Choosing between there is and there are becomes simple once you focus on the noun that follows. Use there is with one item or an uncountable noun, and use there are with more than one countable item.
The tricky part is that English often hides the real subject later in the sentence. That means the verb must match the noun after it, not the word there.
How the structure works
In sentences with there is and there are, there acts as a placeholder. The true subject comes after the verb, which is why agreement can feel backward at first.
For example, in There is a notebook on the desk, the noun notebook is singular, so is fits. In There are three notebooks on the desk, the noun is plural, so are fits.
This pattern appears in everyday speech, writing, emails, reports, and academic work. Once you learn to identify the noun after the verb, the choice becomes fast and reliable.
Use there is for one item
Singular countable nouns
Use there is when the sentence refers to one person, one object, or one idea that you can count. The noun may be simple, such as one chair, or modified, such as a single chair.
Examples include There is one solution, There is a car outside, and There is a message for you. Each sentence points to one countable thing, so the singular verb is correct.
Articles and numbers often make the choice obvious. If you see a, an, one, or another singular marker, there is is usually the right form.
Uncountable nouns
Use there is with uncountable nouns because they take singular agreement in English. Words like water, advice, information, music, and furniture follow this rule.
Examples include There is water in the glass and There is important information in the report. Even though these nouns can describe large amounts, they remain grammatically singular.
This rule matters because learners often connect quantity with plurality too quickly. In English grammar, the form of the noun matters more than the size of the amount.
Use there are for multiple items
Plural countable nouns
Use there are when the sentence refers to two or more countable items. The noun after the verb should be plural, as in books, students, or problems.
Examples include There are five chairs in the room, There are many reasons to wait, and There are several emails in my inbox. The plural noun makes the plural verb necessary.
Number words are especially useful here. If the noun can be counted and the number is more than one, there are is the safe choice.
Mixed lists and grouped items
When a sentence names several separate things, there are is still the standard form. For example, There are apples, oranges, and bananas in the basket uses a plural verb because the list contains multiple items.
Grouped items can be plural even when the items belong to one set. A sentence like There are two options is plural because the focus is on the count, not the category.
This is useful in instructions and comparisons. If the reader can point to more than one item, the verb should usually be plural.
When the noun phrase looks singular but is actually plural
Collective expressions with plural meaning
Some phrases look singular on the surface but refer to multiple people or things. In many cases, English still uses there are because the meaning is plural.
For example, There are a number of problems is standard in modern usage. The phrase a number of sounds singular, but the real meaning is plural, so are is correct.
Other examples include There are a group of students waiting outside in informal usage, though many writers prefer clearer alternatives such as There is a group of students waiting outside. In formal writing, clarity should guide the final choice.
Items joined by “and”
When two singular nouns are connected by and, the sentence usually requires there are. The pair creates a plural idea, even if each noun is singular on its own.
Examples include There are a pen and a notebook on the desk and There are a doctor and a nurse in the room. The grammar follows the combined meaning of both items.
This structure can sound awkward in speech, so many speakers reword it. A smoother version is often There is a notebook and a pen on the desk only if the meaning allows it, but the safest grammar rule remains tied to the plural subject idea.
How to handle compound subjects after the verb
Closest noun vs. true subject
In there is and there are sentences, the verb should match the noun phrase that follows immediately after it. That noun phrase is the subject, not there.
This matters in sentences like There are several boxes and one suitcase in the hall. Even though one suitcase is singular, the full subject is plural because it includes multiple items.
If the sentence begins with a plural noun phrase, use there are. If the sentence begins with a singular noun phrase or an uncountable noun, use there is.
Longer noun phrases
Long noun phrases can hide the number. A sentence like There are a lot of reasons to stay is plural because reasons is plural, even though a lot of appears singular.
Likewise, There is a lot of traffic uses the singular verb because traffic is uncountable. The phrase a lot of does not decide the verb by itself.
This is one of the most useful habits in English grammar. Ignore the quantity phrase at first and identify the main noun, then choose the verb that matches it.
Special cases that confuse learners
Words that end in -s but are singular
Some nouns look plural because they end in -s, but they are singular in meaning. Common examples include news, mathematics, and some field names.
Use there is with these nouns, as in There is good news today. The spelling may look plural, but the grammar is singular.
This also applies to phrases like There is politics in the discussion when the noun is treated as a singular field or abstract concept. Context matters, but the number form still follows the noun’s grammatical status.
Plural nouns used as a single unit
Some plural-form nouns are treated as singular because they name one thing. Examples include scissors, pants, and glasses in certain meanings.
You would say There are two pairs of scissors on the table because the quantity is plural. But in a sentence like There is a pair of scissors on the table, the head noun pair is singular.
These patterns show why memorizing endings is not enough. You need to know whether the noun is grammatically singular, grammatically plural, or singular in meaning despite its form.
Money, time, and distance
Amounts of money, time, and distance often behave as singular units. A sentence like There is five dollars in my wallet is not standard, because the correct form is usually There are five dollars only in very limited contexts; more naturally, English says There is five dollars in my wallet is avoided in favor of There are five dollars only when counting bills, while There is five dollars is generally replaced by clearer phrasing.
More natural examples are There is a five-dollar bill in my wallet, There is an hour left, and There is a mile between the stations. Here, the sentence treats the amount as one unit.
