Guide to English grammar

Have you heard the news?
In additions with so and neither/nor, • 43(1)
I saw the man and so did Paul.
After a negative phrase in front position, • 17(6c)
In no circumstances should you sign the form.
In some conditional clauses, • 258
Had you signed the form, you would have lost all your rights.

50 The empty subjects there and it

1 The use of there
The verb be does not usually have a subject with a/an or some. A sentence like “A Chinese restaurant is round the corner” is possible but unusual. A phrase with a/an is usually new information, and so it comes later in the sentence.
Where can we eat? - There's a Chinese restaurant round the corner.
We put therein the subject position so that a Chinese restaurant can come after the verb. “There + be” expresses the idea that something exists.

2 There + be: more details

1 We use the pattern in sentences with adverbials of place, time and other meanings.
There was a furniture van outside the house.
There's a concert next week.
There are some letters for you.

For “The house had a furniture van outside it”, • 85(1) Note d.

2 We can use “there + be” without an adverbial. This happens with nouns expressing a situation or event.

I'm afraid there's a problem. (= A problem exists.)
There's been an accident. (= An accident has happened.)

NOTE
The adverbial is sometimes understood from the context.
You know this party we're going to. Will there be any food (at the party)?

3 We normally use “there + be” before a noun phrase which is new information. This noun phrase has an indefinite meaning. It can have a/an, some, any, no or a number, or it can be a noun on its own. It can also have one of these quantifiers: a lot of/lots of, many, much, few, little; a good/great deal of, a number of, several; more, another, other, others; enough, plenty of.

There are some drawing-pins in my desk.
There are seven days in a week.
There was dust everywhere.
There's far too much traffic on the roads.
There will be a number of tasks to carry out.
Is there any more tea in the pot?
There isn't enough memory in the computer.
The noun phrase does not usually have the, this/that etc or my/your etc, which refer to definite things known from the context.

NOTE
We can use the in this pattern when we remind someone of the existence of something specific.

What can I stand on to reach the light bulb? -Well, there's the stepladder.