There

What is “There”?

“There” is a word used in English to introduce the existence or presence of something.

In many sentences, “there” does not show place. Instead, it works as a dummy (empty) subject.

“There” अंग्रेज़ी भाषा में एक ऐसा शब्द है जिसका उपयोग किसी चीज़ के अस्तित्व (existence) या उपस्थिति (presence) को बताने के लिए किया जाता है। कई वाक्यों में “there” किसी स्थान (place) को नहीं दिखाता। बल्कि यह एक डमी (खाली) कर्ता / Dummy Subject के रूप में काम करता है।

Dummy subject means “there” has no real meaning of its own; it is used only to complete the sentence structure.

Dummy subject “there” का अपना कोई वास्तविक अर्थ नहीं होता। इसका प्रयोग केवल वाक्य की संरचना को पूरा करने के लिए किया जाता है।

Why Do We Use “There” as a Dummy Subject?

1. When a Sentence Starts with a Real Subject

(“There” shows a place – not a dummy subject)

In this type of sentence:

1. The real subject comes first

2. “There” shows a place (वहाँ)

3. The main verb agrees with the real subject

Structure:

Subject + Verb + There (place)

Example 1

English: Ram is sitting there.
Hindi: राम वहाँ बैठा है।

1. Subject = Ram
2. Verb = is sitting
3. “There” = shows place (वहाँ)

Example 2

English: The children are playing there.
Hindi: बच्चे वहाँ खेल रहे हैं।

1. Subject = The children
2. Verb = are playing
3. “There” = place (वहाँ)

⚠ In these sentences, if you remove “there,” the sentence is still complete:

1. Ram is sitting.
2. The children are playing.

So here “there” is just an adverb of place, not a dummy subject.

2. When a Sentence Starts with “There”

(“There” does NOT show place – It is a Dummy Subject)

In this type:

1. “There” does NOT mean “वहाँ”

2. It does NOT show place

3. It is just a grammatical subject

4. The real subject comes AFTER the verb

This is called Existential There.

Structure:

There + be verb + Real Subject

Example 1

English: There is a book on the table.
Hindi: मेज़ पर एक किताब है।

1. “There” = dummy subject
2. Real subject = a book
3. Verb agrees with “a book” (singular → is)

If we translate word by word, “there” does not mean “वहाँ”.

Example 2

English: There are many students in the class.
Hindi: कक्षा में कई छात्र हैं।

1. “There” = dummy subject
2. Real subject = many students
3. Verb agrees with “many students” (plural → are)

Final Understanding

1. Ram is sitting there. → “there” = place
2. There is a problem. → “there” = dummy subject
3. If “there” answers the question Where? → It is a place.
4. If it does NOT answer Where? → It is a dummy subject.

Example 1. 

Amit was a king.

English: Amit was a king.
Hindi: अमित एक राजा था।

Structure:

Subject + Be verb + Complement

1. Subject = Amit
2. Verb = was
3. Complement = a king

Meaning:

This sentence talks directly about Amit’s identity.
It tells us who Amit was.

Here, “Amit” is the real subject.

Example 2.

There was a king named Amit.

English: There was a king named Amit.
Hindi: एक राजा था जिसका नाम अमित था।

Structure:

There + Be verb + Real subject

1. “There” = dummy subject
2. Real subject = a king
3. “named Amit” = extra information

Meaning:

This sentence tells us about the existence of a king.
It introduces new information.

Here, “There” does NOT mean “वहाँ”.
It only shows that someone/something existed.

Main Difference (Very Clear)

1. Amit was a king.

➡ Focus is on Amit
➡ Talking about his identity
➡ Normal sentence structure

2. There was a king named Amit.

➡ Focus is on existence
➡ Introducing a new person
➡ “There” is just a grammatical subject

Simple Rule to Remember

If the sentence is about who someone is → Use normal subject (Amit was a king).

If the sentence is about someone/something existing → Use “There + be” (There was a king).

One More Clear Pair

✔ She is a teacher.
वह एक अध्यापिका है।

✔ There is a teacher in the room.
कमरे में एक अध्यापिका है।

In the first sentence → identity
In the second sentence → existence

Learn rules and examples of 'There'

Common Mistakes when using Dummy Subject “There”

1. Using “there” as a place instead of a dummy subject

Mistake:
There is standing a boy. ❌

Correct:
There is a boy standing. ✔

Explanation:
“There” does not show place here. It only introduces the sentence.

2. Using wrong verb according to singular or plural noun

Mistake:
There is many students in the class. ❌

Correct:
There are many students in the class. ✔

Rule:
Use is → singular noun
Use are → plural noun

3. Forgetting “being” in present continuous passive

Mistake:
There are built a bridge. ❌

Correct:
There is a bridge being built. ✔

Structure:
There + is/are + noun + being + verb (3rd form)

4. Using double subject

Mistake:
There the boy is playing. ❌

Correct:
There is a boy playing. ✔

Explanation:
“There” itself acts as the subject.

5. Using wrong tense structure

Mistake:
There is play a match. ❌

Correct:
There is a match being played. ✔

Common FAQs about Dummy Subject “There”

FAQ 1: Why do we use “there”?

Answer:
We use “there” to introduce something for the first time.

Example:
There is a dog outside.

FAQ 2: Is “there” the real subject?

Answer:
No. The real subject comes after the verb.

Example:
There is a book on the table.
Real subject = book

FAQ 3: Can we use “there” in present continuous?

Answer:
Yes.

Example:
There is a man waiting.
There are students studying.

FAQ 4: Can we use “there” with all tenses?

Answer:
Yes.

Examples:
Present: There is a car.
Past: There was a car.
Future: There will be a car.
Continuous: There is a car coming.

FAQ 5: Can we use “there” with plural nouns?

Answer:
Yes, use are

Example:
There are many people waiting.

FAQ 6: Can we use “there” in spoken English?

Answer:
Yes. It is very common and natural.

Example:
There is someone calling you.

Translation Practice (Hindi to English)

1. कमरे में एक कुर्सी है।

2. मेज पर दो किताबें हैं।

3. बगीचे में बहुत से फूल हैं।

4. गाँव में एक पुराना मंदिर है।

5. कक्षा में कोई छात्र नहीं है।

6. सड़क पर एक आदमी खड़ा था।

7. मैदान में कई बच्चे खेल रहे थे।

8. कल एक समस्या थी।

9. इस शहर में बहुत ट्रैफिक है।

10. मेरे बैग में कुछ पैसे हैं।

11. दीवार पर एक तस्वीर लगी है।

12. उस समय कोई रास्ता नहीं था।

13. घर में चार कमरे हैं।

14. इस कहानी में एक संदेश है।

15. बाजार में भीड़ थी।

16. इस मशीन में एक खराबी है।

17. कमरे में कुछ लोग बैठे थे।

18. यहाँ एक मौका है।

19. उस स्कूल में एक अच्छा शिक्षक है।

20. पिछले साल एक बड़ा बदलाव था।

21. प्लेट में थोड़ा खाना है।

22. डिब्बे में तीन सेब हैं।

23. इस क्षेत्र में एक अस्पताल है।

24. उस दिन कोई बैठक नहीं थी।

25. इस किताब में पाँच अध्याय हैं।

26. हमारे शहर में एक नया पुल है।

27. उस समय बहुत शोर था।

28. मेरे फोन में एक मैसेज है।

29. इस योजना में एक गलती है।

30. नदी के किनारे एक पेड़ है।

Answer Key

1. There is a chair in the room.

2. There are two books on the table.

3. There are many flowers in the garden.

4. There is an old temple in the village.

5. There is no student in the class.

6. There was a man standing on the road.

7. There were many children playing in the ground.

8. There was a problem yesterday.

9. There is a lot of traffic in this city.

10. There is some money in my bag.

11. There is a picture on the wall.

12. There was no way at that time.

13. There are four rooms in the house.

14. There is a message in this story.

15. There was a crowd in the market.

16. There is a fault in this machine.

17. There were some people sitting in the room.

18. There is an opportunity here.

19. There is a good teacher in that school.

20. There was a big change last year.

21. There is some food on the plate.

22. There are three apples in the box.

23. There is a hospital in this area.

24. There was no meeting that day.

25. There are five chapters in this book.

26. There is a new bridge in our city.

27. There was a lot of noise at that time.

28. There is a message on my phone.

29. There is a mistake in this plan.

30. There is a tree near the river.