Page 239 - Advanced English Grammar in Use

T h e r e i s , t h e r e w a s , e t c .

When we introduce a new person or thing into what we are saying - to say that this person or
thing exists, happens, or is to be found in a particular place - we can use a sentence beginning
There + be. In these cases, there is not stressed:
n • There was a loud bang from upstairs, (not A loud bang was from upstairs.)
• • I can't contact Nina. There must be something wrong with her phone, (not It must be...)
• There's a woman outside to see you. (rather than A woman is outside to see you.)
We also use this pattern in questions to ask about the existence etc. of people and things:
• Is there anybody in here?

Because we use there in this way to introduce topics, the noun following there + be often has an
indefinite meaning. So we often use indefinite or non-specific words like a/an, any(one),
some(thing), no(body), etc. with the noun rather than words like the, this, my, your, or a name,
which give the noun a more definite or specific meaning. Compare:
• There's nobody here to see you.
• There was something strange about the way he smiled, and
• The cat was in the kitchen, (rather than There was the cat in the kitchen.)
• Sam is waiting for me outside, (rather than There is Sam waiting for me outside.)
If we do use there + be + the, this is often done to show a change of topic. Choosing the, that,
etc. + noun indicates that we think the topic is already known to the hearer or reader:
• ... Alternatively, there is the choice to vote against the planned changes.
• ... And then there is the question of who is going to pay.

If the noun after be is singular, the verb is singular; if the noun is plural, the verb is plural:
I • • There is a very good reason for my decision.
There were too many people trying to get into the football stadium.
However, in informal speech we sometimes use there is before a plural noun:
• 'Anything to eat?' 'Well, there's some apples on the table.'
If the noun phrase consists of two or more nouns in a list, we use a singular verb if the first noun
is singular or uncountable, and a plural verb if the first noun is plural:
• When I opened the fridge there was only a bottle of milk, some eggs, and butter.
• When I opened the fridge there were only some eggs, a bottle of milk, and butter.

We can use there + be + noun before a that-c\ause or w/?-clause:
• Is there a chance (that) Delia could arrive this afternoon?
• There is no reason (why) I can't see you tomorrow.
We can also use this pattern with a relative clause, giving information about the noun:
• There isn't anything (that) you can do to help, I'm afraid.
• There was a small stream which/that ran at the bottom of the garden.
Notice that we don't usually leave out the relative pronoun when it is followed by a finite verb.
So we can't say 'There was a small stream ran at the bottom...'. However, we can say:
• There was a small stream running at the bottom of the garden, (with a non-finite verb)
and in informal spoken English, some people leave out the relative pronoun before a verb:
• There was a man (who) phoned about half eleven.

In formal English we can use a clause with there being to introduce a reason for something:
• There being no evidence against him, Slade was released. (= Because there was no evidence
against him...)
• There being no reports of adverse reactions, the drug is to be made more widely available.
There's no...