There is / There are - One Minute Grammar

Natalie / Englandflag

What is there to do in Tokyo?

Hi guys! Today I’m going to tell you about my city. I live in Tokyo in Japan, and in Tokyo there are many people. There’s a lot of traffic, but there’s not much nature. There’s not much crime here. Tokyo is a very safe place to live. Is there much crime where you live?

There are many restaurants here, and there are not many cheap restaurants, so most days I go to the supermarket and cook at home. It’s really easy to get around in Tokyo because there are so many buses and taxis and trains. I usually take the train because it’s fast and it’s cheap.

There is some bad weather here in Tokyo. Last week we had a big typhoon and it was pretty scary. There are not many rubbish bins here in Tokyo and it’s really annoying. I usually take my rubbish home with me and recycle it there. I do love that there are many vending machines here in the city. There’s one on every street corner. It’s so convenient. I hope that one day you get to visit Tokyo too. There are many wonderful things to see and do. So tell me about where you live?

There is / There are

Point 1: Use 'there is' with singular countable nouns .
  1. There is a department store in town.
  2. There is a big mall in this city.
  3. There is not a place to sit.
  4. There is no park near my house.
Point 2: Use 'there are' with plural countable nouns.
  1. There are two cars parked outside my house.
  2. There are some books on the table.
  3. There are not many tall buildings in my town.
  4. There are no new students this year.
Point 3: Use 'there is' with non-countable nouns.
  1. There is crime in the city.
  2. There is money on the table.
  3. There is not any cheese in the fridge.
  4. There is no ice-cream in the freezer.
Point 4: We usually use 'some' in positive statements with plural count nouns or uncountable nouns.
  1. There are some stores on Cane Street.
  2. There are some trees outside.
  3. There is some food in the kitchen.
  4. Three is some snow on the mountains.
Point 5: We usually use 'any' in questions and negative statements with plural count nouns or uncountable nouns.
  1. Are there any students in class?
  2. No, there aren't any students. They left.
  3. Is there any snow on the mountain?
  4. No, there isn't any snow. It melted.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

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