|
When the pronoun there opens a sentence with a subsequent linking verb like be, appear, or seem, the verb must agree with the grammatical subject coming after the verb: There is [not are] a beach nearby.There are [not is] beaches and motels nearby.There appear [not appears] to be mistakes in your essay.There appears [not appear] to be a mistake in your essay. There's stands for "there is." It should be used only with a singular grammatical subject, as in: There's a lot still to be done.There's a car in the garage. It is nonstandard English to say: There's three cars in the garage.There's a lot of children in the hall. An easy way to ensure the correct agreement between the verb and the subject is to reorder the words in your sentences mentally without there: Three cars are in the garage.A lot of children are in the hall. By contrast, you would never say Three cars is in the garage.A lot of children is in the hall. With compound grammatical subjects, there used with a singular linking verb is acceptable only when the compound subject is regarded not as two separate entities but as a single compound noun. Thus it is acceptable to say: There is/There's food and drink for everybody. Stylistically, There is/are sentences tend to be flat and lacking in emphasis, so it is wise to avoid using them frequently.
|
