There is / There are: Quantifiers

Understanding “There is” and “There are” with Quantifiers

In English, we use the phrases "there is" and "there are" to talk about the existence of something. These expressions are essential in everyday conversations, and they follow specific rules depending on whether we are talking about a singular or plural object.

There is and There are for Singular and Plural Nouns

• There is is used when we talk about a singular noun, meaning one item or person.
  • Example: There is a woman in the park.
• There are is used when we talk about plural nouns, meaning more than one item or person.
  • Example: There are two women in the park.

The structure for both of these is simple:

there + is/are + (the rest of the sentence).

For example:

• Singular: There is a book on the table.
• Plural: There are many books on the table.

You can also contract the singular form "there is" to "there’s" in informal conversations:

• Example: There’s a cat in the garden.

Note that the plural form "there are" cannot be contracted, so it always stays as it is.

Negative Sentences with "There is" and "There are"

To express negation, we add "not" after the verb "is" or "are":

• Singular: There isn’t a cat in the yard.
• Plural: There aren’t any dogs in the park.

The full form "there is not" and "there are not" are grammatically correct but less commonly used. The contracted forms "there isn’t" and "there aren’t" are much more common in daily speech.

Questions with "There is" and "There are"

When forming questions, we invert the verb "to be" and "there":

• Singular: Is there a book on the table?
• Plural: Are there any books on the table?

For short answers, we follow the same rule as with regular questions:

• Is there a book on the table? – Yes, there is. / No, there isn’t.
• Are there any books on the table? – Yes, there are. / No, there aren’t.

Countable Nouns

Countable nouns are items that we can count individually. These nouns have both singular and plural forms. For example:

• Singular: one apple, one chair.
• Plural: two apples, three chairs.

In the singular form, we can use "a" or "an" before countable nouns:

• Example: I have an apple.
• Example: She owns a house.

To ask about the quantity of countable nouns, we use the question "How many?" followed by the plural form:

• Example: How many apples do you have?
• Example: How many books are there?

Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns refer to things that we cannot count because they are considered a mass or a whole. These nouns do not have a plural form. For example:

• Examples: water, air, sugar, rice, information.

Uncountable nouns are treated as singular, so we do not use "a" or "an" with them.

• Example: I need some water.
• Example: She gave me some information.

Measure Words with Uncountable Nouns

Since uncountable nouns cannot be counted individually, we use measure words to indicate quantity. Some common measure words are:

• a bottle of (water, milk, wine)
• a cup of (coffee, tea, soup)
• a piece of (bread, furniture, cake)
• a bag of (flour, rice, sugar)
  These words help us describe the amount of an uncountable noun.

Some and Any

Some and any are quantifiers that we use when talking about an indefinite amount of something. Both are used with countable and uncountable nouns, but they are used in different contexts.

• Some is commonly used in affirmative sentences:

  • Example: I have some apples.
  • Example: There is some tea in the cup.

  We can also use some in questions when we expect a positive answer or offer something:

  • Example: Would you like some tea?
  • Example: Can I give you some advice?

• Any is often used in negative sentences or questions when we do not expect a particular answer:

  • Example: I don’t have any apples.
  • Example: Are there any books on the shelf?

In conditional sentences, any is used to talk about something indefinite:

• Example: If anyone calls, tell them I’ll be back soon.
• Example: If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Words Derived from "Some" and "Any"

Words derived from some and any follow the same rules:

• Somebody and Anybody (some person, any person)

• Something and Anything (some thing, any thing)

• Somewhere and Anywhere (some place, any place)

• Somebody is used in affirmative sentences:

  • Example: Somebody is knocking at the door.

• Anybody is used in negative sentences or questions:

  • Example: Is anybody home?

Little and A Little

The words little and a little are used to talk about a small amount of something. However, they have different meanings:

• Little generally expresses a negative opinion, meaning not enough or too little:
  • Example: I have little money. (I don’t have much money.)
• A little expresses a positive opinion, meaning just enough or a small amount:
  • Example: I have a little money. (I have some, and it’s enough for now.)

Few and A Few

The words few and a few are used to describe a small number of countable items:

• Few expresses a negative opinion, meaning not many:
  • Example: There are few tourists today.
• A few expresses a positive opinion, meaning enough or a small but sufficient number:
  • Example: There are a few tourists today.

By mastering the use of there is and there are, along with understanding how to use quantifiers and measure words, learners can communicate more effectively in English. These rules are essential for building sentences that describe the presence or quantity of people, objects, and abstract concepts in everyday situations.

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References

Cambridge University Press. (2021). Cambridge English grammar in use. Cambridge University Press.

Eastwood, J. (2014). Oxford Practice Grammar. Oxford University Press.

Murphy, R. (2019). English Grammar in Use. Cambridge University Press.