Subject-verb Agreement, Using An 'explitive', By Dr. Shadia

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: USING THERE + BE By: Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar

Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar

http://www.kau.edu.sa/SBANJER http://wwwdrshadiabanjar.blogspot.com

1

•Expletive structures include: (there is, there are, here is, etc.) •The expletive THERE BE introduces the idea that something exists in a particular place.

•There is a new hospital close to those villages. •There are different kinds of birds in the world. Pattern: Pattern there + be + subject + expression of place

Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar

2

When an expletive structure THERE BE: (there is, there are) begins a sentence, the subject (which determines the number of the verb) comes after the verb. •There are twenty students in my class. •There is a fly in the room.

When the meaning is clear , the expression of place is omitted. omitted

There are seven continents. NOTICE: The implied expression of place is clearly ‘in the world’.

Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar

4

SINGULAR VERB

There is a book

on the shelf.

PLURAL VERB

There are some books

on the shelf.

SINGULAR VERB + PLURAL VERB = there’s

There’s a book on the shelf. There’s some books on the shelf.

Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar

5

Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar

6