there is – there are
1. Use of there is, there are in sentences and questions
|
Singular |
Plural |
Affirmative sentences |
There is a cat in the room. |
There are two cats in the room. |
Negative sentences |
There is not a cat in the room |
There are not two cats in the room. |
There is no cat in the room. |
There are no cats in the room. |
Questions |
Is there a cat in the room? |
Are there two cats in the room? |
2. Contracted forms of there is, there are
- Contactions are only possibe from there is – there's
- The form there're is not used.
- Do not form contracted forms in questions with is there/are there.
|
Singular |
Plural |
Affirmative sentences |
There's a cat in the room. |
There are two cats in the room. |
Negative sentences |
There's not a cat in the room. |
There are not two cats in the room. |
There isn't a cat in the room. |
There's no cat in the room. |
There are no cats in the room. |
Questions |
Is there a cat in the room? |
Are there two cats in the room? |
► In informal English you may hear the contracted form there's used with plural nouns. This is grammatically not correct.