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Interactive Grammar: There is / There are

Learn how to use 'there is' and 'there are' to describe the existence of people, animals, and things in English.

Grammar Explanation · Authentic Examples · Practice Exercises

Lesson progressNot started
Duration
~64 min
Exercises
43
Level
Beginner

Overview

Learn how to use 'there is' and 'there are' to describe the existence of people, animals, and things in English.

There is / There are

  • singularThere is a café on the corner.
  • pluralThere are three parks nearby.
  • questionIs there a bank near here? / Are there any seats?
  • negativeThere isn't any milk. / There aren't any chairs.

With some / any

  • Positive: There is some milk in the fridge.
  • Negative: There isn't any sugar left.
  • Question: Is there any coffee?
  • There are some books on the shelf.

Common Mistakes

  • There is two cats. → ✅ There are two cats.
  • Are there a bus stop? → ✅ Is there a bus stop?
  • There are not enough time. → ✅ There is not enough time.

When to use

Describing places

There is a park near my house.

Things in places

There are some apples in the bag.

Asking questions

Is there a hospital nearby?

Giving directions

There is a café on the left.

Multiple Choice

Choose 'there is' or 'there are' for each sentence

Multiple Choice15 questions
1 a bank near here?
2 three bedrooms in the flat.
3 any milk in the fridge?
4 two windows in this room.
5 a problem with the computer.
6How many students in the class?
7 no clouds in the sky today.
8 not enough chairs for everyone.
9 a message for you on the desk.
10 many reasons to learn a new language.
11 any good restaurants near here?
12 something strange about this situation.
13 a lot of homework this week.
14 forty students in this class.
15 some coffee left in the pot.

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each sentence with the correct form

Fill in the Blanks10 questions
1(There is/There are)a café on the corner.
2(There is/There are)two parks near my house.
3(Is there/Are there)a hospital nearby?
4(Is there/Are there)any students in the classroom?
5(There is/There are)no time to waste.
6(There is/There are)some new books on the shelf.
7(Is there/Are there)a problem with the plan?
8(There is/There are)forty students in this course.
9(There is/There are)not much sugar left.
10(Is there/Are there)enough food for everyone?

Transform the Sentences

Rewrite using 'there is' or 'there are', or change to negative/question as instructed

Transform8 questions

1A supermarket is near here. → Use 'There is'

2Three buses go to the airport. → Use 'There are'

3There is a book on the table. → Make negative

4There are some chairs in the room. → Make a question

5A pharmacy is on this street. → Use 'There is'

6No students are in the library. → Use 'There are'

7There are twelve months in a year. → Make a question

8There is no milk in the fridge. → Make positive

Fix the Errors

Correct the mistake with 'there is' or 'there are'

Error Fix10 questions

1There is two cats on the roof.

2Are there a bus stop near here?

3There are a big mistake in this report.

4Is there any chairs in the meeting room?

5There are one problem with your idea.

6There is many tourists in the city.

7Are there a good hotel near the station?

8There is ten people waiting outside.

9There are not enough time to finish.

10There is a lot of problems to solve.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this lesson on sentence structure cover?

Learn how to use 'there is' and 'there are' to describe the existence of people, animals, and things in English.

Which CEFR level is this lesson designed for?

This lesson is designed for Beginner (A1) learners and forms part of the Sentence Structure section on Grammartier.

What is the best approach for studying this grammar topic?

Start with the definition, then study the examples carefully to understand how the pattern works in context. Practise identifying the structure in authentic sentences before producing your own — this recognition-first approach builds a strong foundation for accurate, confident use.