##  [verb agreement: sentences beginning with “there”](/writing-tips-plus/verb-agreement-sentences-beginning-with-there)

##  Avertissement

Ce contenu est offert en anglais seulement.

A present-tense verb (as well as a simple past form of the verb *be*) must agree in number with its subject. That is, the verb must be singular if its subject is singular, and plural if its subject is plural.

In most English sentences, the subject comes before the verb. But sentences beginning with *there is* or *there are* follow a different order: the subject comes after the verb *is* or *are*. Here is an example:

- There ***is*** the *bus*!

The subject in this sentence is *bus*. Both *bus* and *is* are singular, so they agree. (A more colloquial way to write this sentence is to use the contraction for *is*: *There’s the bus!*)

Here’s another example:

- There ***are*** 20 *books* for sale.

*Books* is the subject of this sentence, and it’s plural, so we need the plural verb *are* to agree with the plural subject.

You can also apply this rule to *there was* and *there were*; *there seems/appears to be* and *there seem/appear to be*; and *here is* and *here are*.

- There ***was*** an odd *smell* in the room.
- There ***were*** three *bonfires* burning in the field.
- There ***seems*** to be a *crack* in the vase.
- There ***appear*** to be several *errors* in the report.
- Here ***is*** the *map*.
- Here ***are*** your *keys*.

## Exception

An exception occurs when there is a list of nouns as subject. Logically, a list of two or more items would be plural and would therefore require a plural verb:

- There ***are*** a punch *bowl*, finger *foods* and a *cake* on the table.

But it sounds odd to have *are* next to the singular noun phrase *a punch bowl*. The verb *is* would sound better:

- There ***is*** a punch *bowl*, finger foods and a cake on the table.

So which of these sentences is correct? The answer is both. The first one follows the standard rule. But the second is also accepted, and many writers would prefer it because it sounds more natural. Therefore, when the subject after *there is* or *there are* is a list of items, you can make your verb agree with the first noun in the list.

**Note:** Although *there is* or *there are* constructions are useful in some situations, some writers prefer to reword the sentence. If you decide to reword and put the list before the verb, you must make the verb agree with the plural list (and not just the closest item):

- A punch bowl, finger foods and a cake **are** on the table.

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## Liens connexes

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