Forms: affirmative, negative and questions
Use there is with singular nouns and there are with plural nouns:
| Affirmative | Negative | Question | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | There is (There's) a bank on the corner. | There isn't a supermarket here. | Is there a hospital near here? |
| Plural | There are five students in the class. | There aren't any chairs. | Are there any shops? |
Short answers:
Yes, there is. / No, there isn't. — Yes, there are. / No, there aren't. There's no common contraction for "there are".
some and any
| Word | When to use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| some | Positive sentences | There are some cars in the street. |
| any | Negatives and questions | There aren't any cafés. · Are there any hotels? |
There is vs It is:
Use there is/are to say something EXISTS: "There's a cat in the garden." Use it is to describe something already known: "It's a big cat." Don't say "It is a cat in the garden" — that's wrong.
Exercise
1. ______ a supermarket on the main road.
2. ______ three bedrooms in my house.
3. ______ any cafés in this town? — No, there aren't.
4. There ______ any milk in the fridge.
5. There are ______ students in the library.