · singular
- There are many parks in the city. · plural
- There is a lot of traffic in the morning. · uncountable
Singular, plural and uncountable
Use there is with a singular noun (a bridge) and with an noun (water, traffic, pollution, advice, information). Use there are with plurals (two bridges, many problems, several reasons).
Be careful with a lot of. The verb follows the noun after it: There is a lot of pollution, but There are a lot of cars. The same is true of some, any and plenty of.
Negatives and questions
For negatives, add not: There is not a park here, or the short forms there isn't and there aren't. You can also use no: There is no park here. With any, use not: There aren't any buses at night.
For questions, put is or are before there: Is there a bank near here? Are there any restaurants in your town? Short answers are Yes, there is and No, there aren't.
Other tenses and modals
Change the verb be to change the time: there was, there were (past), there has been, there have been (present perfect), there will be (future), there is going to be (plan or evidence) and there must be, there might be, there could be (guesses).
Examples: There was a market here when I was a child. There have been many changes in the city. There will be more traffic in ten years. There might be a better solution.
There is or it is?
Use there is to say that something exists for the first time. Use it is to describe something that you have already mentioned. There is a new park near my house. It is large and very quiet.
Where to use it in IELTS
In Speaking Part 1 and Part 2, use there is and there are to describe places: In my hometown there is a river and there are several old bridges. In Writing Task 2, use it to introduce reasons and arguments: There are several reasons for this trend. There is no simple answer to this problem. In Task 1, use it with change and amounts, in sentences such as There was a steady increase in the number of visitors.
Try to vary your sentence starts. It is tempting to begin every sentence with There is, but one or two well-placed uses are better than a long list.
There is and have are different
Some languages use the same word for have and there is. In English, the two are different. Say My city has a large park, or There is a large park in my city. Do not say In my city has a large park, and do not say In my city have a large park.
Adding detail
There is also a very common use with an -ing form or a , which adds detail: There are many students studying abroad. There is a bus that goes to the airport. These longer sentences show more control, because the detail comes after the noun. Use them in Speaking Part 2 to describe places, and you give the listener a more complete picture. Check that the verb still agrees with the noun that follows there.
Common mistakes
Check your writing and speaking for these:
- There is many people in the library. Say: There are many people in the library.
- In my town have a lot of shops. Say: In my town there are a lot of shops.
- There are a lot of traffic. Say: There is a lot of traffic.
- Have a park near my house. Say: There is a park near my house.
- There have many problems. Say: There are many problems.
Who finds this hard?
- Chinese speakers: Chinese uses the same word (you) for have and there is, so you may say In my city has a park. In English, use there is or there are, or make the city the subject: My city has a park.
- Spanish speakers: Spanish hay does not change for singular and plural. In English, check the noun after the verb: there is a bridge, there are two bridges.
- Turkish speakers: Turkish uses var for existence without a separate subject. In English, start with there and make the verb agree with the noun that follows.
IELTS tip
There is and there are are very useful for describing places in Speaking Part 2 and introducing arguments in Writing Task 2. Check the noun after the verb every time: singular or takes is, plural takes are. Replace some of them with other structures so that your sentences do not all begin in the same way.
Frequently asked questions
When do I use there is and when there are?
Use there is with singular and nouns, and there are with plural nouns. The verb agrees with the noun that comes after it.
What is the difference between there is and it is?
There is introduces something new. It is describes something already mentioned or identified.
Can I say in my town have a park?
No. Say there is a park in my town, or my town has a park.
How do I use there with the past or future?
Use there was or there were for the past, there will be for the future, and there has been or there have been for the present perfect.
Sources
- Swan, M. (2016). Practical English Usage, 4th edition. Oxford University Press.
- Carter, R. and McCarthy, M. (2006). Cambridge Grammar of English. Cambridge University Press.