There are many people who get confused between there is vs. there are. Learn about the difference between the terms there is and there are as I break it all down for you. Then answer the two exercises I provided to check your understanding of the topic.
There Is vs. There Are
There is is used when the noun it follows is singular. Technically, this noun is the object of the sentence or a predicate nominative. Here are some examples:
- There is a man standing outside your house.
- There is a new dog at our local pet store.
- There is always something you can do in this resort.
- There is an issue with her new laptop.
- Is there cake left?
Notice that some sentences above include determiners a or an to indicate the singularity of the following noun. You can remove these determiners for uncountable nouns or add adjectives.
When writing informally, you can use the contraction there’s. For example:
- There’s another pillow in the cabinet.
Use there are when the following noun is plural. For example:
- There are several ways to fix the document.
- There are many people in the room.
- There are books on the table.
- There are three pairs of shoes outside.
- Are there any tools in the box?
Since all plural nouns are countable, you can also use determiners before the noun. Remember not to use there’re.
Summary of There Is and There Are
I hope these two exercises allow you to master the difference between there is and there are. Remember:
- There is is used for singular nouns or uncountable nouns.
- There are is used for plural nouns.