English grammar quiz
Quiz: there is or there are
There is a cat or there are a cat? Is there or are there? Check how confidently you use this structure: 12 questions with every answer explained.
- 12 questions
- Level A1
- Every answer explained
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Quiz: There is / there are
Choose the right option — you’ll instantly see if you got it and why. Your score comes after the last question.
Question 1.
(blank) a cat on the sofa.
Choose the right option
Saying something exists in a place: there is. A cat is singular.
Question 2.
(blank) two windows in my room.
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Two windows is plural: there are.
Question 3.
There (blank) any milk in the fridge.
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Milk is uncountable, so singular: there isn’t any milk.
Question 4.
(blank) any good restaurants near here?
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In a question are goes first: Are there…? Restaurants is plural.
Question 5.
There (blank) some apples on the table.
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Apples is plural: there are some apples.
Question 6.
There (blank) a concert in the park yesterday.
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Yesterday is past and a concert is singular: there was.
Question 7.
There (blank) a lot of people at the party last night.
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Past (last night) and plural (people): there were.
Question 8.
There (blank) a test on Friday. Don’t forget!
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Future: there will be. You need be after will.
Question 9.
How many students (blank) in your class?
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How many takes a plural and question order: How many… are there?
Question 10.
There’s a new café near my house. (blank) really cosy.
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There is introduces something new; after that we describe it with it: It’s really cosy. Its is a possessive.
Question 11.
Is there a bank near here? — Yes, (blank).
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The short answer is Yes, there is. You can’t use the contraction there’s at the end.
Question 12.
There (blank) a sofa and two chairs in the room.
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Is / are agrees with the first noun after it: a sofa is singular, so there is.
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Take the level testThere is / there are: the rule
The structure says that something exists or is somewhere. The place usually goes at the end.
Is for singular, are for plural
The verb agrees with the first noun after it. Uncountable nouns (milk, water, time) are singular.
There is a park near my house.
one park
There are some eggs in the fridge.
plural
Questions and negatives
In questions is / are goes first; negatives use isn’t / aren’t + any, or there’s no.
Are there any questions?
plural question
There isn’t any coffee left.
uncountable negative
Past and future
Only be changes: there was / were, there will be.
There were a lot of people at the concert.
past, plural
There will be a test on Friday.
future
Typical mistakes
Things learners of English often say. On the left — what to avoid, on the right — the correct version.
Not this:
In my room is a big window.This: There is a big window in my room.
Something new in a place: there is, place at the end.
Not this:
There is two cats.This: There are two cats.
Plurals take there are.
Not this:
There have a lot of people.This: There are a lot of people.
There + be, not have.
Not this:
Yes, there’s.This: Yes, there is.
No contraction in short answers.
FAQ
Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.
When do you use there is and there are?
There is with singular nouns (a book) and uncountable nouns (some water). There are with plurals (three books). With a list, the verb agrees with the first noun: There is a sofa and two chairs.
There is or it is?
There is introduces something new: There’s a new café on our street. It is describes something already mentioned: It’s really cosy.
What level is this quiz?
A1: it’s one of the first topics in any English course. The full rule with a table is in our English grammar reference.
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