Sentence structure A1 A2

There is and there are

Introduce existence and location with there + be in statements, questions, and negatives.

Tunatafsiri maelezo...

Kwa sasa tunaonyesha somo la Kiingereza la asili.

Mwongozo wa picha

There opens the scene; be matches the thing

there
          │
          ▼
   opens a scene
          │
          ▼
There + BE + new thing + place/detail
          ▲
          │
 BE matches the new thing, not “there”

one thing / uncountable  →  is
plural things            →  are

There is a café near the station.
There are three people in the room.

Use there to open the scene; choose is or are from the thing that appears after it.

Introduction

Introduce something before you describe it

Use there + be when you want to say that something exists or is present in a place. It is especially useful when the listener does not know the thing yet. There is a café near the station introduces one place. There are three people in the room introduces several people. There is some water in the bottle introduces an amount. In this pattern, there does not mean over there. It is a sentence starter; the real noun comes after be.

Core Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

There is a café near the station.

Introduces one new place and gives its location.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

There is a

singular existence frame

Use with one new countable thing.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

near the station

location

Shows where the thing is.

Cognitive metaphor

Think of there as opening a scene

Think of the sentence as opening a small scene. There tells the listener to look for something present. Be brings the thing into the scene, and a place phrase can show where it is. In There is a book on the table, the scene opens, the book appears, and on the table gives the place. This is why the pattern works well for descriptions, directions, and problems: There's a problem with the app. The thing is new information, so it comes after be.

Spoken Sarufi A1 Msamiati A2 Informal

There's a problem with the app.

Shows the natural contraction there's in informal speech.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

There's a problem

spoken existence chunk

A common spoken way to introduce a problem.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

with the app

situation

Says what the problem is connected to.

Core logic

Be agrees with the thing after it

The verb agrees with the real noun after be, not with there. Use is for one countable thing and for uncountable amounts: There is a café near the station. There is some water in the bottle. Use are for two or more countable things: There are three people in the room. In careful English, say There are two chairs in the kitchen, not There is two chairs in the kitchen. In fast informal speech, you may hear there's before a plural, but learners should use there are for plurals.

Core pattern

Basic statement patterns

The statement frame is there + be + noun phrase + optional place or situation. A singular countable noun often uses a/an, as in There is a café near the station. A plural noun can use a number or some, as in There are three people in the room. An uncountable noun can use some, as in There is some water in the bottle. The place phrase is optional: There's a problem with the app still works because with the app gives the situation, not a physical location.

Core Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

There are three people in the room.

Introduces more than one person in a place.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

There are

plural existence frame

Use with plural countable nouns.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

three people

plural noun phrase

The real noun phrase controls are.

in the room

location

Shows where they are.

Core Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

There is some water in the bottle.

Introduces an amount of an uncountable noun.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

There is some

uncountable existence frame

Use with an unknown or normal amount.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

in the bottle

location

Shows where the amount is.

Sentence xray

X-ray: what each part does

Look at There are three people in the room. There starts the existence pattern. Are agrees with three people. Three people is the real noun phrase. In the room tells the location. The same order appears in There isn't a lift in this building. In questions, be moves before there: Are there any towels in the bathroom? Keep the real noun after be when you are introducing it. If the noun is already known, a normal subject sentence may be better.

Form variations

Questions and negatives

Yes/no questions start with be: Is there a bank near here? Are there any towels in the bathroom? Use any naturally in many questions and negatives when you do not know if something exists. For number questions, use How many + plural noun + are there: How many students are there in the class? Negatives can use not or no. There isn't a lift in this building means one is not present. There aren't any seats left means zero seats are available. There is no time to wait is a stronger or more direct negative.

Question Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

Is there a bank near here?

A yes/no question with one possible place.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

Is there a

singular question frame

Use to ask if one countable thing exists.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

near here

near location

Useful for asking directions.

Question Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

Are there any towels in the bathroom?

A plural yes/no question with any.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

Are there any

plural question frame with any

Use when you do not know if a plural thing exists.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

in the bathroom

location

Shows where the things might be.

Question Sarufi A2 Msamiati A1 Neutral

How many students are there in the class?

Asks for the number of things present.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

How many students

number question noun phrase

Asks about a number of people.

are there

there-question tail

Keeps the existence question structure after how many.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

in the class

location or group

Limits the question to one group.

