![]() There is a custom bath, four bedrooms, and a gaming room in the Wilsons’ house. In cases where a longer series of items follows the expletive, some writers will determine verb agreement according to the first item in the series. Many will agree that the second version of each pair is the better one the first versions are clunky and nonsensical. There are millions of reasons to elect Mickey as mayor. Millions of reasons are to elect Mickey as mayor. There’s millions of reasons to elect Mickey as mayor. Millions of reasons is to elect Mickey as mayor. Many Americans may prefer the second version. There’s a lot of congestion on I-88 into the city. Some expressions simply sound better a certain way than they do when technically precise.įor example, which sentence strikes the American ear as more natural? ![]() Language has its exceptions that don’t always bear prescriptive validation. There Is and There Are: When They Simply Sound Better When we are speaking-which usually gives us less time to think than writing does-our brain may sometimes trip on an immediate interpretation of the word or words following the expletive.įor example, with our M&Ms example, we might reflexively treat “too many” as a singular grouping with a singular expletive ( there’s) simply because it strikes our inner ear as one unit before we reach what it modifies, the plural M&Ms. (singular subject noun, singular present progressive verb) There ‘s a blue jay flying in the park across the street. There is a twenty-dollar bill hanging out of your back pocket. There are too many potato-chip bags on the table. Ideally, in writing we will mainly look to uphold agreement by noting the subject noun that follows the expletive. Such bending of guidelines and rules ( there are to there’s) makes certain uses idiomatic. However, its nonexpletive version would not: It would sound normal to many American ears even though it lacks proper agreement. There’s too many orange M&Ms in this bowl. For example, some of us might not raise an eyebrow if somebody said: There Are: How to ChooseĬonfusion about these expressions commonly concerns subject and verb agreement. Some writers may feel that postponing the subject by a couple of well-measured syntactical beats will further emphasize it. When we use there is, there are, and there’s as expletives, we will often do so to delay the subject for style or effect. Too many orange M&Ms are there in this bowl.Ī lot of congestion is there on I-88 into the city.Ī piece of confetti is there in your hair. If we do want to maintain the word there in our sentences, it could serve as an adverb as opposed to an expletive: The sentences are more concise as written. We have presented the same information minus one word, the filler word ( there). Let’s rewrite the subjects and verbs in their standard sequence with the central meaning intact.Ī lot of congestion is on I-88 into the city. There ‘s a piece of confetti in your hair.Īs you can see, the typical order of the subject and verb is inverted. We’ll approach them again from a grammatical perspective by identifying the subject and the verb. Once again, we are familiar and likely comfortable with such sentences. Let’s first consider how there is, there’s, and there are can add excess to our content. Their context will often determine their utility or lack thereof. ![]() In writing, however, we want to be more deliberate in deciding if their use serves a desirable function. ![]() While many sentences are more succinct without there is and there are, conversational spoken English is more forgiving of these expressions: Our receiving minds are comfortable with them and usually not concerned with their impact on word count. ![]() This categorizes them as expletives, which are filler or “empty” words. They are also peculiar inclusions in that they do not always offer vital information or grammar. There is, there are, and the contracted there’s are prevalent sentence beginnings in the U.S. If you’re an American communicating in American English, such statements are as common as corn in the Midwest. There’s a piece of confetti in your hair. There is a lot of congestion on I-88 into the city. There are too many orange M&Ms in this bowl. ![]()
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