Word order.

The corresponding Russian sentences begin with adverbial modifiers.

Russian	English
В моей комнате есть (имеется) телефон. В саду (имеется) много яблонь.	There is a telephone in my room. There are many apple-trees in the garden.

 

· The verb “to be” in such constructions can be used with modal verbs (can, may, must):

There must be a dictionary on the shelf.

There can be no doubt about it.

· We can also use some other verbs after “there”- to live, to exist, to stand, to lie, etc.:

There lived an old doctor in the village.

There exist different opinions on this problem.

· If the subjects are of different number the predicate agrees with the subject that stands first.

There is a table and six chairs in the room.

There were some books and a dictionary on the table.

 

Ex. 4. Use “there is (are)” construction in the necessary tense form.

1.Look! -------- their telephone number in the letter.

2.Chi Chester is a very old town. -------many old buildings.

3.Excuse me, ------ a restaurant near here?

4.How many students ------ in your group?

5.I was hungry but -----anything to eat.

6.----- a football match on TV last night.

7.----- many people at the meeting?

8.------ 24 hours in a day.

9.This box is empty. ---- nothing in it.

10.When we arrived at the cinema ----- a long queue outside.