Negative Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

There isn't a lift in this building.

A negative sentence with one missing thing.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

There isn't a

singular negative frame

Use to say one countable thing is not present.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

in this building

location

Shows the place where it is not present.

Negative Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

There aren't any seats left.

A natural plural negative with any.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

There aren't any

plural negative frame with any

Use to say zero plural things are present.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

seats left

remaining items

Means seats still available.

Negative Sarufi A2 Msamiati A1 Formal

There is no time to wait.

Uses no instead of not any.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

There is no

direct negative frame

A stronger or more direct way to say zero.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

time to wait

purpose phrase

Says what kind of time is missing.

Contrast

Contrast: there is, it is, and normal subject + be

The closest confusion is it + be. Use it is to describe a situation, weather, time, or something already identified: It is cold in here. Use there is to introduce a present thing: There is a cold wind in here. Another contrast is normal subject + be. The book is on the table tells where a known book is. There is a book on the table introduces a book that the listener may not know about. If the thing is already the topic, put the real subject first.

Contrast Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

There is a book on the table.

Introduces the existence of a book in a place.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

There is a book

introducing a new thing

Introduces a book the listener may not know about.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

on the table

location

Shows where the book is.

Contrast Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

The book is on the table.

Uses a normal subject because the book is already the topic.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

The book

known subject

The listener already knows which book.

is on the table

normal location predicate

Tells where a known thing is.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

Contrast Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

It is cold in here.

Uses it is for a condition, not for introducing a thing.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

It is cold

it + be description

Describes the situation or feeling in a place.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

in here

place

Shows where the condition is felt.

Contrast Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

There is a cold wind in here.

Uses there is because a thing is being introduced.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

There is a cold wind

introducing a present thing

Introduces a thing that exists in the place.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

in here

place

Shows where the wind is present.

Danger zone

Common boundaries

Do not use have after there to mean existence. Say There is a shop near here, not There has a shop near here. Do not choose is just because the sentence starts with there; the noun after be decides. Say There are two chairs in the kitchen, not There is two chairs in the kitchen. Use a/an only with one countable noun. Use any in plural questions and negatives when the number is unknown: Are there any towels in the bathroom? There aren't any seats left.

Mistake Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

There is two chairs in the kitchen.

The verb is does not agree with the plural noun two chairs.

Corrected Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

There are two chairs in the kitchen.

Correct plural agreement with there are.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

There are two chairs

plural corrected frame

Use are because chairs is plural.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

in the kitchen

location

Shows where the chairs are.

Mistake Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

There has a shop near here.

English does not use there has to mean something exists in a place.

Corrected Sarufi A1 Msamiati A1 Neutral

There is a shop near here.

Corrects there has to there is for existence.

Vipengele vya msingi

Soma sentensi kwa vipande vya maana, si neno kwa neno.

There is a shop

correct existence frame

Use there is to introduce one place or thing.

Jifunze kama kitu kimoja

near here

near location

Shows that it is close to the speaker.

Summary

Key takeaways

Choose there + be when you introduce existence or presence. Choose is for one countable thing or an uncountable amount, and are for plural countable nouns. Remember the main chunks: There is, There are, There is some, Is there a, Are there any, How many ... are there, There isn't a, There aren't any, and There is no. Add a place or situation when useful, such as near here, in the room, on the table, left, or with the app. Use it is or a normal subject when the thing is already known.

Kujifunza

Zana

Gundua

Kampuni & Usaidizi

There is and there are

There opens the scene; be matches the thing

Introduce something before you describe it

Vipengele vya msingi

Think of there as opening a scene

Vipengele vya msingi

Be agrees with the thing after it

Basic statement patterns

Vipengele vya msingi

Vipengele vya msingi

X-ray: what each part does

Questions and negatives

Vipengele vya msingi

Vipengele vya msingi

Vipengele vya msingi

Vipengele vya msingi

Vipengele vya msingi

Vipengele vya msingi

Contrast: there is, it is, and normal subject + be

Vipengele vya msingi

Vipengele vya msingi

Vipengele vya msingi

Vipengele vya msingi

Common boundaries

Vipengele vya msingi

Vipengele vya msingi

Key takeaways

Kujifunza

Zana

Nyenzo

Kampuni

Karibu tena!