There’s vs There are: What’s the difference?

Choosing between there is and there are might seem like a basic grammar toss-up, but it is one of the most frequent stumbling blocks in the English language. Even native speakers often mix them up in casual conversation. The difference generally comes down to a simple question: How many items are you talking about?

The core rule is straightforward. If the noun that follows is singular (just one), you use there is. If the noun is plural (more than one), you switch to there are. However, English loves to throw in exceptions like lists, uncountable nouns, and contractions that can make this choice tricky.

The Golden Rule: Count Your Nouns

To get this right every time, look at the word immediately following the verb. Is it a single object or a group?

The Tricky Case of “There’s”

This is where most mistakes happen. There’s is the contraction (short form) of There is. Because it slides off the tongue so easily, people love to use it for everything.

In spoken English, you will frequently hear native speakers say things like “There’s five people in the room.” While this is socially acceptable in very casual chats, it is grammatically incorrect. In writing, exams, or professional emails, you must avoid this trap.

Uncountable Nouns (Liquids, Concepts, and Stuff)

What do you do with words you cannot count, like water, sugar, information, or advice? You cannot have “two waters” or “three informations.”

For these uncountable nouns, English treats them as singular. You must always use there is.

• ✅ There is milk on the floor. (Not “There are milk”)
• ✅ There is too much traffic today.
• ✅ There is some bad news.

The “List” Rule (Attraction Principle)

What happens when you have a list of items that includes both singular and plural nouns? Do you use the total number to decide?

Example: “A book and two pens.”

In this scenario, English grammar follows the Principle of Proximity. You match the verb to the very first item in the list.

Even though the total number of items is six in both sentences, the verb changes based strictly on what comes next. If the list starts with a single thing, use there is.

Collective Nouns: Groups of People

Words like team, family, class, or crowd can be confusing. Are they one thing or many people?

In American English, these groups are almost always treated as a single unit, so you use there is.

• ✅ There is a huge crowd outside.
• ✅ There is a new team working on the project.

In British English, you might see “There are” used if the emphasis is on the individual members, but sticking to “There is” for collective nouns is the safer bet for standard correctness.

Special Expressions: “A Number of” vs. “The Number of”

This is an advanced nuance that often appears in business writing. These two phrases look similar but demand different verbs.

Mastering this difference improves the clarity of your writing instantly. While casual chatting allows for some flexibility with “There’s,” maintaining the distinction between singular and plural forms ensures your English sounds professional and polished.