Unit 3. Introductory there and it (theory)

In this unit we look at the use of it and there as 'empty' subjects to introduce new information or the main content of a sentence. We can also use them to manipulate the position of subjects, objects and clauses in sentences. This allows us to describe or report things in an indirect way and to create a more impersonal style often found in formal English.

3.1. Introductory there

Use

We use there as an 'empty' subject + is/are to introduce new information and/or to say that something exists or happens:

If you're looking for a cafe; there's one opposite the station. (new information)

[Fifty-one states exist in the USA.] There are fifty-one states in the USA.

[Three murders happen in the film.] There are three murders in the film.

[Is a bank situated near here?] Is there a bank near here?

We often use there is/are to introduce or describe a character or place, or to 'set the scene' when telling a story or joke:

At the top of the hill there's a small cafe with wonderful views over the bay.

There's an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman who go into a bar ...

! There is/are is usually followed by an indefinite noun phrase, not a definite noun phrase:

× In the hotel lobby there is the cash machine. (definite noun phrase)

• In the hotel lobby there is a cash machine. (indefinite noun phrase)

But we can use there is/are with definite noun phrases when we are reminding someone of something we/they already know, or pointing something out:

× Don't forget there's a/the cash machine in the lobby if you run out of money.

(reminding somebody of something you/they know)

• Look, there's a/the cash machine, next to the porter's desk. (pointing something out)

Form

We can use all forms of be after there, including modal forms:

Once upon a time there were three little bears.

There will be an interval of twenty minutes during the performance.

There must have been a thousand applicants for the post.

The form of be agrees with the complement:

There is only one answer to this question.

There were two ways out of the building.

! But in conversational English, we sometimes use there is with a plural complement:

There's two ways we can do this.

Special patterns

There + be can be followed by a noun + participle phrase:

There's a strange old man sitting in the corner.

There are two scales of temperature used in science.

! When we are describing a single action we use a full relative clause:

× In 1755 there was an earthquake destroyed much of Lisbon.

• In 1755 there was an earthquake which destroyed much of Lisbon.

In formal English, verbs with future meaning, e.g. anticipate, expect, envisage, intend, can be followed by there + to be/being:

The organisers didn't expect (there to be) quite such an overwhelming response.

We don't anticipate (there being) any resistance from the anti-hunting lobby.

Words and expressions after there (+ be)

We commonly use there (+ be) with the following words and expressions:

there + be + quantifiers (any, some, much, many, several, etc.)	Are there any more issues outstanding? There are several ways we can tackle this.
there + be + indefinite pronouns (somebody, nothing, etc.)	I’ve had a good look and there’s nothing to report. Isn’t there somebody here who can help us?
there + be + bound/certain/expected/likely/ sure/supposed + to be	If the government goes ahead there’s sure to be an outcry from the miners. Hang on, there was supposed to be a television in the room.
there + be + problem/ difficulty/trouble + -ing form	× There won’t be any trouble to get back. There won’t be any trouble getting back.
there + appear/happen/seem(s)/ tend/used + to be	There used to be a house at the end of the common. Researchers noticed that there tends to be a higher number of influenza cases in warm winters.
there + a passive reporting verb (e.g. is said to be, is thought to be) + an indefinite noun phrase (This is used to describe a general feeling or belief.)	There are thought to be several other senior officers implicated in the cover-up. In Zaire alone, there are believed to be more than a million suffers of the disease.
In formal written English we can use there + arise/arrive/come/emerge/enter/ exist/follow/live/occur/remain/ result/sit/stand/take place	Deep inside her there arose a desperate hope. At the crime scene there remained little in the way of physical evidence. There follows a full list of our current terms and conditions of trading.