some(thing), no(body), etc. with the noun rather than words like the, this, my, your, or a name,
which give the noun a more definite or specific meaning. Compare:
• There's nobody here to see you.
• There was something strange about the way he
and
• The cat was in the
(rather than There was the cat in the kitchen.)
• Sam is waiting for me
(rather than There is Sam waiting for me outside.)
If we do use there + be + the, this is often done to show a change of topic. Choosing the, that,
etc. + noun indicates that we think the topic is already known to the hearer or reader:
• ... Alternatively, there is the choice to vote against the planned changes.
• ... And then there is the question of who is going to pay.
If the noun after be is singular, the verb is singular; if the noun is plural, the verb is plural:
• There is a very good reason for my decision.
• There were too many people trying to get into the football stadium.
However, in informal speech we sometimes use there is before a plural noun:
• 'Anything to eat?' 'Well, there's some apples on the table.'
If the noun phrase consists of two or more nouns in a list, we use a singular verb if the first noun
is singular or uncountable, and a plural verb if the first noun is plural:
• When I opened the fridge there was only a bottle of milk, some eggs, and butter.
• When I opened the fridge there were only some eggs, a bottle of milk, and butter.
We can use there + be + noun before a
or
• Is there a chance (that) Delia could arrive this afternoon?
• There is no reason (why) I can't see you tomorrow.
We can also use this pattern with a relative clause, giving information about the noun:
• There isn't anything (that) you can do to help, I'm afraid.
• There was a small stream which/that ran at the bottom of the garden.
Notice that we don't usually leave out the relative pronoun when it is followed by a finite verb.
So we can't say 'There was a small stream ran at the bottom...'. However, we can say:
• There was a small stream running at the bottom of the
(with a non-finite verb)
and in informal spoken English, some people leave out the relative pronoun before a verb:
• There was a man (who) phoned about half eleven.
In formal English we can use a clause with there being to introduce a reason for something:
• There being no evidence against him,
was released. (= Because there was no evidence
against him...)
• There being no reports of adverse reactions, the drug is to be made more widely available.
There's no...
Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |