There is / there are
There is (There’s) and There are are
used to say that something exists.
There’s a small café in our town. There are two supermarkets near here.
There’s is the short form of There is. In speaking and informal writing, we usually say There’s.
In positive sentences, we use there’s with a singular noun and there are with plural nouns.
There’s a cat in the garden. There are two cats in the garden.
In questions and negative sentences, we use a/an with a singular noun and any with plural nouns.
Is there a bank near here? There isn’t a bank near here.
Are there any restaurants here? There aren’t any restaurants here.
© Cambridge University Press 2016
Can you remember the rules?