There vs It

When to use 'There is' and when to use 'It is'.

LEARNING GOALS

check_circleI can use 'there is/are' to say that something exists for the first time
check_circleI can use 'it is' to describe a specific thing we already know about
check_circleI can use 'it is' to talk about weather, time, and distance

A110 min

menu_book

PART 01

Discover

Meet today's English in a real situation — no rules yet. Read it once and try to guess the pattern in the words in bold. Underlined words open a short definition.

Sam: Hi Emily! Is there a good cafe near your house?

Emily: Yes, there is a new cafe on the corner. It is really nice and cozy.

Sam: Oh, great! Is it expensive?

Emily: No, it isn’t. There are lots of cheap options on the menu.

Sam: Perfect. What time is it now? It is 3 PM. Let’s go!

Emily: Wait, look outside. It is raining heavily!

Sam: You’re right. There are big dark clouds in the sky.

Emily: It is too wet to walk. We can stay here and make coffee.

spellcheck

PART 02

Learn

Now the rules behind what you just saw — explained simply, with examples. Underlined words open a short definition — hover on desktop, tap on a phone.

English speakers use the words there and it at the beginning of sentences, but they have completely different jobs. A very common mistake is using it is when you should use there is.

There is (Existence)

We use There is (or There are) to say that something exists, or happens in a place. We usually use it the first time we mention a thing.

There is a spider in the bathroom.
There are two new students in the class.
Is there a problem?

It is (Description & Specifics)

We use It is (or They are for plurals) to talk about a specific thing that we have already mentioned, or that the listener already knows about. We use it to describe the thing.

There is a spider in the bathroom. It is very big! (It = the spider)
Look at that car. It is really fast. (It = that specific car)
There’s a new restaurant in town. It’s very expensive.

warningWARNING

Do not say: ~~It is a spider in the bathroom~~. You must say: There is a spider in the bathroom.

It for Weather, Time, and Distance

We also use It is (not there is) when we talk about the weather, the time, or distance. In English, every sentence needs a subject, so we use “It” as an empty subject.

Weather: It is raining. / It is cold today. (NOT ~~There is raining~~)
Time: It is 5 o’clock. / It is late.
Distance: It is 5 kilometers to the beach. / It is far.

Quick Reference

boltQUICK REVIEW

There is / are: To say something exists. (There is a book on the table.)
It is / They are: To describe that specific thing. (It is heavy.)
It is: For weather, time, and distance. (It is sunny. / It is 10 AM.)

quiz

PART 03

Practice

Try it yourself. You'll see right away whether you got it right, plus a short explanation of why.

0 / 5 correct

1. _____ a big dog in the garden. _____ very angry!

2. Which sentence is correct to talk about the weather?

3. I like this book. _____ very interesting.

4. _____ any milk in the fridge?

5. Hurry up! _____ 8 o'clock and we are late.

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PART 04

Use It

Now make the language yours in a real task. Use the prompt below — the editor keeps a simple word count, and nothing is saved or graded.

PROMPT

Write a short paragraph about your city. First say what exists there (There is/are), then describe those things (It is / They are).

0 words

checklistCHECK YOURSELF

Before you finish — be honest. Can you do these now?

I can use 'there is/are' to say that something exists for the first timeI can use 'it is' to describe a specific thing we already know aboutI can use 'it is' to talk about weather, time, and distance