articles in there is/there structure

[Verona_82]

Hello,

My question's rather silly, but in the light of what I've learned about the articles recently I seem to have a mess in my head. I'm looking at a picture of a kitchen. There're three cups on the table and 4 drawers in the cupboard. Should I say:

There's a mouse in a cup on the table.
There's a mouse behind a leg of the table (there're 4 of them, it doesn't matter which one)
There's a mouse in a drawer of the cupboard.
However,
There's a mouse in the drawer (=in the kitchen I'm describing, even if there's more than one).

Thank you in advance!

 

[susiedqq]

Don't worry about this. You are thinking too much :lol:

In general, if you are talking about a particular mouse, the mouse, in specific cup, so use "the"

Better to say, "There's a mouse in that cup." :lol: ((specific mouse in specific cup)

However, if you are speaking generally about the idea of a mouse in any one of the drawers, you could use, "a" Imagine this conversation.


What wrong, Mary?
There's a mouse in a drawer and it scared me. Then I saw another in a cup.

Hope you aren't confused, because I am, now


PS: There're is not seen in writing . Use there are

 

[Soup]

Hello Verona_82,

Your first and last example sentences are fine. The second and third sound more natural to me this way:

[2] There's a mouse behindatable leg.
[3] There's a mouse in a cupboard drawer.


The word 'a' meaning one of (the table legs; the cupboard drawers).

 

[TheParser]

Hello,

My question's rather silly, but in the light of what I've learned about the articles recently I seem to have a mess in my head. I'm looking at a picture of a kitchen. There're three cups on the table and 4 drawers in the cupboard. Should I say:

There's a mouse in a cup on the table.
There's a mouse behind a leg of the table (there're 4 of them, it doesn't matter which one)
There's a mouse in a drawer of the cupboard.
However,
There's a mouse in the drawer (=in the kitchen I'm describing, even if there's more than one).

Thank you in advance!

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Verona,


(1) I noticed that you wrote: There're three cups.

(2) I think that you are, indeed, correct in writing "there're," but

I believe that most native speakers would never try to pronounce

such a contraction (too difficult to pronounce).

(3) I most respectfully suggest that you say/write out the

two words: there are.

(4) In speech, native speakers simply say, "There's three cups."

For some reason, "there's" + three cups is OK, but it is not OK to

say "There is three cups"!!!

 

[5jj]

Your first and last example sentences are fine. The second and third sound more natural to me this way:

[2] There's a mouse behind a table leg.
[3] There's a mouse in a cupboard drawer.

It depends entirely on how the speaker views the situation. If s/he is looking at the table leg or drawer at the moment of speaking, then s/he might well use 'the'. In the speaker's mind, one specific place is being referred to.

If I were writing this for someone who was to read it later, then I would almost certainly use 'a'.

In informal conversation, we very often combine two or more thoughts into one utterance. If somebody analyses the utterance later, there appear to be clear breaches of the established 'rules'; at the moment of speaking, neither speaker nor listener would notice anything wrong with the utterance.

 

[Verona_82]

Thank you for the replies! They've been very helpful.

I'd like to ask one more question relating to the subject.
Am I right about using a singular verb after 'there', even if a noun phrase consists of two or more nouns?
For example,

There is a library and a museum in town.

 

[5jj]

Am I right about using a singular verb after 'there', even if a noun phrase consists of two or more nouns?

There is a library and a museum in town.

No. There are two libraries in town.

You will sometimes hear sentences such as yours when two singular nouns are connected by 'and'. This may be because the speaker has started with one idea, There is a library, and then remembered another, and a museum. This is not serious in informal coversation, but such constructions should not be considered 'correct'.

 

[Verona_82]

5jj, I must have worded my question poorly.
There are two libraries - ok.
I was wondering if I should use a sg verb when the first noun is also singular, but there are several nouns on my list.

There is a book and a magazine on the table. (instead of 'There are...").

 

[5jj]

5jj, I must have worded my question poorly.

No, but you didn't read the last part of my answer. ;-)

 

[Verona_82]

Oh... Indeed Thursday evening syndrome.
But why do you consider such "there is ...and....' structures to be incorrect?

 

[5jj]

Oh... Indeed Thursday evening syndrome.
But why do you consider such "there is ...and....' structures to be incorrect?

For the same reason that I consider 'A boy and a girl is standing over there' to be incorrect.

There are some 'A and B' expressions that are so closely bound together that they are considered a singular idea (examples below), but, in general, more than one noun , however expressed, = plural.

Fish and chips is a traditional meal.
There is some bread and butter on the table.

 

[TheParser]

5jj, I must have worded my question poorly.
There are two libraries - ok.
I was wondering if I should use a sg verb when the first noun is also singular, but there are several nouns on my list.

There is a book and a magazine on the table. (instead of 'There are...").

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Verona,


(1) We once had a president who used to say, "I feel your pain."

(2) I think that I understand your question. In fact, not all native

speakers agree on this matter.

(3) I have some information from Dos, Don'ts & Maybes of English

Usage published in 1977 by Mr. Theodore M. Bernstein, a writer for the

world-famous and respected The New York Times.

(4) This sentence is perfect:

On his property were three orange trees, two lemon trees, and one grapefruit [tree].

But look at this sentence:

There ___a man standing there and a dog and two children.

The rule calls for "were," but Mr. Bernstein feels that "was"

is preferable because "many writers and readers feel more comfortable

with a singular verb in such close contact with a singular noun."

He says:

"... there are occasions when one should not be too technical."

(5) He gives this "correct" sentence:

"There were a yacht, a plane, a motor launch and weekends with

Princess Margaret and Lord Snowden." [Those two persons were

very famous back in the "old days" of my youth.] But Mr. Bernstein says

that some people would definitely prefer "was" (especially, I guess, in

speech).

The bottom line: You are studying English. So it is probably a good idea

to follow the rules. But when you read sentences that break the rules,

you should not be astonished.