The Expletive There

The most common structures with there + be.

There is/are there was/were there will be
There is/ are going to be there has/ have been there had been
We use there is / there are etc to say that something or somebody exists.
- There is a hole in my sock. There’s snow on the mountains.
- There are two men at the door. Once upon a time there were three little pigs.
- There will be rain tonight. There has never been anybody like you.
There is: more complex structures
With seem/ appear there seems to be a hold-up.
With modal verbs there may be a job for you.
There can’t be two people with that name.
With certain/ sure/ likely There’s certain to be an inquiry.
Are there likely to be more strikes?
With any/ no need/ sense/ point/ use Is there any point in talking to him?
There’s no need to shout.
With something/ anything/ etc to wrong Is there something wrong?
In question tags There won’t be a test, will there?
Infinitive We want there to be a referendum.
I’d like there to be more time to think.
-Ing form What’s the chance of there being an agreement?
With auxiliary be There were some people singing in the street. (Some people were
singing.)
- A painting by Degas is hanging in the museum.
There is a painting by Degas hanging in the museum.
- Two men were looking for you.
There were two men looking for you.
Note: The expletive There has no grammatical function in the second sentence. Don’t
confuse the expletive There with the adverb of place There.
 Here is a useful test: Can you replace There with here and retain the original general
sense of the sentence? If yes, then there is an adverb.
- Your keys are over there. (Adv)
(your keys are over here) (okay)
 - There are your keys. (Adv)
(Here are your keys.) (okay)
- There are keys all over the place.
(we wouldn’t usually say, Here are keys all over the place)
- A dog is growling in the yard.
There is a dog growling in the yard.
- A boy is building something on our porch.
There is a boy building something on the porch.
The expletive It
The expletive It can only work with a subject that is a nominal infinitive phrase or a nominal
clause.
- To admit my mistakes is difficult.
It is difficult to admit my mistakes.
- That I made mistakes is true.
It is true that I made mistakes.
- To trust him is difficult.
It is difficult to trust him.
- To understand the theory requires patience.
It requires patience to understand the theory.
- That the universe is expanding is a fact.
It is a fact that the universe is expanding.
- That you have worked hard became apparent.
It became apparent that you have worked hard.
We also use the pronoun It as a subject in conventional expressions regarding weather or
time. in these sentences, it is an infinitive pronoun, not expletive.
- It may rain today.
It is about four pm.
Don’t confuse the pronoun It with the expletive It that postpones the subject. If there is no
nominal clause or infinitive phrase later in the sentence, it is a pronoun, not an expletive.
It (subject)
When the subject is a to + infinitive or noun clause, the sentence is often paraphrased to
begin with “it”.
It + verb + adj/Noun complement + to +v1/ Noun clause
That Tom loves Sue is true. = It is true that Tom loves Sue.
To vote is your civic duty. = It is your civic duty to vote.
It (Direct Object)
‘It’ functions as a preparatory object with the real object placed at the end of the sentence.
Subject + Verb + It + complement + To+ Verb 1/ noun clause.
- I find to talk to you difficult. (not)
I find it difficult to talk to you.
- Tim thought that she hadn’t called strange. (not)
Tim thought it strange that she hadn’t called.
Emphatic (It is/was that…)
 Adam broke the window yesterday.
It is /was Adam who/that broke the window yesterday.
It is /was the window that Adam broke yesterday.
It is/was yesterday that Adam broke the window.
 Aiden has subscribed to this magazine for a year.
It is Aiden who/that has subscribed to this magazine for a year.
It is this magazine that Aiden has subscribed to for a year.
It is for a year that Aiden has subscribed to this magazine.
Note: It was in 1492 when/that Christopher Columbus discovered America.
It was at the carnival where/that there was a firework show.

Double negative patterns

1- All trees have leaves.
There is no tree that does not have leaves.
2- All the boys did well in the examination.
There was no boy who did not do well in the examination.
3- Every house has a roof.
There is no house that does not have a roof.
4- All the students want to pass the exam.
There is no student who does not want to pass the exam.
5- Every mother loves her children.
There is no mother who does not love her children.