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Would you say "There are a table and a chair in the corner?" instead of "there is a table and a chair in the corner" and "there's a table and a chair in the corner"?

In a similar example "There is a computer and a TV in my room" I received different opinions from different native speakers. Please correct me if I am wrong. Is the following correct: "Some native speakers think only "there's" works in "there is a computer and a TV in my room because it functions as "there are", some think "there is" is unnatural, and some think "there are" isn't correct before "a table", but according to other native speakers, "are" is correct because there are two things.

What should I use? Does this mean that "there's", "there is" and "there are" are all possible in such examples?

gotube
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Antonia A
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1 Answers1

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"There are" is a plural form, and should not be used when only one thing is mentioned. For example

There are a television in the room. Incorrect form, shown by red X

should be

There is a television in the room. Correct form, shown by green check mark

Now with the example sentence:

There is a table and a chair in the corner. Correct form, shown by green check mark

two items are listed, but they are listed as two separate items, not as a group, so I would use the singular form.

I would use the singular form because I would treat it as a reduced parallel construction, short for:

There is a table and there is a chair in the corner. Correct form, shown by green check mark

In a parallel construction, the verb is repeated, or when it is the same verb, is omiotted but is assumed to apply separatly to each element. Thus in the example, I would treat the verb as applying separately to "a table" and "a chair", and so I would use the singlular form "is".

If the example is rephrased to:

There are a table and chair in the corner. Correct form, shown by green check mark

I think "are" is correct, because "a table and chair" is a single group consisting multiple items. Dropping the repeated article makes the plural form feel more natural to me. But you will find native speakers using both "There is" and "There are" in this sort of construction.

There is a computer and a TV in my room. Correct form, shown by green check mark

could be considered a shortened form of:

There is a computer and there is also a TV in my room. Correct form, shown by green check mark

The idea that "there's" is correct when neither "there is" nor "there are" would be correct strikes me as simply wrong. The word "there's" is a contraction of "there is". It is sometimes used, quite informally, as if it were a contraction of 'there are" as in:

There's five people waiting to see you.

But usually it simply represents "there is" and is not correct when "there is" is not.

David Siegel
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  • do you mean that "are" is wrong here: "There is a table and a chair in the corner.

    two items are listed, but they are listed as two separate items, not as a group, so I would use the singular form." If they are listed as two separate items I don't understand why using "are" is wrong :( Could you please explain?

     – Antonia A Nov 24 '21 at 09:07
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    @Antonia A I would view it as a parallel construction with a repeated verb applying to each thing, see my edited answer. I would hesitate to say that the form using "are" is wrong, but it is not how I would write it, and not how I would expect to see it from a fluent or native speaker. – David Siegel Nov 24 '21 at 14:45
  • But if there are two items why using "are" isn't the usual form? You said you think "are" is correct. So it's not wrong. I mean here: "There are a table and a chair in the corner." Can the article be omitted and can I use "are"? And here too "There are a computer and a TV in my room" can I omit "a" and use "are"? – Antonia A Nov 25 '21 at 06:12