Introductory there: There won’t be any trouble.

(see CGEL 18.44–54)

An English sentence like this one is possible but rare:

A storm is coming.

The natural way of saying this is to begin the sentence with an unstressed there

and to postpone the indefinite subject (a storm):

There’s a storm coming.

This is called a sentence with introductory there, which is a very common type

of construction. Here are some examples of different verb patterns (see 718) to

show how they can be turned into sentences with introductory there, so long as

the subject is indefinite and the verb phrase contains be:

There’s no water [in the house]. (SVA)

There are lots of people getting [jobs]. (SVO)

There’s something causing [her] [distress]. (SVOO)

There have been two bulldozers knocking [the place] [flat]. (SVOC)

There’s somebody coming. (SV)

Passive sentences also occur:

There’s a new novel displayed in the window.

There’s been a handbag stolen in the department store.

If the postponed subject [printed in bold] is plural, the verb is also in the plural

(but see 548 below):

There are many people trying to buy houses in this neighbourhood.

There seem to be no poisonous snakes around here.

Were there any other drivers around to see the accident?

There are some friends I have to see.

Introductory there as subject: I don’t want there to be any trouble.

Introductory there differs from the stressed there functioning as a front-placed

place adverb ('There is my car = My car is 'there, see 416). Introductory there is

unstressed and behaves in some ways like the subject of the sentence. A
frequent feature of <informal conversation> is the use of the singular verb

contracted form ’s attached to the preceding there, also when the following

postponed subject is plural. In both these examples the standard <written> and

549

formally ‘correct’ construction would be there are (as stated in 547):

There’s only four bottles left. <informal spoken>

There’s better things to do than listen to gossip. <informal spoken>

Here, because of the contracted verb form, there’s behaves as a single invariable

unit for the purposes of speech processing. There is a similar tendency to use

here’s, where’s and how’s + plural subject in <informal conversation> instead of

the formally ‘correct’ plural non-contracted forms here are, where are and how

are + plural subject:

Here’s your keys. <informal speech>

∼ Here are your keys. <standard written>

How’s your kids? <informal speech>

∼ How are your kids? <standard written>

There can act as subject in yes-no questions (see 682) and tag questions (see

684), where inversion of be and there takes place:

Is there any more wine?

There’s no one else coming, is there?

There can also act as subject in infinitive clauses and -ing clauses (see 493):

I don’t want there to be any trouble.

Bill was disappointed at there being so little to do.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 11.15. <formal>

Introductory there with relative and infinitive clauses:

There’s something I ought to tell you.

• There is a further type of introductory-there sentence. As an alternative of

this sentence

Something keeps upsetting him.

we may have:

∼ There’s something (that) keeps upsetting him.

It consists of there + a form of be + a noun phrase + a clause which is like a

relative clause (see 686). There must be an indefinite noun phrase in the

sentence, but it need not be the subject:

Is there anyone in particular (that) you want to speak to?

(Compare: Do you want to speak to anyone in particular?)

550

• Another common sentence pattern is introductory there + be + noun phrase +

to-infinitive clause. The infinitive may have a for-subject:

Tonight there’s nothing else (for us) to do but watch TV.

There was no one (for her) to talk to.

This pattern also occurs in the passive:

There are several practical problems to be considered.

• One type of there-sentence is typical of <literary> contexts:

There may come a time when Europe will be less fortunate.

(‘A time may come …’)

In this construction there can be followed by a verb other than be (such as come,

lie, stand, exist, rise). With a place adverbial in front-position, there may be

omitted in <literary> style (see 416):

On the other side of the valley (there) rose a gigantic rock surmounted by a

ruined fortress. <formal, literary>

pag. 336 “communicative_grammar_of_english”

605 there

The spelling there is used for two words with completely different

pronunciations and uses.

1 adverb of place

There (pronounced /беэ(г)/) is an adverb meaning 'in that place’.

W hat’s that green thing over there?

There’s the book I was looking for.

For the difference between here and there, ► 484.

2 introductory subject

There (most often pronounced /бэ(г)/) is used as an introductory subject in

sentences beginning there is, there are, there might be, etc. For details, ► 20.

There's a book under the piano.

there and here ► 484

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