Word order · CEFR A2
“There is many” or “there are many”?
Incorrect
There is many
Correct
There are many
Say “there are many”. Many goes with plural nouns, and plural nouns take are: “There are many reasons.” With uncountable nouns use “there is a lot of” or “there is much”.
The rule
there are + many + plural noun: there are many cars.
there is + much / a lot of + uncountable noun: there is a lot of traffic.
In fast speech, “there’s” is often used before plurals, but avoid it in writing and exams.
Examples
✗ There is many problems.
✓ There are many problems.
✗ There is many people here.
✓ There are many people here.
people is plural
✗ There are much traffic.
✓ There is a lot of traffic.
Why learners make this mistake
Many languages use one invariable form for existence (hay, il y a, c’è), so singular/plural agreement is easy to forget.
Remember
Look at the noun after many - it’s plural, so the verb is ARE.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is “people is” wrong?
- People is the plural of person, so it takes plural verbs: people are, people were.
Last updated