There is____/There are____

Feynman
Hello everyone, I’m Feynman. Today I’m hoping to learn about some fundamental English grammar points, specifically how we talk about things existing in a place. I’ve invited Darwin to help explain these concepts to me.

Darwin
I’m happy to be here, Feynman. I’m Darwin, and I’ve been studying a guide that breaks down the usage of ‘there is’ and ‘there are,’ along with related concepts like ‘some,’ ‘any,’ and demonstratives like ‘this’ and ‘that.’ I’ll try to explain these concepts in simple terms.

Feynman
Great! So, let’s start with ‘there is’ and ‘there are.’ I often hear them, but sometimes I get confused about when to use which. For example, if I’m talking about a cafe, how would I describe what’s inside?

Darwin
That’s a perfect starting point. The guide explains that ‘there is’ is used for singular nouns or uncountable nouns, and ‘there are’ is for plural nouns. So, in a cafe, you’d say, ‘There are drinks,’ because ‘drinks’ is plural. You’d also say, ‘There is fruit,’ because ‘fruit’ can be treated as an uncountable noun in this context, or ‘There are snacks’ for plural. And, ‘There are people’ because ‘people’ is plural.

Feynman
Okay, so ‘there is’ for one thing or something you can’t count easily, and ‘there are’ for many things. What about when something isn’t there? Like, if I’m describing a living room and there’s no stove?

Darwin
Exactly. For negatives, you use ‘there isn’t’ for singular or uncountable, and ‘there aren’t’ for plural. So, ‘There isn’t a stove’ is correct. And if there are no towels, you’d say, ‘There aren’t towels.’

Feynman
Got it. And for questions? Like, ‘Are there any pictures?’ or ‘Is there a lamp?’

Darwin
You’ve got the structure right. For questions, you invert the order: ‘Is there…?’ for singular/uncountable, and ‘Are there…?’ for plural. So, ‘Are there any pictures?’ and ‘Is there a lamp?’ are both correct.

Feynman
Now, let’s talk about ‘some’ and ‘any.’ I’ve seen ‘There are some tomatoes’ and ‘There are three tomatoes.’ Do ‘some’ and an exact number like ‘three’ mean the same thing?

Darwin
That’s a common point of confusion. The guide clarifies that ‘some’ and an exact number do not mean the same thing. ‘Some’ is used with plural nouns in affirmative sentences when the exact number isn’t specified or isn’t important. ‘There are some tomatoes’ means there’s an unspecified quantity, more than one. ‘There are three tomatoes’ gives an exact count.

Feynman
Ah, so ‘some’ is vague, and a number is precise. What about ‘any’? When do I use that?

Darwin
‘Any’ is primarily used in negative sentences and questions with plural nouns. So, ‘There aren’t any tomatoes’ is correct for a negative statement. You wouldn’t say ‘There aren’t some tomatoes.’ And for questions, ‘Are there any tomatoes?’ is the correct form.

Feynman
So, ‘some’ for positive, unspecified plural, and ‘any’ for negatives and questions with plurals. That makes sense. What about ‘this,’ ‘that,’ ‘these,’ and ‘those’? I know they have to do with distance.

Darwin
Precisely. The guide explains that ‘this’ and ‘these’ are for people or things nearby. ‘This’ is singular, as in ‘This is your new brother’ or ‘This is my friend.’ ‘These’ is plural, like ‘These are his toys.’

Feynman
And ‘that’ and ‘those’ are for things not near?

Darwin
Correct. ‘That’ is singular for things not near, such as ‘That is the place.’ ‘Those’ is plural for things not near, like ‘Go to those gates and turn right.’

Feynman
Let me try some examples to check my understanding. If my dog is right next to me, I’d say ‘This is my dog.’ If my son is with me, ‘This is my son.’ But if my daughter is at the gym, far away, I’d say ‘That is my daughter.’ Is that right?

Darwin
Excellent! You’ve applied the rules perfectly. ‘This’ for near singular, ‘That’ for far singular. Now, for plurals: if animals are friendly and close by, you’d say ‘These animals are friendly.’ If dangerous animals are far away, you’d say ‘Those animals can be dangerous.’

Feynman
I think I could explain this to someone else now! ‘There is’ for singular/uncountable, ‘there are’ for plural. ‘Some’ for positive plural, ‘any’ for negative/question plural. And ‘this/these’ for near, ‘that/those’ for far. Thank you for explaining these fundamental grammar points so clearly, Darwin.

Darwin
You’ve grasped it perfectly, Feynman. That’s exactly what makes the Feynman technique so powerful – if you can explain a complex concept in simple terms, you truly understand it. I’m glad I could help make these grammar rules more accessible.