Lesson 2: "There is / There are" (Statements, Questions, Negatives)

Welcome! When I take my students on a walking tour, we always talk about what we see. We might say, "There is a beautiful pagoda here" or "There are many fruit stalls."

Mastering "There is" and "There are" is the best way to describe a scene, guide a tourist, or answer a simple question about your hometown.

warning Common Mistake

Many language learners use the word "have" to talk about existence (e.g., saying "It has a temple here"). Because "have" implies ownership, this sounds very unnatural in English. You should say "There is a temple here."

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Interactive Phrases

Statement (Singular)

There is

Definition: Used to state that one single thing or person exists in a place.

Example: There is a famous statue in the center of the city.

Statement (Plural)

There are

Definition: Used to state that more than one thing or person exists.

Example: There are many tourists riding the Bamboo Train today.

Question (Singular)

Is there...?

Definition: Used to ask if one single thing or person exists in a place.

Example: Is there a good cafe near the Central Market?

Question (Plural)

Are there...?

Definition: Used to ask if more than one thing or person exists in a place.

Example: Are there any vegetarian options on the restaurant menu?

Negative (Singular)

There isn't

Definition: Short for "There is not." Used to state that a single thing is missing.

Example: There isn't a direct train from the city to the province.

Negative (Plural)

There aren't

Definition: Short for "There are not." Used to state that multiple things are missing.

Example: There aren't any tickets left for the circus show tonight.

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Knowledge Check

contact_support Hotel Reception

A guest wants to know if the hotel has a swimming pool. How should they ask politely?

(Hint: We are asking about one single item.)

directions_walk Tour Guide Advice

Sophea is warning her group about mosquitos near the lake. What does she say?

(Hint: "Mosquitos" is a plural noun.)

restaurant Restaurant Booking

Lisa is telling a customer that the restaurant is completely full.

(Hint: We are stating a negative about plural "tables".)

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Lesson Complete!

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Study Resources

Lesson Summary & Review

Let's review the key concepts covered in the interactive module above to ensure you are ready to build perfect English sentences.

Using "There is" and "There are"

In English, we use these phrases to say that something exists in a specific place.

• There is: Used for singular (one) items. (Example: "There is a cat.")
• There are: Used for plural (more than one) items. (Example: "There are two cats.")

Questions and Negatives

• To ask a question, simply swap the words: "Is there...?" or "Are there...?"
• To make a negative statement, add "not": "There isn't" or "There aren't".