✨ Lesson 4: Questions & Negatives with "There is / There are"
In the last lesson, we learned to use "There is" and "There are" to say that something exists. Today, we will focus on how to use this structure to ask questions and make negative statements.
How to Ask Questions
To ask a question, we simply invert1 the verb ('is' or 'are') and the word 'there'. We often use the word 'any' in these questions.
Is there...? / Are there...?
| Statement | Question |
|---|---|
| There is a bank near here. | Is there a bank near here? |
| There are some good restaurants. | Are there any good restaurants? |
The short answers are simple: "Yes, there is." / "No, there isn't." or "Yes, there are." / "No, there aren't."
How to Make Negative Statements
To make a negative statement, we add not after 'is' or 'are'. We almost always use the contractions isn't and aren't.
There isn't... / There aren't...
- There isn't a swimming pool in this guesthouse.
- There isn't much time before our bus leaves. (with uncountable noun)
- There aren't many tourists at this temple.
- There aren't any empty tables at the restaurant.
Strong Negatives with "no"
A very common and natural way to make a negative is to use no after 'is' or 'are'. This means "zero".
- "There isn't any sugar" is the same as "There is no sugar."
- "There aren't any tickets" is the same as "There are no tickets."
🧠 Practice Quiz: Form the Sentence
Change the statement into the form in the parentheses ( ).
- There is a post office. (Question)
→ Is there a post office? - There are some empty seats. (Negative)
→ There aren't any empty seats. OR There are no empty seats. - There is a lot of traffic. (Question)
→ Is there a lot of traffic? - There is a direct flight to Bangkok. (Negative)
→ There isn't a direct flight to Bangkok.
📝 Homework: At a Hotel
You are at a hotel reception in Siem Reap. Write two questions to ask the receptionist. Then, imagine their negative short answer.
Example:
Question: Is there a restaurant in the hotel?
Answer: No, there isn't.
Your Question 1: ___________________________________?
Receptionist's Answer 1: ________________________.
Your Question 2: ___________________________________?
Receptionist's Answer 2: ________________________.
Vocabulary Glossary
- Invert: (Verb) - ប្តូរ (pdor) - To change the position of two things; to swap. ↩