There is and there are are two of the most common phrases in everyday English.
You hear them at home, at school, at work, in shops, and in normal conversations. They look very similar, so many English learners use them in the wrong way.
The main reason for the confusion is simple: both phrases are used to say that something exists or is present. The difference depends on the noun that comes after them.
For example:
- There is a book on the table.
- There are three books on the table.
In the first sentence, we talk about one book, so we use there is. In the second sentence, we talk about more than one book, so we use there are.
This small grammar rule is important because these phrases appear in many everyday sentences.
You may use them when describing a room, talking about people, asking about places, or explaining what you can see.
By the end of this guide, you will know when to use there is and there are, how to make negative sentences and questions, and how to avoid the most common mistakes.
You will also see simple examples from real-life English.
What Does “There Is” Mean?
There is is used to say that one thing exists, is present, or can be found somewhere.
It is normally followed by a singular countable noun or an uncountable noun.
Basic grammar rule
There is + singular noun
Examples:
- There is a cat outside.
- There is a problem with my computer.
- There is a chair in the room.
- There is a student at the door.
- There is a new shop near my house.
- There is an apple in the bag.
- There is a little milk in the fridge.
- There is some water in the bottle.
Notice that there is does not always mean “one” in the same way. With an uncountable noun, we can talk about an amount of something.
For example, water is uncountable, so we say:
There is some water in the glass.
We do not normally say:
There are some water in the glass.
When should you use “there is”?
Use there is when you are introducing or pointing out one thing.
Imagine you walk into a room and see a large table. You can say:
There is a large table in the room.
You are telling someone about something that exists in that place.
You can also use it with uncountable nouns:
There is sugar in my coffee.
There is enough food for everyone.
Here, sugar and food are not being counted as individual items.
Common short form
In everyday spoken English, there is is often shortened to there’s.
For example:
- There’s a bus outside.
- There’s a problem here.
- There’s some food in the kitchen.
- There’s an interesting movie on TV.
There’s is very common in conversation. The full form there is is also correct and may sound a little more careful or formal.
A common learner mistake is to think that there’s can never be used with a plural noun. In standard formal English, there are is preferred with plural nouns. However, in casual speech, native speakers sometimes say things like:
There’s two people outside.
This is common in informal speech, but learners should use:
There are two people outside.
especially in writing, schoolwork, exams, and formal English.
What Does “There Are” Mean?
There are is used to say that two or more people or things exist, are present, or can be found somewhere.
It is followed by a plural countable noun.
Basic grammar rule
There are + plural noun
Examples:
- There are two books on the desk.
- There are many students in the classroom.
- There are three cars outside.
- There are some apples in the kitchen.
- There are five people in the office.
- There are several shops near my house.
- There are many questions in this test.
- There are two windows in my bedroom.
The important point is that the noun is plural.
When should you use “there are”?
Use there are when you are talking about more than one person or thing.
For example:
There are four chairs in the room.
There is more than one chair, so there are is correct.
You can also use there are with words such as many, several, a few, two, three, lots of, and some when they refer to plural countable nouns.
For example:
There are many students here.
There are a few cookies left.
There are three bedrooms upstairs.
Negative form
To say that something does not exist or is not present, use there isn’t for singular or uncountable nouns and there aren’t for plural nouns.
Examples:
- There isn’t a bus outside.
- There isn’t any milk left.
- There aren’t any chairs here.
- There aren’t many people in the park.
The same singular/plural rule still applies.
Difference Between There Is and There Are
The easiest way to understand the difference is to look at the noun after the phrase.
| Phrase | Used with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| There is | One singular thing/person | There is a dog outside. |
| There is | Uncountable noun | There is some rice left. |
| There are | Two or more things/people | There are two dogs outside. |
| There are | Plural countable noun | There are many books here. |
Usage difference
Use there is when the noun is singular:
There is a student in the classroom.
Use there are when the noun is plural:
There are five students in the classroom.
This is the main rule you need to remember.
Grammar logic
The verb agrees with the noun that follows it.
Think about the difference between is and are:
- is → singular
- are → plural
So:
There is a car.
But:
There are two cars.
The word there is not the important part when choosing is or are. Look at the noun after the verb.
Sentence structure
A common structure is:
There is + a/an + singular noun + place
There is a lamp on the table.
Another structure is:
There are + number/quantity + plural noun + place
There are three lamps in the room.
You can also add adjectives:
There is a beautiful garden behind the house.
There are two large gardens near the hotel.
Meaning comparison
Both forms often mean that something exists or is located somewhere.
Compare:
There is a problem with the car.
This means one problem exists.
There are several problems with the car.
This means more than one problem exists.
The basic meaning is similar, but the number of things changes the grammar.
Grammar Rules You Must Remember
Rule #1: Use “there is” with one singular countable noun
If you can count the noun as one item, use there is.
There is a phone on the desk.
There is an orange in the bowl.
Be careful with the articles a and an. A singular countable noun usually needs a determiner.
Correct:
There is a book on the table.
Incorrect:
There is book on the table.
Rule #2: Use “there are” with plural nouns
When you have two or more countable things, use there are.
There are two phones on the desk.
There are six oranges in the bowl.
Words such as many, several, a few, and lots of usually point to plural nouns.
There are many people here.
There are a few mistakes in this sentence.
Rule #3: Use “there is” with uncountable nouns
Some nouns cannot normally be counted one by one. These include water, milk, rice, information, money, advice, furniture, and traffic.
Use there is with them:
There is some milk in the fridge.
There is a lot of traffic today.
There is useful information on this website.
Do not make these nouns plural just because there is a large amount.
For example, information is uncountable.
Correct:
There is some information in the email.
Not:
There are some informations in the email.
Rule #4: Questions follow the same singular and plural rule
For a singular noun, use:
Is there + singular noun…?
Is there a bank nearby?
For a plural noun, use:
Are there + plural noun…?
Are there any banks nearby?
This rule is easy once you connect is = singular and are = plural.
Common Mistakes Students Make
Many mistakes happen because learners focus on there instead of the noun that comes after the verb.
Mistake 1: Using “there is” with a plural noun
Incorrect:
There is three books on the table.
Correct:
There are three books on the table.
Why? Books is plural.
A quick correction tip is to look at the number. If you see two, three, four, many, or another plural quantity, check whether there are is needed.
Mistake 2: Using “there are” with a singular noun
Incorrect:
There are a problem with my phone.
Correct:
There is a problem with my phone.
There is only one problem, so use there is.
Mistake 3: Forgetting that uncountable nouns are singular
Incorrect:
There are some furniture in the room.
Correct:
There is some furniture in the room.
The noun furniture is uncountable.
You can say:
There are three pieces of furniture in the room.
Now the countable noun is pieces, so there are is correct.
Mistake 4: Confusing “there is” with “they are”
These phrases sound different and have different jobs.
There is introduces something that exists:
There is a dog outside.
They are describes people or things that have already been mentioned:
The dogs are outside.
A useful tip is to remember that there is/there are often introduces new information.
Mistake 5: Using “there is” in every sentence
Some learners become comfortable with there is and start using it everywhere.
For example:
There is two shops near my house.
This is a common error.
Correct:
There are two shops near my house.
Even though you may hear the incorrect version in fast informal speech, use the standard form when learning English.
Easy Trick to Remember the Difference
Here is a simple classroom trick:
IS = one
ARE = more than one
Think of the verb as a signal.
If you see:
a book
think:
one → there is
So:
There is a book.
If you see:
three books
think:
more than one → there are
So:
There Is vs There Are
The same idea works with people:
There Is vs There Are
There Is vs There Are
It also works with places:
There Is vs There Are
There Is vs There Are
A second memory trick
Cover the word there with your hand and look only at the noun.
Ask yourself:
“Is it one or more than one?”
If it is one, choose is.
If it is more than one, choose are.
For uncountable nouns, think of them as singular for this grammar rule:
There Is vs There Are
There Is vs There Are
There Is vs There Are
This small habit can prevent many mistakes.
Daily Life Examples
These phrases are everywhere in spoken English. Here are some simple examples you might actually hear or use.
1. At home
A: What is in the kitchen?
B: There is some food in the fridge.
The noun food is uncountable, so we use there is.
2. Talking about a room
A: What is in your bedroom?
B: There is a bed, a desk, and two chairs.
Notice something interesting here. The first noun is singular, so we start with there is. When listing several things, English can become more flexible in everyday speech, but careful grammar should make the verb agree with the main noun being introduced.
3. At a bus stop
A: Is there a bus to the city center?
B: Yes, there is one coming now.
The question asks about one bus, so we use is there.
4. Asking about shops
A: Are there any shops near here?
B: Yes, there are several shops on the main road.
Because shops is plural, we use are there.
5. At school
Teacher: Is there a student outside?
Student: Yes, there is.
The noun student is singular.
6. At a restaurant
Customer: Are there any vegetarian dishes?
Waiter: Yes, there are several options.
The word dishes is plural, so are there is correct.
7. Talking about traffic
There Is vs There Are
Even though there may be hundreds of cars, traffic is an uncountable noun. Therefore, we use there is.
8. Talking about a problem
There Is vs There Are
If you have several problems, say:
There Is vs There Are
The noun changes from singular to plural, so the verb changes too.
9. Talking about people
There Is vs There Are
Because people is plural, use there are.
10. Talking about your neighborhood
There Is vs There Are
This is a useful example because both forms appear naturally in one sentence.
A small park is singular → there is.
Two schools is plural → there are.
Practice Section
Choose there is or there are to complete each sentence.
1. ______ a book on my desk.
2. ______ five students in the classroom.
3. ______ some milk in the fridge.
4. ______ two cars outside the house.
5. ______ a problem with this computer.
Try to answer before checking the solutions.
Answers
1. There is a book on my desk.
Book is singular.
2. There are five students in the classroom.
Students is plural.
3. There is some milk in the fridge.
Milk is uncountable.
4. There are two cars outside the house.
Cars is plural.
5. There is a problem with this computer.
Problem is singular.
A good way to improve is to make five new sentences about things around you. Look around your room and describe what you see using there is and there are.
FAQs
What is the difference between “there is” and “there are”?
There is is normally used with a singular noun or an uncountable noun. There are is used with plural countable nouns.
For example, There is a chair talks about one chair, while There are three chairs talks about three chairs.
Can we use “there is” in questions?
Yes. The question form is Is there…?
For example:
There Is vs There Are
There Is vs There Are
Use Is there…? with singular or uncountable nouns.
Can we use “there are” in questions?
Yes. Use Are there…? with plural nouns.
For example:
There Is vs There Are
There Is vs There Are
The noun after the phrase should be plural.
Is “there’s” formal or informal?
There’s is the short form of there is and is very common in everyday English.
For example:
There Is vs There Are
It is completely normal in conversation. In formal writing, you may prefer the full form there is, depending on the style of the writing.
Can I say “there’s” with plural nouns?
In casual spoken English, native speakers sometimes use there’s before plural nouns, especially in fast conversation.
For example, you may hear:
There Is vs There Are
However, standard grammar recommends:
There Is vs There Are
For school, exams, professional writing, and careful English, use there are with plural nouns.
Which is correct: “there is many” or “there are many”?
The correct standard form is:
There Is vs There Are
because many normally introduces a plural countable noun.
For example:
There Is vs There Are
There Is vs There Are
Do not say There is many books in standard English.
Conclusion
Understanding there is vs there are becomes much easier when you stop focusing on the word there and look at the noun that follows the verb.
Use there is for one singular thing and for uncountable nouns:
There Is vs There Are
There Is vs There Are
Use there are for two or more countable things:
There Is vs There Are
There Is vs There Are
The same rule works in questions and negative sentences. You simply change the form while keeping the singular or plural idea in mind.
When you speak English every day, you will use these structures again and again. So do not try to memorize dozens of complicated rules. Start with the simple idea: is = singular, are = plural.
Look around you and make your own examples. Describe your room, your street, your classroom, or your workplace. A few minutes of practice each day can make this grammar point feel natural.
There is one final tip to remember: when in doubt, check the noun. That little habit can help you choose the right form quickly and confidently.
Oliver Bennett is an English language educator and content writer passionate about simplifying grammar. He creates clear, practical lessons, writing tips, and learning resources that help readers improve their English with confidence.
