What it is
'There is / there are' announces that something exists somewhere. The verb agrees with the noun that follows it, not with 'there'.
Look
- There is a sofa in the living room.
- There are two beds in the bedroom.
Form
FormPatternModel sentence
PositiveThere is + singular / uncountable · There are + pluralThere are three chairs in the kitchen.
NegativeThere isn't + a / any · There aren't + anyThere aren't any chairs in the hall.
QuestionIs there + a / any …? · Are there + any …?Are there any chairs left?
Short answerYes, there is / are. · No, there isn't / aren't.No, there aren't.
Use it when
- You describe a room, a town or a photo.
- You say what a place has: There are two lifts.
- You ask whether something exists nearby.
More examples
- There's a supermarket at the end of the road.
- There are lots of tourists in summer.
- There isn't any milk in the fridge.
- Is there a lift in the building?
Watch out!
There is two chairs.
There are two chairs.
It is a sofa here.
There is a sofa here.
Quick check
___ a lamp on the table.
___ four people in my family.