What is there on the table?

[Peter Chung]

Could you tell me which of the following dialogues is correct?
Dialogue One:

A: What is there on the table?
B: There are two books on the table.

Dialogue Two

A: What are there on the table?
B: There are two books on the table


Thanks a lot.

 

[Raymott]

Could you tell me which of the following dialogues is correct?
Dialogue One:

A: What is there on the table?
B: There are two books on the table.

Dialogue Two

A: What are there on the table?
B: There are two books on the table


Thanks a lot.

Dialogue One is correct. Native speakers don't say, "What are there on the table?" They could grammatically, but they don't.

 

[emsr2d2]

I agree that only number 1 is grammatically correct, but note that you are far more likely to hear just "What is (or What's) on the table?", to which the answers could still be "There is a book ..." or "There are two books..."