Intermediate English Grammar for ESL Learners - Robin Torres-Gouzerh 2016

Filler subjects
21 Filler subjects and impersonal subjects

The word there can be used as a filler subject. It is commonly combined with forms of be together with the actual subject of the sentence. Although the word there is in the subject position of the sentence, it is actually the noun that follows the verb that is the subject and that determines whether the form of be is singular or plural.

There is a dog sitting on my porch.

There are 600 beds in this dormitory.

There were four people injured in the attack.

There will be a book waiting for you at the counter.

The word there is added to sentences like this to emphasize the existence of the subject of the sentence. )t is possible to compose versions of such sentences without there.

A dog is sitting on my porch.

Six hundred beds are in this dormitory.

Four people were injured in the attack.

A book will be waiting for you at the counter.

Note that the noun subject uses an indefinite article when singular (a/an) and no article when plural or a collective.

There is a dog sitting ... NOT There is the dog sitting ...

There were four people ... NOT There were the four people ...

There was frosting. NOT There was the frosting.

This expression can also be used with a variety of auxiliaries. In such cases, the verb be occurs as an infinitive or auxiliary.

There seems to be a problem here.

There should be more time spent solving this problem.

There has been an accident on Route 10.

There have been several robberies on this street.

Could there be another reason for this problem?

There will not be enough time for that.

This structure is also used when be is the auxiliary in a passive structure.

There were two men arrested for the robbery.

There was no one blamed for the accounting errors.

There can be used with a few other verbs, but sentences with such constructions often sound stilted or old-fashioned.

There exists a state of war between our two nations.

Soon there developed the question whether the craft would actually fly.

Exercise 21.1 Rewrite each sentence, using there as the filler subject.

1. A cat was sleeping under the coffee table.

2. Several girls were learning to dance ballet.

3. A class photo will be taken at ten sharp.

4. A lot of damage had been caused by the storm.

5. Promises are to be kept.

Now, complete each sentence with an appropriate phrase.

6. There was ... .

7. Has there been ...?

8. There will be ... .

9. There have been ... .

10. There are ... .