10.53 'there' with other verbs

A few other verbs can be used after 'there' in a similar way to 'be'. If you want to say that something seems to be the case or that something seems to have happened, you can use 'there' with 'seem' or 'appear' followed by 'to be' or 'to have been'.

• There seems to have been some carelessness recently.
• There appears to be a vast amount of confusion on this point.

'To be' is sometimes omitted, especially in front of an uncount noun.

• There seems little doubt that he was insane.

'There' is sometimes used followed by a passive form of a reporting verb and the infinitive 'to be' to indicate that people say or think that something exists. For more information on reporting verbs, see the section beginning at paragraph 7.5.

• There is expected to be an announcement about the proposed building next month.
• There is understood to be no suggestion of either doctor being involved in financial gain from the transaction.

'Happen' is used in the same kind of structure to indicate that a situation exists by chance.

• There happened to be a roll of nylon tubing lying on the desk.

You can also use 'tend' in this kind of structure to say that something generally happens or exists.

• There tend to be overlapping networks of Mums who have each other's children round to play.