Existential Constructions Worksheet

Existential Constructions

Read each section carefully and answer all questions to the best of your ability. This worksheet focuses on existential constructions, which typically begin with 'there is,' 'there are,' 'there was,' or 'there were' and introduce the existence of something.

Existential constructions are used to express the existence or presence of something. They often begin with 'there' followed by a form of the verb 'to be' (is, are, was, were) and then the noun or noun phrase. For example: 'There is a book on the table.' In this construction, 'there' is a grammatical placeholder, and the real subject follows the verb.

1. Which of the following sentences uses an existential construction?

2. In the sentence 'There was a loud noise,' what is the true subject?

Complete the following sentences using an appropriate existential construction (there is, there are, there was, there were).

3.   a dog barking outside.

4.   many students in the library yesterday.

5.   only one slice of pizza left.

6.   several options to choose from.

Indicate whether each statement about existential constructions is True or False.

7. Existential constructions always begin with 'it is.'

8. The verb in an existential construction agrees with the noun or noun phrase that follows 'there is/are.'

9. Rewrite the following sentence using an existential construction: 'A solution to the problem exists.'

10. Explain when it is more appropriate to use 'there is' versus 'there are' in an existential construction.

Transform the following sentences into questions using existential constructions (e.g., 'There is a car.' -> 'Is there a car?').

11. There was a secret passage.

12. There are many reasons for her success.