There is / There are
4 lessons about there is / there are in English, explained in Spanish. Practice with exercises and download worksheets.
- A1Grammar 12 min
There is / there are
There is for one thing or something you cannot count, there are for more than one. How it differs from it is and have, with exercises.
View lesson - A1Grammar 12 min
Is there / are there
Is there for one thing, are there for more than one: Is there a bank near here? Are there any seats? How to answer, and How many... are there?
View lesson - A1Grammar 12 min
There isn't / there aren't
There isn't and there aren't, with any and with no: there isn't any milk, there are no taxis. Why there no is is wrong, with exercises.
View lesson - A1Grammar 12 min
There was / there were
There was and there were are the past of there is. The negative, questions (Was there...?), and the difference from it was, with exercises.
View lesson
What is There is / There are?
There is and there are mean "hay" in Spanish. There is goes with singular and uncountable nouns ("There is a park", "There is water") and there are with plurals ("There are three parks"). They say that something exists or where it is.
When to use it
Use them to describe places ("There is a bank near here"), list things ("There are two beds in the room") and ask whether something exists ("Is there a bus stop?"). In the past they become there was and there were.
Common mistakes and tips for Spanish speakers
- Spanish "hay" never changes, but English agrees with what follows: "There is a cat" and "There are two cats".
- In negatives and questions with quantity use any: "There aren't any chairs", "Are there any questions?".
- With a list, the verb agrees with the first item: "There is a chair and two tables".
Examples
There is a supermarket on Main Street.
Hay un supermercado en la calle principal.
There are three books on the table.
Hay tres libros sobre la mesa.
Is there any milk?
¿Hay leche?
There aren't any tickets left.
Ya no quedan boletos.