Which one is correct?
There is an apple and an orange..
or
There are an apple and an orange?"
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2 Answers
If you rearrange the sentence, it becomes more apparent:
"An apple and an orange is there." vs "An apple and an orange are there".
The correct form is "are".
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2If you rearrage the sentence, it becomes a different sentence. Please do not rearrange sentences. More to the point, it is safe to say that thousands of native speakers all over the world are using "there's" followed by a plural this very minute, rendering your answer wrong. May 21, 2013 at 20:35
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@RegDwighт the meaning of the sentence isn't changed by the rearrangement. Both orderings indicate "those fruit exist [in that place]".– SparrMay 21, 2013 at 20:53
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The question is about syntax, not meaning. The meaning of the sentence is not changed by using "there is" instead of "there are", either. Both indicate "those fruit exist [in that place]". So now your answer is even wrong by your own logic. May 22, 2013 at 11:58
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@RegDwighт I'm not telling him to rearrange the sentence. I am pointing out that the answer to his question about verbe selection is more apparent in the rearranged sentence. rearrange -> choose verb -> unrearrange with chosen verb.– SparrMay 22, 2013 at 13:59
To answer the actual question, "There is" would be correct. If you rearrange the sentence then it becomes a different question.
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1Please do not mark down an answer to the question without the decency to comment and also try not to answer a different question in an attempt to look smart. This is about answering questions and helping people. Thanks.– SamMay 21, 2013 at 21:10
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"There are" is correct, regardless of the order of the sentence, as Sparr's answer below indicates. Many native English speakers (perhaps most) would incorrectly say "there is" while speaking casually. That does not make it correct. Sep 18, 2013 at 18:55