There Is / There Are Exercise 1
|level: Beginner/Intermediate (A2/B1)
There is and there are are used to state that something exists or is present. The choice between them depends on whether the following noun is singular or plural — but questions, negatives, and contracted forms add a few more things to keep in mind. This exercise covers all of these.
Grammar review
There is / there are
Use there is / there are to say that something exists or is located somewhere.
Singular and uncountable nouns → there is / there’s:
There is a cat in the garden. / There is some water in the glass.
Plural nouns → there are:
There are three chairs in the room.
Negative forms:
There isn’t a bank near here. / There aren’t any seats left.
Questions:
Is there a toilet nearby? / Are there any questions?
Key rule: The verb agrees with the noun that follows it, not with the word there.
Use there is / there are to say that something exists or is located somewhere.
Singular and uncountable nouns → there is / there’s:
There is a cat in the garden. / There is some water in the glass.
Plural nouns → there are:
There are three chairs in the room.
Negative forms:
There isn’t a bank near here. / There aren’t any seats left.
Questions:
Is there a toilet nearby? / Are there any questions?
Key rule: The verb agrees with the noun that follows it, not with the word there.
Fill in each blank with the correct form of there is or there are.
1. There three men living in that house.✓
2. There a lot of furniture in my brother's room.✓
3. There milk in the refrigerator.✓
4. There times when I regret moving here.✓
5. There still time to change your mind.✓
6. There a lot of chocolate on the table.✓
7. There nothing you can say to change my mind.✓
8. There water in my bag.✓
9. There three bottles of water in my bag.✓
10. There a lot of people coming to the show tonight.✓
11. There paper on the desk.✓
12. There a lot of mistakes on his exam.✓
13. There no easy answers.✓
14. There a good chance we'll succeed.✓
15. There something I'd like to tell you.✓
16. There some messages for you.✓
17. There some bread if you're hungry.✓
18. There many mosquitoes here.✓
19. There people waiting in line.✓
20. There a lot of coffee left.✓
KEEP PRACTICING — MORE EXERCISES FOR YOU:
There is and there are are among the first structures learners encounter — these exercises reinforce the patterns that come with them.
Related exercises:
Is or are? (countable nouns) 1 (A2/B1)
Countable or uncountable nouns? 1 (A2/B1)
Much or many? 1 (A2/B1)
Some or any? 2 (A2/B1)
Word order 1 (A1/A2)
Personal pronouns 1 (A1/A2)
Subject-verb agreement 2 (B1/B2)
Subject-verb agreement 1 (B1/B2)
Browse all grammar exercises →
There is and there are are among the first structures learners encounter — these exercises reinforce the patterns that come with them.
Related exercises:
Is or are? (countable nouns) 1 (A2/B1)
Countable or uncountable nouns? 1 (A2/B1)
Much or many? 1 (A2/B1)
Some or any? 2 (A2/B1)
Word order 1 (A1/A2)
Personal pronouns 1 (A1/A2)
Subject-verb agreement 2 (B1/B2)
Subject-verb agreement 1 (B1/B2)
Browse all grammar exercises →
