When do you use there is and there are?

Use them to say that something exists or is present in a place: There is a kettle in the loft, and there are two mugs beside it. There is the dummy subject, and the real noun follows the verb and decides is or are. Do not use this pattern when you only want to point, as in The kettle is there, where there is a place adverb.

How do you make a question with there is?

Move is or are in front of there: Is there a spare fuse, and are there any boats in the harbour. In the past the same inversion gives Was there a lock and Were there many people, with no do or does added. Short answers echo the same verb (Yes, there is / No, there weren't).

Do you use some or any after there is?

Some belongs in affirmative sentences (There are some spare fuses), and any belongs in questions and negatives (Is there any milk, or there aren't any mugs). With a singular countable noun you usually want a or an: There is a kettle, and is there a lock. No plus a noun is another negative: There are no boats.

What is the difference between there is and it is?

There is introduces something new that exists or is in a place: There's a bench on the quay. It is identifies, describes, or fills the weather-and-time slot, as in It's a bench, not a crate, or It's cold on Tuesday. If you are pointing out that something exists, start with there is, not it is.

Is there's two mugs acceptable?

In careful writing, no. There's is a contraction of there is, so it agrees with a singular or uncountable noun (There's a kettle / There's milk), and before a plural you write there are two mugs. In casual speech you will hear there's two, but it is not the form to use in writing.

English grammar · Beginner

Is There A: There Is and There Are for Existence

Written by Eleanor Whitfield, Lead English Curriculum Editor · Reviewed September 2026

There is and there are introduce something that exists or is present, without making that thing the grammatical starting point. There is a dummy subject; the real noun comes after the verb and decides the form: there is a kettle, there are two mugs. The same pattern gives there was and there were in the past, and questions invert it: Is there a kettle? Are there any mugs?

There is a kettle in the loft, and there are two mugs beside it.

is agrees with a kettle, are agrees with two mugs

What it is

English uses there is and there are to say that something exists or is in a place. There does not point to a location here; it is an empty subject that lets the real noun come later. The verb agrees with that noun: there is a fuse in the drawer, there are two fuses in the drawer, there is milk in the jug. In the past the same agreement gives there was and there were. Questions move is or are in front of there: Is there a fuse? Are there any mugs?

There is a bench on the quay. There are three benches on the quay. (Is with one, are with more than one.)

How to spot it

Look for there followed by is, are, was, or were, then a noun. If there means in that place (Leave it there), it is an adverb of place, not this structure. If the sentence is about existence or presence, you have there is / there are.

There is a kettle in the loft. (one countable noun: is)
There are spare fuses in the drawer. (plural noun: are)
Is there any milk in the jug? (question, uncountable noun, any)
There were no boats in the harbour at dawn. (past plural: were)

With a list, agree with the first noun in careful English: There is a kettle and two mugs on the bench. In speech, there are a kettle and two mugs is also heard when the list feels plural.

There Is and There Are Quick Reference

There is / there are at a glance

Noun after there	Present	Past	Question
Singular countable	There is a bench.	There was a bench.	Is there a bench?
Plural countable	There are two benches.	There were two benches.	Are there any benches?
Uncountable	There is milk in the jug.	There was milk in the jug.	Is there any milk?
Negative, singular / uncountable	There isn't a fuse. There isn't any milk.	There wasn't a fuse.	Isn't there a fuse?
Negative, plural	There aren't any mugs.	There weren't any mugs.	Aren't there any mugs?
Short answers	Yes, there is. No, there aren't.	Yes, there was. No, there weren't.	echo the auxiliary

Common There Is and There Are Examples in English

There is and there are grouped by the job: stating what exists, asking, and choosing some or any:

Saying What Exists

There is a kettle in the loft.: one thing present
There are two mugs beside it.: plural agreement
There is dust on the kiln lid.: uncountable noun, still is
There was a frost on the quay at dawn.: past, one thing

The noun after the verb is the real subject for agreement. There never takes a plural verb just because there looks like a place word.

Questions: Is There / Are There

Is there a spare fuse in the drawer?: is moves in front of there
Are there any boats in the harbour?: are with a plural noun, any in the question
Was there a lock on the shed?: past singular question
Were there many people on the ferry?: past plural question

Short answers echo the auxiliary: Yes, there is. No, there wasn't. Do not answer with Yes, it is unless you mean a different subject.

Some, Any, and No

There are some spare fuses in the drawer.: some in an affirmative plural
There isn't any milk in the jug.: any in a negative uncountable
Is there any bread left?: any in a question
There are no boats in the harbour.: no plus noun, already negative

Some is typical in affirmatives, any in questions and negatives. No plus a noun (there is no fuse) does the same job as there isn't a fuse.

Past: There Was / There Were

There was a queue at the bakery.: past singular
There were footprints on the quay.: past plural
There wasn't any frost this morning.: past negative, uncountable

Was goes with singular and uncountable nouns, were with plurals. The present/past choice is about the time of existence, not about there.

How There Is and There Are Work

Four rules: dummy there, agreement with the real noun, questions by inversion, and some/any.

There Is a Dummy Subject

In There is a kettle in the loft, there is not a location. The location is in the loft. There fills the subject slot so that the new information (a kettle) can come after the verb, which is where English likes new things to appear. It is a dummy, like the it in It is raining. If you mean a place, use there as an adverb after the verb: The kettle is there, in the loft.

There is a bench on the quay. The bench is there.

dummy there plus is, then there as a place adverb

Dummy there introduces. Place there points.

