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Unit 38 · There and it

there was/were there has/have been there will be

Study

A

there was / there were (past)

›

There is a train every hour.

›

The time now is 11.15.

›

There was a train at 11 o'clock.

Compare:

there is/are (present) there was/were (past)
There is nothing on TV tonight. There was nothing on TV last night.
We are staying at a very big hotel. There are 550 rooms. We stayed at a very big hotel. There were 550 rooms.
Is everything OK? Are there any problems? Was everything OK yesterday? Were there any problems?
I'm hungry, but there isn't anything to eat. I was hungry when I got home, but there wasn't anything to eat.
B

there has been / there have been (present perfect)

›

Look! There's been an accident. (there's been = there has been)

›

This road is very dangerous. There have been many accidents.

Compare there was (past):

›

There was an accident last night. (not There has been an accident last night.)

For past simple and present perfect, see Unit 20.

C

there will be

›

Do you think there will be a lot of people at the party on Saturday?

›

The manager of the company is leaving, so there will be a new manager soon.

›

I'm going away tomorrow. I'll do my packing today because there won't be time tomorrow.

(there won't be = there will not be)

Exercises (3)

0/3 exercises checked
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38.1

Look at the two pictures. Now the room is empty, but what was in the room last week? Choose from the box and write sentences with There was ... or There were ....

an armchaira carpetsome flowersa sofasome booksa clockthree picturesa small table
  1. 1A clock on the wall near a window
    There was a clock. on the wall near the window.example
  2. 2A carpet on the floor
    on the floor.
  3. 3Three pictures on the wall near a door
    on the wall near the door.
  4. 4A small table in the middle of a room
    in the middle of the room.
  5. 5Some flowers on a table
    on the table.
  6. 6Some books on the shelves
    on the shelves.
  7. 7An armchair in the corner near a door
    in the corner near the door.
  8. 8A sofa opposite an armchair
    opposite the armchair.
38.2

Write there was / there wasn't / was there or there were / there weren't / were there.

  1. 1
    I was hungry, but there wasn't anything to eat. example
  2. 2
    Was everything OK yesterday? Were there any problems? example
  3. 3
    I opened the envelope, but it was empty. nothing in it.
  4. 4
    'We stayed at a very nice hotel.' 'Really? a swimming pool?'
  5. 5
    'Did you buy any bananas?' 'No, any in the shop.'
  6. 6
    The wallet was empty. any money in it.
  7. 7
    ' many people at the meeting?' 'No, very few.'
  8. 8
    We didn't visit the museum. enough time.
  9. 9
    I'm sorry I'm late. a lot of traffic.
  10. 10
    Twenty years ago many tourists here. Now there are a lot.
38.3

Write there + is / are / was / were / has been / have been / will be.

  1. 1
    There was a good film on TV last night. example
  2. 2
    24 hours in a day.
  3. 3
    a party at the club last Friday, but I didn't go.
  4. 4
    'Where can I get something to eat?' ' a cafe at the end of the street.'
  5. 5
    'Why are the police outside the bank?' ' a robbery.'
  6. 6
    When we arrived at the theatre, a long queue outside.
  7. 7
    When you arrive tomorrow, somebody at the station to meet you.
  8. 8
    Ten years ago 500 children at the school. Now more than a thousand.
  9. 9
    Last week I went back to the town where I was born. It's very different now. a lot of changes.
  10. 10
    I think everything will be OK. I don't think any problems.