Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nicwr2002]

So, recently there has been this huge debate around the correct usage of There is/are in a noun series.

Example: There is a cat, a dog, and two pigs. or
There are a cat, a dog, and two pigs.

Which one is correct? All of the native teachers say that 'There is' is correct when the noun after the be verb is singular. However, all of the Korean teachers are saying that "There are" is correct because there are three things listed in the series. Does anyone have a link to research about this? The only thing I could find was that it was debatable. I couldn't find a definitive answer.

Any help is much appreciated.

[SuperfuzzBigmuff]

Koreans and their grammar, eh? I swear, if only they spent more time on speaking and listening.

You can't have a plural verb with a singular noun. No native speaker would say: There are a cat.....

When the first noun in the series is singular or non-count, use there is.

There is a cat, dog and two pigs.

When the first noun in the series is plural, use there are.

There are two pigs, a cat and a dog.

http://blog.esllibrary.com/2017/07/26/there-is-there-are/

[Coltronator]

Native here and I have used both. However, I am a descriptivist and not a proscriptivist so I make it a point to not care about stuff like this.

[nicwr2002]

Yea, I wouldn't make a big deal about it, but my hagwon is making a big deal out of it. Basically telling all of the teachers that they are wrong and that Koreans know English grammar better than we do. While that may be the case for some people, it isn't true in this case.

I just wanted to see what other people say and to see if anyone knew of a website from a respected grammar website that would help prove to them that we are right.

[Biblethumper]

The Oxford Guide to Grammar (I cannot recall the title exactly) and the Oxford Grammar in Focus textbook series can help you prove the Koreans know less about English grammar and vocabulary than a well-educated native speaker does. There are downloads for the Guide; the textbook is available in bookstores that cater to schools: you could take a snapshot of the relevant pages instead of buying the whole book?

[nicwr2002]

[Coltronator]

Proscriptive uselessness. Just joking. My views are at odds with it. But I admit it is a valid view and if asked in a professional setting would need to follow.

[denverdeath]

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/there-is-there-are/

[nicwr2002]

I don't have a problem if that's what they want to follow, but they are saying that us foreigners are out right wrong.

I showed them that grammarly website, but they don't think that it's respectable enough.

[denverdeath]

https://elt.oup.com/student/solutions/elementary/grammar/grammar_03_012e?cc=kr&selLanguage=ko

Try there! MY G0D! IT'S OXF0RD!!!!

[denverdeath]

CAMBRIDGE!!! REALLY??!??

https://www.google.com/amp/s/dictionary.cambridge.org/amp/british-grammar/there-is-there-s-and-there-are

What do they want? EVERYTHING but a BAD korean book?

[denverdeath]

Oh. Right. They wanna k33p that AWFUL korean book!

[denverdeath]

Please tell them cocoa is pronounce koh-koh, NOT koh-koh-ah. Let THAT ooze into their brains and tell them to come to YOU for the RIGHT answers...

[denverdeath]

http://www.grammar.cl/Present/ThereIsThereAre.htm

One of my best sites from long ago. Sorry it's not websters or cambridge or sth so, cough, famous...DOES better job than most!

[denverdeath]

ALL sources back up what SuperfuzzBigmuff said LONG ago. Tell the koreans to figure out what a verb is. Afterwards, tell them to consider singulars, plurals, and subjects. PLEASE!