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A2 Elementary
04

There is / There are

Describing what exists in a place.

Visual Explanation

Describing existence

There is / There are+noun+place

Examples

There is a pharmacy on the corner.

There are two parks near my house.

Is there a cash machine nearby?

When to Use

There is + singular
Use 'there is' with one thing: 'There is a window in this room.'
There are + plural
Use 'there are' with more than one: 'There are five chairs around the table.'
Questions and negatives
Swap the order for questions: 'Is there...?' Add 'not' for negatives: 'There isn't a lift.'

Tip

With uncountable nouns, always use 'there is': 'There is some milk in the fridge,' not 'There are some milk.'

Practice Exercises