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Master English Grammar

Positive Sentences

Understand how to form positive sentences like There is a book and There are two cats to describe things clearly.

What Are Positive Sentences?

Positive sentences state that something exists or happens. They describe facts or situations without any negation.

  • Examples: – There is a book on the table.
  • Examples: – There are two cats in the garden.

Key Components of Positive Sentences:

  • Subject – The person, place, or thing the sentence is about. Example: The cat is sleeping.
  • Verb – The action or state of being. Example: The cat is sleeping.
  • Object (optional) – The thing receiving the action. Example: She reads a book.

Examples in Sentences:

  • Singular: There is a pen on the desk.
  • Plural: There are three apples in the basket.
  • General: The sun is shining brightly.

When to Use 'There is' and 'There are':

Use There is for singular nouns and There are for plural nouns.

  • Singular: There is a book on the table.
  • Plural: There are two cats in the garden.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

  • Using 'There is' with plural nouns: ❌ There is two books. ✔️ There are two books.
  • Using 'There are' with singular nouns: ❌ There are a cat. ✔️ There is a cat.

Rules for Forming Positive Sentences

  • Use There is to describe the existence of a singular object or thing.

    • There is a pen on the table.
    • There is an apple in the basket.

  • Use There are to describe the existence of multiple objects or things.

    • There are two cats in the garden.
    • There are five books on the shelf.

  • Follow the correct subject-verb agreement: singular subjects with is, plural subjects with are.

    • The car is red.
    • The flowers are beautiful.

  • Special Cases & Exceptions:

    When mentioning numbers, always check if the noun is singular or plural to match the correct verb form.

  • For uncountable nouns, always use There is even though it represents a large quantity.

    • There is water in the glass.
    • There is some sugar on the table.
ExampleDescription
There is a cat on the sofa.Singular sentence using 'There is'.
There are three books on the shelf.Plural sentence using 'There are'.
The sun is shining brightly.General positive statement.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the creators of these videos. These are publicly available resources used to provide additional information on the topic.