英文法Grammar · UNIT 15

There is / There are構文There is / There are

「〜がある・いる」を表す言い方Saying that something exists

基本の説明Overview

「〜がある」「〜がいる」と、人やものが存在することを伝えるときは There is / There are を使います。There は「そこに」という意味ではなく、文を始めるための形だけの主語で、日本語には訳しません。本当の主語は、be動詞のあとに続く名詞です。To say that a person or thing exists, use There is / There are. Here, There does not mean “over there”; it is just a placeholder that starts the sentence, and it isn't translated. The real subject is the noun that comes after the be-verb.

be動詞を is にするか are にするかは、あとに続く名詞で決めます。単数の名詞と、milk や water のように数えられない名詞なら is、複数の名詞なら are です。場所を表す語句（in the box, on the desk など）は、ふつう文の最後に置きます。Whether the be-verb is is or are depends on the noun that follows. Use is with a singular noun or an uncountable noun such as milk or water, and are with a plural noun. A place phrase (in the box, on the desk, etc.) normally goes at the end of the sentence.

	単数・数えられない名詞Singular / uncountable	複数の名詞Plural
肯定文Statement	There is a pen on the desk.	There are two pens on the desk.
否定文Negative	There isn't a pen on the desk.	There aren't any pens on the desk.
疑問文Question	Is there a pen on the desk?	Are there any pens on the desk?
答え方Short answer	Yes, there is. / No, there isn't.	Yes, there are. / No, there aren't.

There is[are] + 名詞 + 場所を表す語句.There is[are] + noun + place phrase.疑問文は be動詞を There の前に出して Is[Are] there 〜?、否定文は be動詞のあとに not を置いて There is[are] not 〜. にします。For a question, move the be-verb in front of There: Is[Are] there ~? For a negative, put not after the be-verb: There is[are] not ~.

There is / There are は、「話し手も聞き手もまだ知らないもの」を新しく話題に出すときの言い方です。そのため、a / an、some、any、数を表す語（two, many など）がつく名詞が続きます。the / my / this などがついた「すでにわかっているもの」は、ふつう There is では言わず、My book is on the desk. のように普通の文にします。There is / There are is used to bring something new into the conversation — something the speaker and listener haven't been talking about yet. So it is followed by nouns with a / an, some, any, or a number word (two, many…). A noun that is already known (with the, my, this, etc.) is not normally used here; say My book is on the desk. instead.

過去のことは There was / There were で表します。数をたずねるときは How many 〜 are there? です。会話では There is を There's と短縮することがよくあります。For the past, use There was / There were. To ask a number, use How many ~ are there? In conversation, There is is often shortened to There's.

例文で確認Example sentences

① There is（単数・数えられない名詞）1. There is (singular / uncountable)

There is a cat under the table.

テーブルの下に猫が1匹います。

There is a park near my house.

私の家の近くに公園があります。

「近くに」は near ~。場所を表す語句は文の最後に置く。near ~ means “close to ~”. The place phrase goes at the end.

There is a big tree in front of our school.

私たちの学校の前に大きな木があります。

in front of ~ は「〜の前に」。in front of ~ means “just outside the front of ~”.

There is a picture on the wall.

壁に絵が1枚かかっています。

on は壁や天井など、面にくっついている場合にも使う。on is also used for things attached to a surface such as a wall.

There is some water in the bottle.

ボトルに水が少し入っています。

water は数えられない名詞なので、some がついても is を使う。water is uncountable, so we use is even with some.

② There are（複数の名詞）2. There are (plural)

There are many students in the gym.

体育館にはたくさんの生徒がいます。

There are three apples in the box.

箱の中にりんごが3個入っています。

数を表す語（three）がついた複数の名詞なので are。three + a plural noun, so are.

There are some books on the shelf.

たなに本が何冊かあります。

some books は複数なので are。some books is plural, so are.

There are seven days in a week.

1週間は7日あります。

数や決まった事実を言うときにも使える。It is also used for numbers and facts.

There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet.

英語のアルファベットには26文字あります。

数が大きくても、複数なら are。Even with a big number, a plural noun takes are.

③ 疑問文と答え方3. Questions and answers

Is there a convenience store near here?

この近くにコンビニはありますか。

Yes, there is. / No, there isn't. で答える。it ではなく there を使う。Answer with Yes, there is. / No, there isn't. Use there, not it.

Are there any bookstores in this town?

この町に本屋はありますか。

疑問文では「いくつか」の意味の some の代わりに any を使う。Yes, there are. / No, there aren't. で答える。In questions we use any instead of some. Answer with Yes, there are. / No, there aren't.

