■ there is

1) there is... 的句型往往用来使得句子不显得过于生硬。

• We can do nothing about it我们对此无能为力。

固然符合语法，但听起来太生硬。通常说 There's nothing we can do about it 就通顺一些。又如 If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask（需要些什么尽管说）就比 If you need anything...通顺。Is there anything I can do for you? 就比 Can I do anything for you? 通顺。句子拖长是拖长了一些，但有时候不一定短就是好。

2) There's nothing to do. 是“没有什么能做，百无聊赖。” There's nothing to be done. 则是“无能为力，无计可施。”

3) there is 中的 there 已经完全失去了“那里”的空间地点含义，同动词 to be“化合”在一起，表示“有”，而不是“那里有”。因此，如果要加上地点，说“这里有”或“那里有”，就需要再加上位置副词 here 或 there（这个 there 却是“那里”的意思）。

• There are two chairs here.这里有两把椅子。
• There is a building there.那边有一座建筑。

甚至 here 可以直接放在 there 前面或后面。

• Here there is a difficulty. (The Economist, June 14, 2008, p.16)这里有一个困难。
• But why? What diseases are there here that we should fear them? (John Darnton, The Darwin Conspiracy, p.191)什么道理？这里有什么我们该害怕的疾病？

4) there is 可以有许多变化。中国人比较习惯于 there is, there are, there was, there were 等比较简单的形式，对变化的形式可能不大习惯。在现实语言中，to be 前面可以加上各种助动词或其他动词，或者 to be 本身保持不定式或分词状态。

• But there may be a better alternative.但是可能另有更好的办法。
• There's got to be some explanation.肯定有个原因。
• There had to be a score of CNN employees outside the door.门外肯定有一大批 CNN 的人员。
• There is starting to be a growing consensus that it's time for us to withdraw some of our combat troops out of Iraq, deploy them here in Afghanistan. (Barack Obama, July 20, 2008)现在是时候了，我们应该把我们在伊拉克的作战部队撤出一些，部署在阿富汗这里，这一点正在开始越来越成为共识。
• There are thought to be more than 3,000 different languages in the world.据估计全世界共有三千种不同的语言。
• There was said to be disagreement between Ministers.据说各个大臣之间有意见分歧。
• Today there are believed to be around 200,000 trafficked women working in Japan's saunas, massage parlors and sex telephone clubs ... (The New York Review of Books, Oct. 11, 2007, p.16)目前，被拐骗到日本的桑拿浴室、按摩厅和性电话俱乐部干活的妇女，据信约有二十万人…
• There was sure to be a refreshing breeze.肯定会有爽快的凉风。
• Though the genes in question have yet to be identified, this result suggests they are too abundant to be there by chance.尽管这些基因尚未查明是什么，但是这个结果显示，既然为量如此之多，就不会是偶然存在的。
• There needs to be no military response because we're not at war with Russia. (George W. Bush, June 6, 2007)不需要有军事上的回应，因为我们并不是同俄国交战。
• There weren't supposed to be any upstairs tenants.按理楼上不会有房客。
• There is going to have to be a way to deal with Iran or a whole nexus of Middle East issues. (Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, US News & World Report, Jan. 14, 2008, p.18)对于伊朗或是对于一整套的中东问题，将需要有办法来处理。
• He needed to know if there happened to be room.他需要知道会不会刚好有空地。
• There had better be some people left there with some brains and guts.那边最好留下一些有点头脑和魄力的人。
• What is the probability of there being creatures on Neptune?海王星上有生物的可能性有多大？
• There began to be a commotion.开始出现骚乱。
• There is certain to be some opposition to your suggestion.对于你的建议，肯定会有反对意见。
• In the winter, when Gov. George Pataki and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno announced an $800 million biotechnology and biomedical research initiative and the Assembly passed legislation calling on New York to invest $300 million in stem cell research, there appeared to be momentum. (The Sunday Gazette, Schenectady, New York, July 23, 2006, A1)当去冬帕德基州长和州参议院多数党领袖布鲁诺宣布拨款八亿美元进行生物技术和生物医学研究，而且州议会通过法律号召纽约州投资三亿美元进行干细胞研究的时候，看来劲头相当大。
• There remained some crucial testimony from outstanding witnesses.还有一些重要证人尚未提出关键性的证词。
• She had seen all there was left of hope in her life.她已经看到过自己一生中剩下的一点点希望。
• There's bound to be conflict. There's bound to be friction. (The New York Times, April 4, 2007, E8)肯定会有冲突。肯定会有摩擦。

there 在这里的句法结构上，可以当作一个名词来安排（往往充当一个动词或介词的直接宾语）。

• Asked if the experience in Vietnam offered lessons for Iraq, Bush said, "We tend to want there to be instant success in the world, and the task in Iraq is going to take awhile." (The Associated Press from Hanoi, Nov. 17, 2006)当被问到越南的经验是否为伊拉克提供教训时，布什说：“在世界上，我们都是喜欢马到功成的，伊拉克的任务却是要点时间的。”
• the necessity for there to be a standard需要有一个标准的必要性
• It is possible for there to be a timetable.可能有一个时间表。
• Their teacher considers there to be nothing difficult in that task.他们老师认为这个作业一点也不难。
• I don't want there to be any misunderstanding.我不希望发生任何误解。
• Let there be light. (Genesis 1： 3)要有光。
• Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there.尊重与信任。两者必须兼而有之。
• The mayor kept there from being a riot.市长使得骚乱未能发生。
• The police believe there to be terrorists involved in the bombing.警察认为爆炸案有恐怖分子插手。
• They believe there to have been a riot yesterday.他们相信昨天发生过一次骚乱。

有时候 seem to be 中的 to be 可以略去。

• There seemed no warrant for further investigation.看来没有根据继续调查下去。
• There seems no way this can hurt his family.这看来不可能伤他家人的心。
• Lilian was pale; there seemed little life left in her.莉莉安脸色苍白；她似乎只剩下了半条命。

但是如果是 to have been 则不能略去。

• There seems to have been some mistake.看来出了点错误。

5) there is/are 后面出现的主语，通常是不定指的，但是有时候也可以是定指的。

• —Mary: Who could we give our old lawnmower to? —John: Well, there's that student next door, there's the guy who works for your uncle. —玛丽：咱们这架旧的推草机给谁好呀？—约翰：可以给隔壁的那个学生，也可以给那个替你叔父干活的人。
• There was the smell of rum on his breath.他的气息带着一股酒味。