Level A1

There is / There are

There is for one, there are for more than one.

There is a cat on the roof.

One cat, so: There is.

Forms

• There is + one → There is a cat. — one thing
• There are + more than one → There are two cats. — more than one
• There's = There is — short form

A common mistake

Wrong: There is two cats.

Right: There are two cats.

Two cats are more than one, so: are. We say: There are two cats.

More examples

There are three books on the table.

Three books: There are.

There is a park near my house.

One park: There is.