GREEN for RIGHT
RED for WRONG
We hear – and sometimes see – sentences like:
There was complaints every day.
instead of
There were complaints every day.
See what’s written for is & are (no. 4 on the list) after There. Same rules apply – SINGULAR NOUN to be in agreement with the SINGULAR VERB and likewise with PLURAL NOUN / PLURAL VERB.
Write was or were in these sentences.
1. There _______ leaves in the porch.
2. There _______ chips with the pizza.
3. There _______ soldiers in the castle.
4. There _______ six actors on the stage.
5. There _______ three substitutions made during the first half.
6. There _______ two children in the car.
7. There ______ five new players on the team.
8. There ______ four acts in the play.
9. There ______n’t any ships at the quayside.
10. There _____ lessons to be learned.
11. There ______ more girls than boys in the playground.
12. There______ sixteen players on the pitch at one time.
13. There ______ too many players on the pitch at one time.
14. There _____ no arguments from the losing team.
15. There ______ joyful scenes when the result was announced.
16. There ______ lots of blackberries in the back garden.
17. There ______ black markers in his bag.
18. There ______ a black marker in his bag.
19. ______ there a journalist on the panel?
20. ______ there journalists on the panel?
21. There ______n’t enough security there.
22. There ______n’t enough security guards there.
23. _______ there only one party in the village?
24. _______ there many parties in the village?
25. I wonder _______ there too many questions in this test.
1 to 17. were 18. was 19. Was 20. Were 21. was 22. were 23. Was 24. Were 25. were
There was – requires a SINGULAR NOUN.
There were – requires a PLURAL NOUN.
There were complaints every day.
GREEN for RIGHT
RED for WRONG