Using 'It' and 'There' (Time, Weather, & Existence)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'It' for weather, time, and distance; use 'There' to say something exists or is in a specific place.
- Use 'It' for weather: 'It is raining today.'
- Use 'It' for time: 'It is five o'clock.'
- Use 'There' for existence: 'There is a book on the table.'
Starting a Sentence: "It" and "There"
In English, every sentence needs a "starter" word. Sometimes we don't have a person (like "I" or "He"), so we use It or There.
When to use "It"?
Use It is... for three things:
- ☀️ Weather: "It is sunny."
- ⏰ Time: "It is 5 o'clock."
- 🗓️ Days: "It is Monday."
When to use "There"?
Use There is/are... to say something exists:
- 🍎 One thing: "There is an apple."
- 🍎🍎 Many things: "There are apples."
Beginner Tip: If you want to talk about the weather or time, always start with "It is...". It's the magic starter word!
How to use 'It' and 'There'
| Topic | Correct Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Weather
|
It is + adj
|
It is sunny.
|
|
Time
|
It is + time
|
It is 10:00.
|
|
1 Thing
|
There is + noun
|
There is a car.
|
|
2+ Things
|
There are + nouns
|
There are two cars.
|
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Short Form | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
It is
|
It's
|
Very common in speech
|
|
There is
|
There's
|
Very common in speech
|
|
It was
|
N/A
|
Rarely contracted
|
|
There are
|
There're
|
Informal speech only
|
|
It is not
|
It isn't / It's not
|
Both common
|
|
There is not
|
There isn't / There's not
|
Both common
|
Meanings
In English, we use 'It' and 'There' to start sentences when we talk about general things like the weather, time, or when something is present in a room.
1. Talking about Weather
Use 'It is' to describe what you see outside.
“It is raining.”
“It is very cold.”
2. Talking about Time
Use 'It is' to say the time or the day.
“It is 9 AM.”
“It is late.”
3. Saying something exists
Use 'There is' for one thing and 'There are' for two or more things.
“There is a dog in the park.”
“There are three books on the table.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Weather
|
It + is + adjective
|
It is cloudy.
|
|
Time
|
It + is + time
|
It is noon.
|
|
Existence (+)
|
There + is + singular noun
|
There is a bird.
|
|
Existence (-)
|
There + are + not + plural noun
|
There aren't any eggs.
|
|
Question
|
Is + there + noun?
|
Is there a bank near here?
|
|
Distance
|
It + is + distance
|
It is 2 kilometers.
|
|
Identification
|
It + is + person
|
It's the doctor.
|
|
Short Answer
|
Yes, there is / No, there isn't
|
Is there milk? Yes, there is.
|
Formality Spectrum
There appears to be a significant issue. (Workplace)
There is a problem. (Workplace)
There's a problem. (Workplace)
There's a glitch in the system. (Workplace)
The Roles of 'It' and 'There'
It (Situations)
- Weather It is raining
- Time It is 5:00
- Distance It is far
There (Existence)
- Singular There is a cat
- Plural There are cats
- Location There is a box here
It vs. There
Choosing between It and There
Are you talking about weather or time?
Are you saying something exists or is in a place?
Common Phrases
Weather
- • It's sunny
- • It's raining
- • It's cold
Existence
- • There's a problem
- • There's a chance
- • There's a way
Examples by Level
It is hot today.
There is a dog in the park.
It is 4 o'clock.
There are two apples.
It was very rainy yesterday.
There weren't any people at the station.
Is it far to the museum?
There is a lot of noise here.
It is difficult to learn English.
There might be a storm later.
It seems that it's going to snow.
There has been an accident on the road.
It was my brother who called you.
There appears to be a misunderstanding.
It is worth noting that the price has changed.
There is no point in arguing.
It is widely believed that the economy will recover.
There remains a significant gap in the research.
It is of the utmost importance that we arrive on time.
There is little to be gained from this approach.
It is not so much that he failed, but that he didn't try.
There exists a profound sense of unease among the populace.
Should there be any further delays, please notify us.
It behooves us to consider the long-term consequences.
Easily Confused
Learners use 'This' for weather or 'It' to point at things.
They sound similar and both refer to groups.
Using 'It' to describe location.
Common Mistakes
Sentence Patterns
It is ___ today.
There is a ___ in the ___.
There are ___ ___ on the ___.
Is there any ___ in the ___?
Real World Usage
Is there a hairdryer in the room?
It's freezing today, isn't it?
Are there any nuts in this dish?
There's a leak in the ceiling.
It's about ten minutes from here.
It's finally Friday!
Looking Outside
The Finger Test
Don't skip the 'It'
Uncountable Nouns
Weather Talk
Smart Tips
Start with 'There is/are' to list the objects and 'It is' to describe the time of day or weather.
Look for the 's' at the end of the word. If there is an 's', use 'There are'.
Use the same words in your answer: 'Yes, there is' or 'No, there isn't'.
Always use 'It's' + [distance] + 'to' + [place].
Pronunciation
Contraction of 'It is'
In natural speech, 'It is' almost always becomes 'It's'. The 's' sounds like /s/.
