There Is / There Are: Nombrar Objetos en un Espacio

Describing what exists in a space is one of the most practical skills you can develop when learning English. Whether you're talking about your office, your bedroom, or a classroom, knowing how to express the presence or absence of objects makes your communication clear and natural.

How do you use there is to talk about one object?

When you want to say that one thing exists in a place, the correct structure is there is + a/an + object [0:18]. For example:

• There is a keyboard.
• There is an eraser.
• There is a laptop.
• There is a lamp.

Notice the use of the indefinite articles a and an. You use a before a word that starts with a consonant sound (a keyboard, a stapler, a computer), and an before a word that starts with a vowel sound (an eraser) [0:30].

Practice by looking around any room and identifying single objects: there is a phone, there is a water bottle, there is a printer, there is a trash can [0:50].

How do you use there are for multiple objects?

When two or more things exist in a room, the structure changes to there are + objects [1:10]. The key difference is quantity: there is is singular, and there are is plural.

• There are two chairs.
• There are tables.
• There are three tapes.
• There are pens.
• There are two scissors.

Notice that after there are you can include a number or simply the plural noun without specifying the exact amount [1:25]. Both options are correct and commonly used in everyday English.

How do you express that something does not exist?

To say that one thing does not exist, use there is not or the contracted form there isn't [1:43]. The structure remains similar: there isn't + a/an + object.

• There isn't a calculator.
• There isn't an email.

For two or more things that do not exist, use there are not or the contraction there aren't [1:58].

• There aren't two printers.
• There aren't three erasers.

What is the difference between affirmative and negative forms?

The pattern is straightforward:

• Affirmative singular: there is a phone.
• Negative singular: there isn't a phone.
• Affirmative plural: there are pens.
• Negative plural: there aren't pens.

The contraction (isn't, aren't) is the most common form in spoken English and informal writing. Using the full form (is not, are not) adds emphasis when you want to stress the absence of something [2:05].

How can you practice this structure effectively?

Look around the space you are in right now. Identify objects that exist and objects that are missing. Say sentences out loud using both affirmative and negative forms. For example: there is a desk, there are two windows, there isn't a whiteboard, there aren't any plants.

Share your sentences and keep practicing until the structure feels automatic.