Existential Sentences
一、there be的基本用法
1)There be句型表示“某地(或某時)有某人(或某物)”，這里there是引導(dǎo)詞，沒有詞義，be是謂語動詞，代詞或名詞(短語)是主語。be要與主語保持人稱和數(shù)的一致。否定句是在be后加not;一般疑問句是將be放在句首;
There is a desk and two chairs in the room.
Is there anything wrong with your ears?(Yes，there is./No，there isn’t.)
be動詞的單復(fù)數(shù)形式取決于以下兩種情況：(1)該句式中只有一個主語，主語為單數(shù)時，be動詞用單數(shù);主語若為復(fù)數(shù)，be動詞也用復(fù)數(shù)。(2)該句式中有幾個并列主語，則按就近原則處理，即與靠近be動詞的第一個主語保持一致。
1. There is room for improvement.
2. There are three apples on the table.
3. There was only a textbook, a dictionary and two pens on the desk. 4. There were two pens，a textbook, and a dictionary on the desk.
2)如果作主語的是一個短語，則常常考查短語中的修飾語。可數(shù)名詞的復(fù)數(shù)形式前可以用any，some，few，a few，m any或用數(shù)詞 +hundred/thousand/million，hundreds/ thousands/millions of，no等修飾;不可數(shù)名詞可以受any，some，no，little，a little，much等詞的修飾。
1. There is _____ water.You needn’t get some more.
A.few B.little C.much
2. There were _____ students in our school.
A.hundreds B.eight hundred C.eight hundreds of
3)除此之外，還有一個重要句式“有某人在做某事”，要用“There be +sb.+doing sth.+地點/時間狀語”。There are several children swimming in the river.
4)存在句各種時態(tài)
現(xiàn)在時 話語前后有某事物存在 There are many cars on the street everyday. 有很多車在街上.
過去時 話語前有某事物存在 There were many cars on the street in the past.
將來時 話語后有某事物存在There will be many cars on the street in the rush hour.會有…
完成時 話語之前就有某事物存在 There have been many cars on the street so far.一直有…
過去完成時 過去話語之前早已有某事物存在 There had been many cars on the street by the end of last month. 到上個月月底前曾一直有…
5)在there be的 be 前還可以加上各種情態(tài)詞，如：
There must be something wrong.一定有問題。
There ought not to be so many people.不應(yīng)該有這么多的人。
There might still be hope .可能還有點希望。
二、“There be +主語+不定式”中，不定式可以有主動和被動兩種形式，不過在口語中主動形式更為常見。
There is a letter to type/be typed today.
三、There be句式中的be也可以用其它意義的動詞或詞組取代。它們通常是：lie, live, stand等表示存在或位置的動詞;come, go, run, walk等表示運動或方向的動詞以及certain to be, sure to be, appear to be, happen to be等詞組。這種there存在句的謂語動詞的人稱、數(shù)的形式與主語須保持一致。例如：
1. There lies a river behind the house.
2. In front of the village there flows a stream.
3. There is sure to be a friend of mine in the hotel.
4. There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with the radio.
相關(guān)內(nèi)容：
英語中的“強調(diào)”表示
With的復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)作獨立主格
兼有兩種形式的副詞