Contraction of 'There is'
In natural speech, 'There is' becomes 'There's'. The 's' sounds like /z/.
Existence Questions
Is there a ↗️ dog?
Rising intonation at the end of 'Is there' questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
IT is for the Atmosphere (Weather/Time); THERE is for what is HERE (Existence).
Visual Association
Imagine 'It' as a giant cloud covering the whole scene (weather/time) and 'There' as a finger pointing at a specific object on a table.
Rhyme
When the sky is gray or the clock says ten, use 'It' to start your sentence then. If a cat is sitting on a chair, start your sentence with a 'There'.
Story
A traveler wakes up. He looks out the window: 'It is early' and 'It is foggy.' He looks at his bag: 'There is my passport' and 'There are my keys.'
Word Web
Challenge
Look around your room. Say 3 sentences starting with 'There is/are' about objects you see, and 3 sentences starting with 'It is' about the time and weather.
Cultural Notes
Talking about the weather using 'It is...' is a very common social 'icebreaker' in English-speaking cultures. It is considered polite and neutral.
In informal texting, 'There's' is often used even for plural nouns (e.g., 'There's two cars'), though this is technically incorrect in formal writing.
In formal essays, avoid 'It's' and 'There's'. Always use the full 'It is' and 'There is'.
The use of 'It' and 'There' as dummy subjects dates back to Old English.
Conversation Starters
What is the weather like today?
Is there a good restaurant near your house?
How many people are there in your family?
Is it far from your home to your school?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1: Skipping the subject
Is raining.
It is raining.
In English, every sentence needs a subject. We use "It" as a helper.
Mistake #2: Is vs Are
There is many people.
There are many people.
Use "is" for 1 thing. Use "are" for 2 or more things.
Mistake #3: Using "Have" for existence
In the room has a chair.
There is a chair in the room.
Don't use "have" to say something is in a place. Use "There is".
Test Yourself
___ is a new student in our class.
There ___ many trees in the park.
Find and fix the mistake:
Is very cold today.
milk / is / fridge / there / the / in / some
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
___ any water in the bottle.
___ is 10 miles to the next city.
___ any cookies left?
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises___ is a new student in our class.
There ___ many trees in the park.
Find and fix the mistake:
Is very cold today.
milk / is / fridge / there / the / in / some
1. Time, 2. Existence, 3. Weather
___ any water in the bottle.
___ is 10 miles to the next city.
___ any cookies left?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercises___ is very cold in winter here.
Is many cars in the parking lot.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'Es la una de la tarde.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the sentence parts:
___ are many stars in the sky tonight.
It is a lot of noise outside.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: '¿Hay un gimnasio cerca de aquí?'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the situation with 'It' or 'There':
Score: /12
FAQ (8)
No. Weather always uses `It`. You should say `It is raining`.
Use `There are` when the noun that follows is plural (e.g., `There are two dogs`). Use `There is` for singular nouns or things you can't count.
In very informal speaking, people often say `There's many people`. However, in writing and exams, you must use `There are` for plural nouns.
It is a word like `It` or `There` that doesn't have a real meaning but is needed to make the sentence grammatically correct.
Just swap the words: `Is there...?` For example, `Is there a bathroom here?`.
Yes, but only to identify them when you can't see them or are introducing them, like on the phone: `It's me, John`.
`It is` is for general states or weather. `This is` is for pointing at a specific object near you.
Yes, because 'money' is an uncountable noun in English. Say `There is some money on the table`.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Hay / Hace / Es
English must have a subject; Spanish often does not.
Il y a / Il fait
French 'Il y a' is invariable; English 'There is/are' changes.
Es gibt / Es ist
German uses 'gives' (gibt) while English uses 'be' (is/are).
Arimasu / Imasu / Desu
Japanese focuses on animacy; English focuses on number.
Hunaka / Innahu
Arabic does not use a dummy 'It' for weather.
Yǒu / Tiānqì
Chinese uses 'Have' for existence; English uses 'Be'.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Videos
06:45 What lack of sleep does to the teenage brain - Wendy Troxel
07:17 Why every restaurant has the same desserts
02:45 The 3-Day Weekend You're Doing Wrong
Grammar Lesson. How to make Sentences in English. Word Order in English.
English Lessons with Kate
English grammar tutorial - Word order - Gramática inglesa
Your English Web: Weekly English video lessons
Related Grammar Rules
Emphasis: I *do* like it! (Emphatic Do/Does/Did)
Overview English grammar provides several mechanisms for emphasis, ranging from lexical choices like strong adjectives a...
Emphasis with do/does/did
Overview Emphatic `do`, `does`, and `did` are used in affirmative sentences to add emphasis, typically to contradict a n...
What you need is... (Wh-Clefts for Emphasis)
Overview Wh-clefts are a powerful grammatical construction used to foreground specific information within a sentence, th...
Fronting: Putting the Object First
Overview Fronting, specifically **object fronting**, is a sophisticated syntactic mechanism in English that reorders the...
Existential 'There' (There is / There are)
Overview The existential `there` construction, as in `There is a problem` or `There are two options`, is one of the most...
