There is / There are
Say what exists and what is in a place — there is for one thing or an uncountable noun, there are for two or more.
Press a button. Say what’s there.
There is or there are? Switch the noun and the form, and watch how the sentence changes — plus when to use some or any.
Got the pattern? Jump to the practice →
The rules — with examples
When to use is or are, how to make negatives and questions, and when to use some or any.
The pattern
There is some water.
There are some books.
Are there any books?
Watch out: uncountable nouns (water, money, bread, time) take there is, not “there are” — “There is some bread”.
When to use which
some, any or a?
Short answers & word order
Two quick extras: in speech, there is often becomes there’s (“There’s a cat”). And for the past, use there was (singular) and there were (plural): “There was a party. There were lots of people.”
Practise & score yourself
Ten quick questions with instant scoring and a short explanation for every answer — especially the ones you get wrong.
The one rule to remember
Use there is for one thing or an uncountable noun, and there are for two or more. In negatives and questions, change some to any: “There aren’t any seats”, “Are there any seats?”. For the past, use there was and there were.
There is / There are more activities
Describe what exists and where things are — one of the first big steps to talking about the world around you.
What it does
We use there is and there are to say that something exists or is in a place. The choice depends on whether the noun is singular or plural.
Singular vs plural: Singular / uncountable: There is a cat. · There is some water. Plural: There are three chairs.
How to form it
Positive
Negative
Questions
Using some, any, and a / an
some — positive
any — questions & negatives
a / an — one countable thing
Common mistakes
Practice & score yourself
Ten quick questions. You get instant scoring and a short explanation for every answer — especially when you get one wrong.
Part A — Choose the correct form
Teaching ideas
Hands-on ways to practice describing rooms and pictures.
Room detective
Show a busy picture; students say what's there ("There is a lamp, there are two windows"). The picture supplies endless natural sentences.
Spot the difference
Pairs compare two pictures and ask "Is there a…? Are there any…?" The gap-finding makes question forms essential.
My dream bedroom
Students draw a room and describe it with at least six there is/are sentences. Personal and memorable.
Fridge inventory
Talk about food using some/any ("There's some cheese, there isn't any milk"). Ties the structure to countable/uncountable nouns.
Singular/plural sort
Flash nouns; students shout "is" or "are". Quick drilling of the core agreement choice.
Town map task
Give a simple map; pairs ask "Is there a bank near the park?" Adds prepositions of place to the structure.
The one rule to remember
Use there is for one thing (or an uncountable noun) and there are for more than one. Then use some in positives and any in questions and negatives.