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18.46 The there of existential sentences differs from there as an introductory adverb in lacking stress, in carrying none of the locative meaning of the place-adjunct there, and in behaving in most ways like the subject of the clause, doubtless reflecting the structural dislocation from the basic clause types:

 

(i) It often determines concord, governing a singular form of the verb (cf 10.34 ff) even when the following 'notional subject' is plural:

 

• There's some people in the waiting room. < informal >

 

occurs alongside:

 

• There are some people in the waiting room.

 

(ii) It can act as subject in yes--no and tag questions:

 

• Is there any more soup? There's nothing wrong, is there?

 

(iii) It can act as subject in infinitive and -ing clauses:

 

• I don't want there to be any misunderstanding.

 
• He was disappointed at there being so little to do.

 
• There having been trouble over this in the past, I wanted to treat the matter cautiously.

18.46 The there of existential sentences differs from there as an introductory adverb in lacking stress, in carrying none of the locative meaning of the place-adjunct there, and in behaving in most ways like the subject of the clause, doubtless reflecting the structural dislocation from the basic clause types:

(i) It often determines concord, governing a singular form of the verb (cf 10.34 ff) even when the following 'notional subject' is plural:

• There's some people in the waiting room. < informal >

occurs alongside:

• There are some people in the waiting room.

(ii) It can act as subject in yes--no and tag questions:

• Is there any more soup? There's nothing wrong, is there?

(iii) It can act as subject in infinitive and -ing clauses:

• I don't want there to be any misunderstanding.

• He was disappointed at there being so little to do.

• There having been trouble over this in the past, I wanted to treat the matter cautiously.

Hopefully an "editor" won't dare to mark that use of "There is" -- if the editor did, then that's an instant STET and a request for a different editor.

Hopefully an "editor" won't dare to mark that use of "There is" -- if the editor did, then that's an instant STET and a request for a different editor.

A decent usage dictionary, such as MWDEU or MWCDEU, can provide useful info as to standard usage of the existential construction. In my Merriam-Webster's Concise dictionary of English Usage, entry "there is, there are", on pages 732-3, this is the concluding paragraph:

A decent usage dictionary, such as MWDEU or MWCDEU, can provide useful info as to standard usage of the existential construction. In my Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary of English Usage, entry "there is, there are", on pages 732-3, this is the concluding paragraph: