1. First introduce something’s presence
There are conveniently introduces a plural presence in English: There are two chairs in the room. It is a simple existence pattern, rather than the only possible way to describe a room’s contents.
Initial there introduces people or things into the conversation. It does not necessarily refer to a distant place: the location can be here, in a room or beside a house.
There are + plural noun phrase + location if needed.
- NP / noun phrase —
- A noun phrase: a noun with its dependent words, such as the new student; the pattern treats it as one group of words.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
There are two chairs in the room.
There are two chairs in the room.
The chairs are introduced for the first time; two chairs is plural.
There are shops here.
There are shops here.
Here supplies the location. Initial there belongs to the existence construction, not a second location.
2. Choose are for a plural noun phrase
Standard written affirmative sentences use there are with a plural noun phrase. One object or an uncountable substance without counted units needs there is.
-s is a useful clue, but not a universal test. Children is the plural of child; people in the ordinary sense of persons is also plural.
two bags → there are; children → there are; a bag → there is
There are children in the garden.
There are children in the garden.
Children is already plural and needs no extra -s.
There are three people at the door.
There are three people at the door.
People agrees with are although it does not end in -s.
There is a bag under the chair.
There is a bag under the chair.
A bag is one item: a contrast with the plural, not another use of there are.
3. A number, some or a bare plural
A numeral adds an exact count: two windows. Some gives an unspecified number: some windows. Many and a lot of mean a large number; a lot of often sounds natural in everyday affirmative statements.
A number or some is not compulsory with there are. There are windows in the room is complete. Do not put singular article a/an directly before a plural.
There are four windows in the office.
There are four windows in the office.
Four supplies an exact count; windows remains plural.
There are some apples in the bag.
There are some apples in the bag.
The number is unspecified; some does not mean a particular count.
There are cafés near the station.
There are cafés near the station.
A complete, natural statement without a numeral or some.
There are a lot of buses in the city.
There are a lot of buses in the city.
A belongs to a lot of, rather than directly marking buses.
4. What are you counting: bottles or water?
Look at the noun phrase’s head rather than its last word before the location. Two bottles of water counts bottles: plural bottles requires there are.
Water alone names a substance. In its basic uncountable sense without named servings, it requires there is. This lesson explicitly names portions to distinguish water from bottles of water.
There are two bottles of water on the desk.
There are two bottles of water on the desk.
Are agrees with bottles. Water does not make the entire phrase singular.
There is water in the bottle.
There is water in the bottle.
The statement concerns water itself rather than several bottles.
There are three cups of tea on the tray.
There are three cups of tea on the tray.
The head cups names plural countable units.
5. Word order and location
The simplest A1 pattern is There are → people or things → place. Put the entire noun phrase after are: two small tables, some new books.
The location can come first to foreground the space. This is an acceptable order rather than an error. A location understood from the conversation or irrelevant to the message need not be repeated.
There are two small tables in the kitchen.
There are two small tables in the kitchen.
Small precedes tables; adjectives take no plural -s.
In the kitchen, there are two small tables.
In the kitchen, there are two small tables.
The same statement with the location first.
There are two problems.
There are two problems.
The construction describes existence beyond physical room contents; no location is needed here.
6. There are and they are do different jobs
There are normally introduces existence. Once the objects are named, they can refer back: There are two lamps. They are new. The second sentence describes known lamps.
They are two lamps can also be grammatical, for example as an answer identifying some objects. That is identification rather than a new existence statement. A task checks the communicative goal, not merely the presence of there or are.
There are two lamps in the bedroom. They are new.
There are two lamps in the bedroom. They are new.
First introduce the lamps, then describe them with they.
What are those objects? They are two lamps.
What are those objects? They are two lamps.
They are grammatically answers a question about the objects’ identity.
7. The written target and conversational usage
This trainer practises standard written affirmative there are, a reliable form before a plural. There’re is not a common written pattern; recommending there are does not mean contracted pronunciation is impossible.
Informal speech and some informal writing use there’s before a plural. It is real usage, but choose there are for a standard written task. This is a register adjustment for the goal, rather than a claim that speakers using there’s lack grammar.
Are there…? questions and There aren’t… negatives are neighbouring topics. They can occur in a supplied conversational turn, but the answer practises affirmative existence. Establish what is present, then check number, full there are and any suitable location.
There are two seats near the window.
There are two seats near the window.
The standard written form before two seats.
There's two seats near the window.
There's two seats near the window.
Informal usage. For this lesson’s written target, change it to There are two seats near the window.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:There are two chair in the room.
Correct:There are two chairs in the room.
After two, use plural chairs; are alone does not change the noun’s form.
Incorrect:There are a books on the shelf.
Correct:There are books on the shelf.
Do not put a directly before plural books. A bare plural is enough for this existence statement.
Incorrect:There are three childrens in the park.
Correct:There are three children in the park.
Children is already the plural of child; childrens is incorrect here.
Incorrect:There are are two boxes by the door.
Correct:There are two boxes by the door.
This simple statement needs only one are.