When you want precision, rewrite the sentence if needed. Clear wording often matters more than forcing a structure that sounds unnatural.
Agreement with questions and negatives
Questions
Questions keep the same agreement rule. Use Is there for one item or an uncountable noun, and Are there for multiple items.
Examples include Is there a problem? and Are there any problems? The verb still matches the noun that follows it.
In spoken English, questions often appear with any. That word does not determine singular or plural by itself, so the noun remains the key factor.
Negative forms
Negatives follow the same pattern. Use There is not or the contraction There isn’t with singular or uncountable nouns, and use There are not or There aren’t with plural nouns.
Examples include There isn’t a chair here and There aren’t any chairs here. The negative form changes the sentence meaning, but not the agreement rule.
This matters in writing because learners sometimes focus on the negative word and forget the noun. The verb still depends on the noun after it.
Using there is and there are in real writing
Email and workplace writing
In workplace writing, these structures help report availability, problems, and resources. A sentence like There are three open tickets is direct and clear in a support update.
For a single issue, write There is a delay in the shipment. For multiple issues, write There are delays in the shipment process.
Concise agreement improves professionalism. It also prevents confusion when readers scan quickly for status, quantity, or action items.
Academic and formal writing
Academic writing often uses these forms to introduce evidence, limitations, or findings. For example, There are several limitations to this study is a standard way to present a plural idea.
For one finding, a writer might say There is one significant difference between the groups. The structure is simple, but it supports precise reporting.
In formal prose, avoid vague agreement caused by nearby words. Make the noun visible, count it if possible, and let the verb follow the grammar rather than the rhythm of the sentence.
Everyday conversation
In speech, people often contract these forms. There’s is common in casual English, even before plural nouns, but that usage is informal and not always recommended in edited writing.
For example, many speakers say There’s two people at the door, but standard grammar prefers There are two people at the door. The spoken form may be common, but the written form should stay accurate.
If you are writing for school, business, or publication, keep the full agreement rule in mind. Informal speech habits should not replace standard grammar in formal text.
Common errors and how to fix them
Matching the wrong word
A frequent mistake is matching the verb to the word nearest it rather than the subject noun. In There is two chairs, the verb is wrong because chairs is plural.
The fix is simple: identify the noun after the verb and check whether it is singular, plural, or uncountable. Then choose is or are accordingly.
This habit is faster than memorizing examples. It works in short sentences and in long, complicated ones.
Letting phrases like “a lot of” mislead you
Another common error is treating quantity phrases as the main subject. In There is a lot of people, the verb is wrong because people is plural.
The corrected version is There are a lot of people. The same logic applies to many, several, and few, which usually pair with plural nouns.
When in doubt, ignore the quantity word and inspect the core noun. That approach prevents most agreement mistakes.
Forgetting that uncountable nouns are singular
Many learners say There are furniture or There are information. These forms are incorrect because the nouns are uncountable and take singular agreement.
The correct versions are There is furniture in the room and There is information on the website. If you need to count these items, use a different noun such as pieces of furniture or pieces of information.
This adjustment is practical and powerful. Rephrasing often solves the grammar problem before it starts.
Quick decision method
A short checking process
First, locate the noun after the verb. Second, decide whether it is singular, plural, or uncountable.
If it is singular or uncountable, use there is. If it is plural, use there are.
This method works because it keeps the rule tied to meaning and form, not memory alone. It is the fastest way to avoid agreement errors in editing and drafting.
Examples of the method in action
There is a lamp on the table becomes singular because lamp is one item. There are two lamps on the table becomes plural because lamps is more than one.
There is milk in the fridge stays singular because milk is uncountable. There are bottles of milk in the fridge becomes plural because bottles is countable and plural.
These examples show the same pattern in different settings. Once you can spot the noun type, the verb choice becomes automatic.
Practice examples with explanations
There is a cat on the roof is correct because the noun cat is singular. There are cats on the roof is correct because the noun is plural.
There is bread on the counter is correct because bread is uncountable. There are three loaves of bread on the counter is correct because loaves is plural.
There are several reasons for the change is correct because reasons is plural. There is one reason for the change is correct because reason is singular.
There is a pair of shoes by the door is correct because pair is singular. There are two pairs of shoes by the door is correct because pairs is plural.
There is plenty of time is correct because time is uncountable here. There are plenty of opportunities is correct because opportunities is plural and countable.
There are teachers in the classroom is correct because the noun is plural. There is a teacher in the classroom is correct because the noun is singular.
There is traffic on the highway is correct because traffic is uncountable. There are cars on the highway is correct because cars is plural.
There are a few questions left is correct because questions is plural. There is a question left is correct because question is singular.
There is no sugar in the bowl is correct because sugar is uncountable. There are no cookies in the jar is correct because cookies is plural.
There are many details in the plan is correct because details is plural. There is one detail missing is correct because detail is singular.
Writing with confidence in edited English
Strong grammar comes from consistent checking, not guesswork. When you write with there is and there are, make the noun visible in your mind before you choose the verb.
That habit improves accuracy in essays, reports, messages, and presentations. It also helps your writing sound natural to native speakers and clear to learners.
When the sentence still feels awkward after the grammar check, rewrite it with a clearer noun phrase. Good English often comes from choosing the simplest structure that says exactly what you mean.