1. First introduce what is present
Imagine a guest entering a room for the first time. You tell them that there is a sofa. There is is a useful construction for this statement: it introduces the object into the conversation.
Keep both there and is in a complete English sentence of this pattern. Initial there does not itself specify a distant location: the place can be here, near you.
There is + what / who is present + where (if needed).
There is a sofa in the room.
There is a sofa in the room.
We introduce a new object into the conversation: one sofa.
There is a cup here.
There is a cup here.
There is states that something is present; here separately specifies the nearby location.
2. One countable object: a or an
A countable noun names something that can be counted in the intended meaning: a chair, two chairs. When first introducing one object, the usual pattern is there is a/an + singular noun.
Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound. You can add an adjective: a small bag. Other determiners are also possible, such as one; the rule does not mean a must always follow is.
There is + a/an + singular noun.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
There is a chair by the window.
There is a chair by the window.
Chair names one object; it needs a before it.
There is an egg in the box.
There is an egg in the box.
Egg begins with a vowel sound, so use an.
There is one room upstairs.
There is one room upstairs.
One specifies the exact number and already comes before room; no a is needed.
3. A substance or uncountable amount: is
Water, milk, rice and bread in their usual meanings name a substance or food as an amount, rather than separate items. Use is with them here, even when there is a large amount.
Some expresses an unspecified amount. It is not compulsory in every positive statement: there is water is also possible. Do not put a/an directly before a substance noun in this meaning. To name one portion, specify a container: a glass of water.
There is + (some) + uncountable noun.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
There is some rice in the bowl.
There is some rice in the bowl.
Rice is presented as food, rather than a number of separate grains.
There is water on the floor.
There is water on the floor.
You can state that water is present without some.
There is a lot of milk in the fridge.
There is a lot of milk in the fridge.
A large amount of milk does not make milk plural.
4. Look at the whole quantity phrase
Compare some milk, one bottle of milk and two bottles of milk. The first describes milk; the others count bottles. One bottle is singular, two bottles is plural.
For standard written agreement, use there is a bottle, but there are two bottles. Some does not choose the verb by itself: some water needs is, some cups needs are. We use the plural here only to show the boundary of this rule.
There is one bottle of milk in the bag.
There is one bottle of milk in the bag.
We count one bottle; milk after of does not change the singular bottle.
There are two bottles of milk in the bag.
There are two bottles of milk in the bag.
We count two bottles, so standard writing uses are.
There are some cups on the table.
There are some cups on the table.
Cups is plural. Some does not mean is is always required.
5. There’s: the same idea, shorter
There’s is a contraction of there is. It is natural in everyday conversation and informal messages. Keep the apostrophe, which indicates the contraction.
In informal speech, you can also hear there’s before a plural. This is real usage, rather than a reason to label every such speaker wrong. In tasks about standard written agreement, choose there are for a plural; the task will specify the required register.
There's a shop near my house.
There's a shop near my house.
There’s a shop means the same as there is a shop.
There are two shops near my house.
There are two shops near my house.
This is the standard written plural version practised in the contrasts.
6. There is introduces; it describes something known
There is a bag on the chair introduces the presence of a bag. It is blue then describes the bag already mentioned. It needs something clear from the context; there is helps introduce it for the first time.
It is a cat in the garden can be grammatical if it already refers to something being identified, such as an animal in a photo. For a new statement about a cat being present in the garden, the natural target construction is there is. A different communicative purpose is not the same as a grammatical error.
There is a bag on the chair. It is blue.
There is a bag on the chair. It is blue.
First we introduce the bag, then describe its colour.
It is a cat in the garden.
It is a cat in the garden.
A possible answer when identifying an animal already shown; this is not the pattern for first introducing the presence of a cat.
7. More than a place: a short, useful statement
A location often helps the listener, but is not compulsory in every sentence. There is a problem is a complete statement about a problem. You can also omit a location that is already clear.
For your own statement, decide what new information you are giving. Is it one object or an uncountable amount? Is the location needed? Build the meaning, then check the article and is. Questions, negatives and the past will be studied separately.
There is a problem.
There is a problem.
Problem is countable singular; the sentence is complete without naming a location.
There's some food for you.
There's some food for you.
Food is presented as an uncountable amount; for you explains who it is intended for.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:There are a cat in the garden.
Correct:There is a cat in the garden.
A cat is one cat, so use is. Changing only the verb fixes the agreement.
Incorrect:There is chair by the door.
Correct:There is a chair by the door.
Chair is an ordinary singular countable noun: add a before the newly introduced object.
Incorrect:There is an table in the kitchen.
Correct:There is a table in the kitchen.
Table begins with a consonant sound, so use a, rather than an.
Incorrect:There some water on the floor.
Correct:There is some water on the floor.
Do not omit is from this complete English positive construction; the linking verb is required.