10.46 saying that something exists

When you want to say that something exists, or when you want to mention the presence of something, you can use 'there' followed by 'be' and a noun group.

This structure is used in English because finite verbs must have a subject. But something new cannot be talked about until it has been introduced. So 'there' is used as the subject of the sentence and the new information is introduced after 'be'.

This use is different from the adverb of place 'there' and does not refer to a place. In spoken English, the difference is often clearer, because this use of 'there' is often pronounced without stress as |P|/!d%e/ whereas the adverb of place is almost always pronounced fully as |P|/!d!e%e/.

'There' has very little meaning in the structures that are being explained here. For example, the sentence 'There is a good reason for this' just means 'A good reason for this exists'.

10.47

The noun group is usually followed by an adjunct, a 'wh'-clause, or one of the adjectives 'available', 'present', or 'free'.

• There were thirty boys in the class.
• There are three reasons why we should support this action.
• There were no other jobs available.

Adjuncts of place can be put either in front of 'there' or after the noun group.

• On a marble-topped table there was a big white china mug.
• There was a long field on one side of the filling station.