How to use ‘There is’ vs ‘There are’

“There is a dog.”

In English, “there is” and “there are” are used to indicate the existence or presence of something. The difference between “there is” and “there are” is a matter of subject-verb agreement. Essentially, it depends on whether the noun that follows is singular or plural.

There is

• Used with singular nouns.
  • Examples
    • “There is a cat on the mat.”
    • “There is a problem.”

There are

• Used with plural nouns.
  • Examples
    • “There are many cats on the mat.”
    • “There are several problems.”

Here are some additional points to think about

• When listing items
  • If the first item in a list is singular, “there is” is often used, even if subsequent items are plural. However, this can sometimes sound awkward. In formal writing, it is best to make the verb agree with all of the items in the list.
  • Examples
    • “There is a pen, a book and two pencils on the table.” (This is grammatically correct, but could be rephrased for better flow.)
    • “There are a pen, a book and two pencils on the table.” (This is also used, and some would argue more correct.)
    • It is better to rephrase to: “There are two pencils, a book and a pen on the table.”
• There’s
  • “There’s” is a contraction of “there is.”
  • In informal speech, “there’s” is sometimes used even when referring to plural nouns, but this is generally considered incorrect in formal writing.
  • Example
    • “There’s many people here.” (Informal, but not grammatically correct in formal writing.)
• Uncountable nouns
  • “There is” is used with uncountable nouns.
  • Examples
    • “There is water on the floor.”
    • “There is much confusion.”

In summary, the choice between “there is” and “there are” depends on the number of the noun that follows (plural vs singular).

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