There be
There be is an English lexical-grammatical structure, which combines existential there with the verb be as existential be to describe the existence of things.
Form[edit | edit source]
Basic form[edit | edit source]
The basic forms are in the following table:
| Form | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| To-infinitive (simple) | there to be | |
| To-infinitive (perfect) | there to have been | |
| Bare infinitive (simple) | there be | |
| Bare infinitive (perfect) | there have been | |
| Gerund (simple) | there being | |
| Gerund (perfect) | there having been | |
| Present simple | there is | there are |
| Present perfect | there has been | there have been |
| Past simple | there was | there were |
| Past perfect | there had been | |
Note that while the perfect aspect can apply, the progressive aspect can't be applied; we don't say *"there are being".
With modal verbs[edit | edit source]
In addition, "there be" can take modal verbs, both full modal verbs and semi-modal verbs. Note that in these constructions, there is no object agreement, as they all take an infinitive; either a bare infinitive or to-infinitive.
| Verb | Simple | Perfect |
|---|---|---|
| can | there can be | ?there can have been |
| could | there could be | there could have been |
| will | there will be | there will have been |
| would | there would be | there would have been |
| May | there may be | there may have been |
| might | there might be | there might have been |
| shall | there shall be | there shall have been |
| should | there should be | there should have been |
| must | there must be | there must have been |
| ought to | there ought to be | there ought to have been |
| need to | there needs to be | there needs to have been |
| have to | there have to be | there have/has to have been |
| used to | there used to be | - |
Pronunciation[edit | edit source]
For those with non-rhotic pronunciation, a linking /r/ is often desirable in "there are", especially to distinguish it from "they are", which has a linking /j/. There’s little point students thinking of the right grammar, and then saying something that sounds like e.g. *"they are two pens on the table".
Are in there are is often reduced to a schwa - /ðeərə/. There were is similarly reduced to /ðeəwə/, and there was to /ðeəwəz/, etc, etc. [table needed]
Anticipate difficulties[edit | edit source]
Chinese students will often try to say *"there has", or *"there have", or just *"have" or *"has" (without a subject). This is because in similar situations in Chinese, they use 有 (Pinyin: yòu). This frequently develops into a fossilised error.
