There is and there are

What you'll learn

Use there is and there are to say that something exists or is in a place.

• There is a café near my house.
• There are two cafés near my house.

Start with these examples

• There is a sofa in the living room.
• There are two windows in the kitchen.
• Is there a bank near here?
• There aren't any shops on this street.

Singular and plural

Use there is with one thing.

There is + singular noun

• There is a bus stop here.
• There is an apple on the table.

Use there are with two or more things.

There are + plural noun

• There are three chairs.
• There are some books on the desk.

Negative forms

• There isn't a supermarket nearby.
• There aren't any cafés open now.

Questions and short answers

• Is there a pharmacy near here? — Yes, there is. / No, there isn't.
• Are there any buses today? — Yes, there are. / No, there aren't.

Common mistakes

• There are a table. → There is a table.
• Is there two shops? → Are there two shops?
• There is three windows. → There are three windows.
• There aren't a bank. → There isn't a bank.

Quick check

• ___ a TV in the room. → There is
• ___ two parks near my house. → There are
• ___ any eggs in the fridge? → Are there

Next step

Use have got to talk about the things people and families have.