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In English there are lots of grammar rules and especially exceptions of the rules but this is not the case with There is – There are; There was – There were.
In this case the rues are quite straightforward:
We use there is and there are to talk about what exists in the present.
We use there was and there were to talk about what existed in the past.
Form (Şekil)
1. Something exists (or does not exist),
When we tell people that something exists (or does not exist), we usually begin the sentence with there is, there are, etc, and put the real subject after the verb.
Note the pronunciation : UK /ðeər iz/ US /ðer iz/
There isis used with singular subject.
There are is used with plural subjects.
There’s a hole in my tights.
There’s ice on the lake.
There are no children in this house.
I don’t know how many people there are for lunch.
How many people are there for lunch?
There can be used in this way with all simple tenses of be.
Once upon a time there were three wicked brothers.
There has never been anybody like you.
There will be snow on high ground.
It can also be used in question-tags
There’ll be enough for everybody, won’t there?
Note the expressions:
There is no sense in -ing,
There is no point in -ing,
There is no use (in) – ing
There is no need to…
(Questions with any are also possible.)
There’s no sense in making him angry.
There’s no point in talking about it again.
Do you think there’s any point in trying?
There’s no use trying to explain (Also: It’s no use …)
There’s no need to hurry – we’ve got plenty of time.
2. Complex Structures with the verb - to be
There can be used in more complex structures with the verb to be.
It is common:
– with modal verbs: there might be),
– with appear and seem – there seem(s) to be),
– with the infinitive to be,
– with being.
There might be drinks if you wait a bit.
There appear to be several reasons for changing our plans. (Not:*There appears to be . ..)
If the police hadn’t reacted quickly, there could have been a bad accident.
I don’t want there to be any more trouble.
I’d like there to be a swimming-pool in the garden.
What’s the chance of there being an election this year?
3. there + be + noun + participle,
We can also use there + be + noun + participle, instead of using structures with be as an auxiliary verb.
There was a girl water-skiing on the lake. (Or: A girl was water-skiing . ..)
There have been more Americans killed in road accidents than in all the wars since 1900. (Or: More Americans have been killed…)
4. Some other verbs can be used with there, besides to be.
Some other verbs can be used with there, besides to be.
These are verbs:
– which express a state (like live, exist, remain), – – or which are used to describe the arrival of something or somebody (like come, arise, appear, enter, follow).
These verbs are used with there most often in a literary or formal style.
In a small town in Germany, there once lived a rich merchant who had a beautiful daughter.
There remains nothing more to be done.
Suddenly there entered a strange figure dressed all in black.
There followed an uncomfortable silence.
Other verbs (for instance, verbs which refer to actions) cannot be used with there.
We can’t say “There sneezed a man or One night there broke out a fire.”
5. When the subject of a sentence is some, any, ...........
When the subject of a sentence is some, any, no, somebody, any body, nobody, something, anything or nothing, the sentence is often introduced with there is.
There are some people outside.
There were no footsteps to be seen.
Is there anybody at home?
There’s something worrying me.
Is there anything in the fridge?
Note the use of wrong with something, anything and nothing.
There’s something wrong.
There’s nothing wrong with her.
These expressions can also be used without there is.
Something’s wrong.
Is anything the wrong?
Nothing’s wrong with her.
6.When a sentence has a 'definite' subject
When a sentence has a ‘definite’ subject (for instance, a noun with a definite article, or a proper name), there is is not normally used.
The door was open. (Not: ‘There was the door open.)
James was at the party. (Not: *There was James at the party.)
The exception to this is when be has a subject, but no complement.
‘Who can we ask?” – ‘There’s James, or Miranda, or Annie.’ (Not: *James is, . . .)
7. there are for counting
There are is very often used in sentences which say how many people or things a group contains.
There are seven of us in my family. (We are seven in my family is possible.)
“How many guests were there?’
‘There were eight of them.’
The garden’s full of sheep. There are at least twenty of them.
Typical mistakes
Wrong: A hole is in my tights.
Correct: There’s a hole is in my tights.
Wrong: Ice is on the lake.
Correct: There’s ice on the lake.
Wrong: No children are in this house.
Correct: There aren’t any children in this house.
Wrong:I don’t know how many people there is for lunch.
Correct:I don’t know how many people there are for lunch.
Wrong: There has a man at the door.
Correct: There is a man at the door.
There Was , There Were
We use there was and there were to talk about what existed in the past.
We use there was with singular countable and uncountable nouns.
There was a book here.
There was milk in the cup.
We use there were with plural countable nouns.
There were a lot of tourists in our town last weekend.
We use some after there was/were with uncountable and plural countable nouns.
There was some water in the bottle.
There were some houses here years ago.
We use any after there wasn’t/weren’t with uncountable and plural countable nouns.
There wasn’t any money in the purse.
There weren’t any cups.
In questions, we usually use any with uncountable and plural countable nouns.
Was there any bread at home?
Were there any interesting objects at the museum?
We don’t repeat any in short answers.
A Was there any news about Laura?
B No, there wasn’t. (NOT No, there wasn’t any.)
References:
Practical English Usage – Michael Swan pg. 497
Own it! 2 Cambridge – Teacher’s book