Agree with the Noun That Follows

Is and was go with a singular countable noun or an uncountable noun: there is a fuse, there is milk, there was a queue. Are and were go with a plural: there are two fuses, there were footprints. The common error is There is two mugs, which agrees with there instead of with mugs. In short answers, keep the same form: Are there any mugs? Yes, there are.

There is milk. There are two mugs.

uncountable takes is, plural takes are

Look past there. Agree with the noun.

Questions Invert Is or Are with There

Move the verb in front of there. Is there a spare fuse? Are there any boats? Was there a lock? Were there many people? You do not add do: Does there is a fuse is impossible. Negatives add not to the verb: there isn't, there aren't, there wasn't, there weren't. Question tags echo the same auxiliary: There's a kettle in the loft, isn't there?

Is there a lock on the shed?

is before there, noun after

Is there / Are there, never Do there.

Some in Affirmatives, Any in Questions and Negatives

There are some spare fuses is the affirmative. Is there any milk? and There aren't any mugs use any. A or an appears with a singular countable noun: There is a kettle. Is there a lock? No plus a noun is an alternative negative: There is no lock, There are no boats. A few and a little fit the same slot when you mean a small number or amount: There are a few mugs. There is a little milk.

There are some mugs. Are there any mugs? There are no mugs.

some, any, and no in the three sentence types

Some if you have them. Any to ask or deny.

Common Mistakes with There Is and There Are

Incorrect: There is two mugs on the bench.

Correct: There are two mugs on the bench.

The verb agrees with mugs, which is plural, not with there. Is is for one countable noun or an uncountable noun: There is a mug. There is milk.

Incorrect: Does there is a spare fuse in the drawer?

Correct: Is there a spare fuse in the drawer?

There is already uses be, so the question is made by moving is in front of there. Do and does are not added. The same inversion gives Are there, Was there, and Were there.

Incorrect: There aren't some boats in the harbour.

Correct: There aren't any boats in the harbour. / There are no boats in the harbour.

Some is the affirmative choice. Questions and negatives take any, or you can use no plus the noun. There aren't some is the wrong pairing.

Incorrect: It's a kettle in the loft.

Correct: There's a kettle in the loft.

It is and there is are different dummies. It is identifies or describes something already in play (It's a kettle, not a pan). There is introduces existence or presence. For a thing you are pointing out as existing in a place, use there is.

There Is / There Are Across Present and Past

The dummy subject stays there. Only the form of be changes, and it still agrees with the noun that follows.

Present: there is / there are

Is with a singular or uncountable noun, are with a plural. Negatives and questions use the same verb.

Pronoun	Affirmative	Negative	Question
singular countable	There is a kettle in the loft.	There isn't a kettle in the loft.	Is there a kettle in the loft?
plural countable	There are two mugs on the bench.	There aren't any mugs on the bench.	Are there any mugs on the bench?
uncountable	There is milk in the jug.	There isn't any milk in the jug.	Is there any milk in the jug?

Contractions: there's, there isn't, there aren't. There's is common before a singular or uncountable noun. Avoid there's before a plural in careful writing: there are two mugs, not there's two mugs.

Past: there was / there were

Was with a singular or uncountable noun, were with a plural. The time is past; the agreement rule does not change.

Pronoun	Affirmative	Negative	Question
singular countable	There was a queue at the bakery.	There wasn't a queue at the bakery.	Was there a queue at the bakery?
plural countable	There were footprints on the quay.	There weren't any footprints on the quay.	Were there any footprints on the quay?
uncountable	There was frost on the ropes.	There wasn't any frost on the ropes.	Was there any frost on the ropes?

Contractions: there wasn't, there weren't. There is no common contraction of there was or there were in the affirmative.

Quick Check: There Is and There Are

Choose is, are, was, were, a, some, or any for each gap.

1. There ___ a kettle in the loft.

Answer: is

singular countable: is

2. There ___ two mugs beside it.

Answer: are

plural: are

3. ___ there any milk in the jug?

Answer: Is

uncountable question: is there any

4. There ___ a queue at the bakery yesterday.

Answer: was

past singular

5. There aren't ___ boats in the harbour.

Answer: any

any in a negative

6. There is ___ spare fuse in the drawer.

Answer: a

singular countable, first mention

There Is and There Are FAQs

When do you use there is and there are?: Use them to say that something exists or is present in a place: There is a kettle in the loft, and there are two mugs beside it. There is the dummy subject, and the real noun follows the verb and decides is or are. Do not use this pattern when you only want to point, as in The kettle is there, where there is a place adverb.
How do you make a question with there is?: Move is or are in front of there: Is there a spare fuse, and are there any boats in the harbour. In the past the same inversion gives Was there a lock and Were there many people, with no do or does added. Short answers echo the same verb (Yes, there is / No, there weren't).
Do you use some or any after there is?: Some belongs in affirmative sentences (There are some spare fuses), and any belongs in questions and negatives (Is there any milk, or there aren't any mugs). With a singular countable noun you usually want a or an: There is a kettle, and is there a lock. No plus a noun is another negative: There are no boats.
What is the difference between there is and it is?: There is introduces something new that exists or is in a place: There's a bench on the quay. It is identifies, describes, or fills the weather-and-time slot, as in It's a bench, not a crate, or It's cold on Tuesday. If you are pointing out that something exists, start with there is, not it is.
Is there's two mugs acceptable?: In careful writing, no. There's is a contraction of there is, so it agrees with a singular or uncountable noun (There's a kettle / There's milk), and before a plural you write there are two mugs. In casual speech you will hear there's two, but it is not the form to use in writing.