Is there any milk in the fridge?

冷蔵庫に牛乳は入っていますか。

milk は数えられない名詞なので Is there ~?。milk is uncountable, so Is there ~?

How many students are there in your class?

あなたのクラスには生徒が何人いますか。

How many のあとは複数の名詞で、疑問文の語順（are there）になる。答えは There are thirty-five. など。After How many comes a plural noun, then the question order (are there). Answer: There are thirty-five.

Is there a post office near the station?

駅の近くに郵便局はありますか。

④ 否定文4. Negatives

There isn't a bank near here.

この近くには銀行がありません。

There is not は There isn't と短縮できる。There is not can be shortened to There isn't.

There aren't any eggs in the fridge.

冷蔵庫には卵が1つもありません。

否定文では any を使う。「1つも〜ない」という意味になる。We use any in negatives, meaning “not even one”.

There is no water in the bottle.

ボトルに水が入っていません。

no は not any と同じ意味。There is no 〜は There isn't any 〜とほぼ同じ。no means not any. There is no ~ is almost the same as There isn't any ~.

⑤ 短縮形・過去形5. Short form and past tense

There's a message for you on the table.

テーブルの上にあなたあてのメッセージがあります。

There is → There's。会話でよく使う。There is → There's. Common in conversation.

There was a big tree here ten years ago.

10年前、ここには大きな木がありました。

過去の話なので was（単数）を使う。This is about the past, so use was (singular).

There were many people at the station yesterday.

昨日は駅にたくさんの人がいました。

複数の名詞の過去は were。For a plural noun in the past, use were.

確認クイズQuick check

空所に入る語を答えましょう。Fill in each blank.

There ___ a library near my house.
答えを見るShow the answer
is — a library は単数なので is。a library is singular, so is.
There ___ three dogs in the park.
答えを見るShow the answer
are — three dogs は複数なので are。three dogs is plural, so are.
___ there any students in the room?
答えを見るShow the answer
Are — any students は複数。疑問文は be動詞を There の前に出す。any students is plural. In a question the be-verb goes before there.
There ___ some milk in the glass.
答えを見るShow the answer
is — milk は数えられない名詞なので is。milk is uncountable, so is.
How many days are ___ in a week?
答えを見るShow the answer
there — How many 〜 are there? の形。答えは There are seven days. など。The pattern is How many ~ are there? The answer is There are seven days.
My bag ___ on the desk.
答えを見るShow the answer
is — 「私のかばん」はすでにわかっているものなので There is は使わず、My bag is ~ とする。“My bag” is already known, so we don't use There is; we say My bag is ~.

おさえておきたいポイントKey points

be動詞は「あとに続く名詞」で決める。単数・数えられない名詞なら is、複数なら areChoose the be-verb by the noun that follows: is for a singular or uncountable noun, are for a plural noun
There は「そこに」とは訳さない。本当の主語は be動詞のあとの名詞Don't translate There as “over there”. The real subject is the noun after the be-verb
a / an、some、any、数を表す語がつく「新しい情報」に使う。the / my / this がつくものは、ふつう There is では言わないUse it for new information with a / an, some, any, or number words. Nouns with the / my / this aren't normally used with There is
疑問文は Is[Are] there 〜?、答えは Yes, there is[are]. / No, there isn't[aren't].（it は使わない）Questions: Is[Are] there ~? Answers: Yes, there is[are]. / No, there isn't[aren't]. (not it)
否定文・疑問文では any を使う。There is no 〜は「ひとつも〜ない」Use any in negatives and questions. There is no ~ means “there isn't any ~”
過去は There was / There were、数のたずね方は How many 〜 are there?Past: There was / There were. To ask a number: How many ~ are there?

よくある間違いCommon mistake："There is my book on the desk." ✗ → "My book is on the desk." ✓ my / the / this がついた「すでにわかっているもの」には There is を使いません。"There is my book on the desk." ✗ → "My book is on the desk." ✓ Don't use There is with something already known (my / the / this).

よくある間違いCommon mistake："There is many students in the gym." ✗ → "There are many students in the gym." ✓ あとに続く名詞が複数なら are を使います。"There is many students in the gym." ✗ → "There are many students in the gym." ✓ If the noun that follows is plural, use are.

よくある間違いCommon mistake："Is there a cat? — Yes, it is." ✗ → "Yes, there is." ✓ 答えるときも there を使い、it は使いません。"Is there a cat? — Yes, it is." ✗ → "Yes, there is." ✓ Use there in the answer too, not it.