When is it Correct to Use There Is vs. There Are?

Last Updated June 21, 2025

Verbs

Elan Yash

Elan is head of design and tech. He's also a contributor at Grammarflex.

“There is” or “there are”

The correct use of there is or there are is about the count or number that the verb refers to. Is the subject/noun singular or plural? If the noun is plural, use there are; when it’s singular, use there is. To understand why, let’s go over what these words are, and which parts of speech they are categorized within.

The verb is

We know that verbs are action words that describe actions. The most basic action of all is just being (literally, the state of existing is being.)

Existing is a kind of action, though that may seem counterintuitive, the verb to be simply describes the state of being, or existing: is is the first person singular form of the base verb of being, and “is a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence.” There are eight forms of the verb to be:

Present: am, is, are
Simple past: was, were
Infinitive: to be
Present participle: being
Past participle: been

The verb to be conjugates based on whether the subject or noun is singular or plural. Is is singular; are is plural.

I am a student. (I = first person singular)
We are students. (We = first person present plural)
You are a student. (You = second person singular and plural)
You all are students. (You = second person plural)
He is a student. (He = third person singular)
They are students. (They = third person plural)

The pronoun there

There can operate in sentences as both a pronoun and an adverb. In its pronoun case, there pairs with the verb to be to describe the state it exists in, or to draw attention to it.

There’s no way we can afford to buy a house at the moment.
There’s nothing in this room; there’s no bed, and not a single shelf.
There were differences of opinion, he added, on very basic issues.

There’s is a contraction: contractions combine two words with an apostrophe: there’s = there + is or they’re = there + are.

Subject-verb agreement: there is vs. there are

Subject-verb agreement might sound like a complicated and technical term: it’s not. It is as clear a phrase as it can be: the subject and the verb of the sentence must agree with one another in count or number. When we speak, for the most part it’s either about one thing, or more than one thing (or person, place, idea). When we describe something that relates to one noun or subject, it’s required that the action follows suit, and is singular.

There is a dog barking on the street. (singular)
There are dogs barking on the street. (plural)

Is describes one person/place/thing/idea. If it’s one thing you’re referencing, use is. If it’s more than one thing that’s referenced, use are.

Origin of there/is

There derives from the Old English þær, “in or at that place, so far as, provided that, in that respect.” Is derives from the Old English es-.

Worksheet

Question 1 of 10

FAQs

Q: When to use there is vs. there are?

A: The correct use depends on the count of the noun or subject the verb refers to. Use ‘there is’ when the noun is singular, and ‘there are’ when the noun is plural. This follows subject-verb agreement.

Q: What determines using is or are after there?

A: The choice depends on whether the subject or noun that follows is singular or plural. If it’s one thing, use ‘is’. If it’s more than one thing, use ‘are’, ensuring the verb agrees in number.

Q: Which verb form follows a singular noun?

A: When the subject or noun is singular, the verb form ‘is’ is used. The post gives the example: ‘There is a dog barking on the street’, showing ‘is’ with the singular noun ‘dog’.

Q: Which verb form follows plural nouns?

A: When the subject or noun is plural, the verb form ‘are’ is used. The post gives the example: ‘There are dogs barking on the street’, illustrating ‘are’ with the plural noun ‘dogs’.

Q: What is the contraction there’s?

A: ‘There’s’ is a contraction that combines two words with an apostrophe. According to the post, ‘there’s’ is a contraction of ‘there + is’, used together to describe a state or draw attention.

Sources

Citation: Yash, D. “When is it Correct to Use There Is vs. There Are?” Grammarflex. www.grammarflex.com/there-is-or-there-are-when-to-use-both-plus-examples-worksheets/

Conditional Category Tables

Confusing Words (A-D)	More Topics (D-W)
A lot, Allot, or Alot A Part vs. Apart Accept and Except Advice or Advise Affect vs. Effect Aggravate vs. Irritate Aid vs. Aide Aisle vs. Isle All Ready or Already All Right vs. Alright All Together vs. Altogether Allude vs. Elude Allusion vs. Illusion Alter vs. Altar Alternate vs. Alternative Ambiguous or Ambivalent Amiable or Amicable Anyway or Anyways Any Time vs. Anytime Appraise or Apprise Assent or Ascent Averse vs. Adverse Awhile vs. A While Bear With Me or Bare with Me Beck and Call or Beckon Call Breathe and Breath Capital vs. Capitol Cite, Site & Sight Compliment vs. Complement Continually vs. Continuously Council or Counsel Couldn’t Care Less or Could Care Less Dessert vs. Desert	Devise or Device Disinterested vs. Uninterested Emigrate vs. Immigrate Ensure, Insure, and Assure Every Day or Everyday Every Time or Everytime Evoke vs. Invoke Former vs. Latter Further vs. Farther Good or Well Illicit vs. Elicit Imminent, Eminent, and Immanent In Between or Between Infer vs. Imply Irregardless vs. Regardless Loose or Lose Moral vs. Morale Nerve-Racking or Nerve-Wracking Nevertheless vs. Nonetheless Noone or No One Past or Passed Personal vs. Personnel Photo Shoot or Photoshoot Principle or Principal Rational vs. Rationale Recurring vs. Reoccurring Sympathy vs. Empathy Too vs. To Weather vs. Whether Whose vs. Who’s

Confusing Words (A-D)

More Topics (D-W)