2025.10.06

The Use of There is / There are｜Basic Rules for Expressing Existence

Izumi

In English, when I want to say “there is” or “there are,” I do not place the subject at the beginning of the sentence. Instead, I use the structure there is / there are.

This expression is very useful when describing the existence of objects or people, and it frequently appears in everyday conversation.

In this lesson, I will explain the basic usage of there is / there are, how the form changes depending on number or type, and how to construct questions and negative sentences.

Contents

1. The Structure and Rules of There is / There are
2. Making Affirmative Sentences
3. Making Questions
4. Making Negative Sentences: Two Patterns
5. Summary

1. The Structure and Rules of There is / There are

To express existence, English uses the following structures:

There is + singular noun (or uncountable noun)
There are + plural noun

Examples:

There is a book on the desk.
There are toys in the box.

A key point is that there does not mean “in that place.” Instead, it functions as a formal subject. The true subject is the noun that comes after is or are.

2. Making Affirmative Sentences

When expressing existence, the word order is: There is / There are + noun + place (prepositional phrase)

The verb is / are must agree in number with the noun that follows.

There is a cat in the room.
There are five chairs around the table.

The subject of the sentence is a cat or five chairs. There is only a formal subject.

3. Making Questions

To form a question, simply place is or are at the beginning of the sentence. Changing the word order is all that is required.

Is there a restroom here?
Are there any questions?

Answers:

Yes, there is. / No, there isn’t.
Yes, there are. / No, there aren’t.

4. Making Negative Sentences: Two Patterns

There are two common ways to form negative sentences:

Using not

There isn’t a computer in the room.
There aren’t any pencils in the drawer.

Using no + noun

The “no + noun” form conveys a stronger sense of negation.

There is no milk left.
There are no buses after 11 p.m.

5. Summary

There is / There are is the basic structure for saying “there is / there are.”
Use there is with singular or uncountable nouns; use there are with plural nouns.
To form questions, move the verb to the beginning: Is there ~? / Are there ~?
To form negatives, use there isn’t / there aren’t or there is no ~.
The real subject is the noun that follows is / are, not there.