There is / There are
The structure There is and There are is used when it is necessary to report the existence or absence of any previously unspecified person or object. The construction “there is” is used with singular nouns, while “there are” is used with plural nouns.
- There is a book on the table. There are books on the table
- There isn’t a book on the table. There aren’t books on the table
- Is there a book on the table? Are there books on the table?
If it is necessary to express the idea of measure or quantity, the pronouns some (for affirmative sentences) and any (for interrogative and negative sentences, as well as for uncountable nouns) are used:
- There is some milk in the bottle
- There isn’t any juice in the fridge
- Are there any apples in the fridge?
| Present | ||
| Рositive | Negative | Question |
| There is a pen in the box. | There is not a pen in the box. | Is there a pen in the box? |
| There are pens in the box. | There are not pens in the box. | Are there pens in the box? |
| Past | ||
| Рositive | Negative | Question |
| There was a pen in the box. | There was not a pen in the box. | Was there a pen in the box? |
| There were pens in the box. | There were not pens in the box. | Were there pens in the box? |
| Future | ||
| Рositive | Negative | Question |
| There will be a pen in the box. | There will not be a pen in the box. | Will there be a pen in the box? |
The construction there + to be is used to report the presence or absence of an object(s) or person(s) in a certain place. It should be remembered that the singular noun will always be used in this construction with an indefinite article:
- There is a computer in our class
- There was a man in the room
You should also pay attention to the translation of sentences with this construction — it should begin with the circumstances of the place:
- There is a cup on the table
Compare:
- The cup is on the table
In negative sentences, it is possible to use both the negative participle not and the pronoun no, which is used more often:
- There are no books in the bag
There is not any milk in the cup