there is/are ...

Simon   Tue Nov 21, 2006 6:33 pm GMT
Hello!
I need your help. I'm not sure if "There is a bed and a desk in my room" or "There are a bed and a desk in my room" is correct. Both sentences sound not really correct to me. Do I have to use a singular or a plural verb in such cases??
Thanks!
Robin   Thu Nov 23, 2006 1:51 am GMT
"There is a bed and a desk in my room"


"There are a bed and a desk in my room"


I would prefer the first sentence.

There is a bed. Singular.

There is a desk. Singular

There is a bed and a desk. Both are singular

There are two beds. Plural

There are beds and a desk in the room. Plural

There is a bed and some desks. Where the desks are plural
Guest   Thu Nov 23, 2006 2:15 pm GMT
Grammatically, it has to be "there are", because the subject is plural.

For example, "The bed and desk are in my room." not "The bed and desk is in my room."

However, "There is a bed and a desk in my room." is what sounds more correct to me. "There are a bed and a desk in my room." sounds unnatural, even if it is technically correct...
Lazar   Fri Nov 24, 2006 12:07 am GMT
The traditional rules of grammar would say that you have to use the plural form, "There are...", because you have more than one subject. However, in modern vernacular speech it's much more common to use "There is..." regardless of the number of the subject.

So in formal or academic writing, you should say, "There are a bed and a desk in my room," but in everyday speech, it would sound more natural to say, "There's a bed and a desk in my room."
Guest   Fri Nov 24, 2006 8:55 am GMT
It depends what the speaker has in mind when he thinks of "a bed and a desk"; plural, to consider the two objects separately, otherwise singular, to treat them as a single entity.
nobody   Fri Nov 24, 2006 2:46 pm GMT
I was just about to ask another question about "there". Which one would be correct:

- please take note that there is only one daily flight from our city to Malibu
or
- please take note that there there is only one daily flight from our city to Malibu?

Your help will be highly appreciated.
Guest   Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:28 am GMT
The first one.
User   Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:40 am GMT
My room contains a bed and desk.
Lazar   Sat Nov 25, 2006 2:05 am GMT
To Nobody:

Definitely the first one.
Guest   Sat Nov 25, 2006 2:30 am GMT
well, ask yourself this: is it:
A bed and a desk is in my room.
-OR-
A bed and a desk are in my room.
User   Sat Nov 25, 2006 2:33 am GMT
>> - please take note that THERE THERE is only one daily flight from our city to Malibu? <<

There never appears doubled in a sentence. You were probably thinking of "that":

Please take note THAT THAT is the only daily flight from our city to Malibu.