There has been vs there have been are both present perfect constructions in English, used to describe past events that remain relevant to the present moment. The key difference lies in subject-verb agreement has pairs with singular or uncountable nouns, while have pairs with plural nouns. There has been vs there have been Despite looking nearly identical, choosing the wrong one instantly undermines your credibility in writing.
There has been vs there have been Most English learners and even native speakers stumble over this choice daily not because they lack intelligence, but because the sentence structure is deliberately deceptive. The word there sits where the subject normally lives, yet it means absolutely nothing grammatically.
There has been vs there have been Understanding this single distinction transforms your writing from hesitant to authoritative. Whether you’re crafting a professional email, an academic essay, or a news report, mastering there has been vs there have been ensures your sentences sound polished, precise, and perfectly correct every single time.
What Do These Phrases Mean?
Both “there has been“ and “there have been” are present perfect constructions. They describe something that happened in the past but still carries weight or relevance right now.
- There has been → one thing happened (or an uncountable situation exists)
- There have been → multiple things happened
Neither phrase is more formal than the other. Both are used freely in everyday conversation, professional writing, and journalism.
The Core Rule: Subject Number Decides Everything
Here’s the rule, stated plainly:
Match has or have to the noun that comes after been not to the word there.
There has been vs there have been The word “there” in these sentences is a dummy subject a grammatical placeholder. It starts the sentence smoothly but carries no real meaning. The true subject always appears after “been.”
| Phrase | Use When | Real Subject |
|---|---|---|
| There has been | Subject is singular or uncountable | one noun / mass noun |
| There have been | Subject is plural | multiple nouns |
Quick Examples
- ✅ There has been a mistake. → (one mistake = singular)
- ✅ There have been several mistakes. → (several mistakes = plural)
- ✅ There has been progress. → (progress = uncountable noun)
- ✅ There have been improvements. → (improvements = plural)
Why Present Perfect? (Meaning and Use)
The present perfect tense connects the past to the present. When you say “there has been a change,” you’re signalling that:
- Something occurred before now.
- That occurrence still matters or affects the current situation.
There has been vs there have beenThis is why you’ll hear these phrases constantly in news reports, business emails, and daily conversation they communicate past events with present consequences.
Compare these two sentences:
- There was an accident on the highway. (simple past just reporting a fact)
- There has been an accident on the highway. (present perfect the road may still be blocked right now)
The present perfect version tells your listener that the situation is still relevant. That nuance is powerful.
Clear Examples and Breakdowns
Singular Subjects → There Has Been
| Sentence | Subject | Why Has? |
|---|---|---|
| There has been a delay. | a delay (singular) | one event |
| There has been heavy rain this week. | heavy rain (uncountable) | mass noun |
| There has been no response from the team. | no response (singular) | one situation |
| There has been an update to the policy. | an update (singular) | one item |
Plural Subjects → There Have Been
| Sentence | Subject | Why Have? |
|---|---|---|
| There have been many complaints. | many complaints (plural) | multiple events |
| There have been three accidents this month. | three accidents (plural) | counted items |
| There have been significant changes in the law. | significant changes (plural) | multiple changes |
| There have been reports of flooding. | reports (plural) | multiple reports |
Agreement With Complex Subjects
Things get trickier when modifiers appear between the verb and the subject. speech The rule stays the same focus on the head noun, not the surrounding words.
- ✅ There has been a series of complaints. → “series” is the head noun (singular)
- ✅ There has been a lot of confusion. → “lot” treated as singular in this context
- ✅ There have been a number of issues. → “a number of” takes plural
- ✅ There has been no shortage of ideas. → “shortage” is singular
Tip: Ask yourself: What is the main thing I’m describing? That noun controls the verb.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Mistake 1: Treating “there” as the subject
❌ There have been a mistake. ✅ There has been a mistake. (“mistake” is singular)
Mistake 2: Using “has” for all situations out of habit
❌ There has been many reports about this. ✅ There have been many reports about this. (“reports” is plural)
Mistake 3: Using “there’s been” with plural nouns
❌ There’s been delays on the line. ✅ There have been delays on the line.
“There’s been” is a contraction of there has been never use it before a plural noun.
Mistake 4: Confusing with past simple
❌ There were been a problem. ✅ There has been a problem.
Negative and Contracted Forms
Negative Forms
| Positive | Negative |
|---|---|
| There has been | There has not been / There hasn’t been |
| There have been | There have not been / There haven’t been |
Examples:
- There hasn’t been any news since Tuesday.
- There haven’t been any complaints from customers.
Contracted Forms (Informal)
- There’s been = There has been ✅ (singular/uncountable only)
- There’ve been = There have been ✅ (plural less common in writing, fine in speech)
⚠️ Never write there’s been before a plural noun. It’s one of the most common errors native speakers make in informal writing.
Time Expressions Used With These Phrases
Because these phrases use the present perfect, they pair naturally with specific time expressions that link past actions to the present:
| Time Expression | Example |
|---|---|
| recently | There has recently been a change in management. |
| lately | There have been a lot of complaints lately. |
| so far | There have been no major issues so far. |
| over the past [period] | There have been three updates over the past week. |
| since | There has been no contact since Friday. |
| in the last [period] | There have been five meetings in the last month. |
| never | There has never been a better time to learn. |
Avoid using these phrases with purely completed past time markers like yesterday, last year, or in 2010 those require the simple past tense instead.
American vs British English
In both American and British English, the singular/plural rule is identical. The difference lies in one subtle area: collective nouns.
| Noun Type | American English | British English |
|---|---|---|
| Collective nouns (team, government, staff) | Usually singular: The team has been… | Often plural: The team have been… |
| Standard singular/plural rule | Same | Same |
For there has been / there have been, both dialects follow the same pattern. You won’t be wrong on either side of the Atlantic as long as you match the verb to the noun correctly.
Idiomatic Expressions and Special Cases
Some phrases behave unexpectedly. Here are the ones worth knowing:
- “There has been talk of…” → always singular (“talk” is uncountable)
- “There has been a lot of…” → singular (despite referring to many things)
- “There have been times when…” → plural (“times” is countable)
- “There has been some debate…” → singular (“debate” as a concept is uncountable)
- “There’s been a lot going on.” → casual contraction, singular, very common in speech
Practical Tips for Learners
- Find the real subject first. Ignore “there” and look at the noun after “been.” That noun controls everything.
- Ask: one or many? If you can count them and there’s more than one, use have. If it’s one thing or uncountable, use has.
- Watch out for “a lot of” and “a number of.” These look plural but often behave singularly check your context carefully.
- Avoid “there’s been” with plurals. This is a widespread error even among native speakers. In formal writing, always spell it out.
- Read it aloud. If it sounds wrong, it probably is. Your ear often catches subject-verb disagreement before your eye does.
- Check collective nouns in context. If writing for a British audience, collective nouns may take plural agreement.
Rewritten, Polished Version (Simple and Clear)
Before (unclear, error-prone):
There’s been many delays on the project and there have been a lot of concern from stakeholders. There’s been reports of miscommunication too.
After (corrected and polished):
There have been many delays on the project, and there has been considerable concern from stakeholders. There have also been reports of miscommunication.
What changed:
- “There’s been many delays” → “There have been many delays” (plural subject)
- “a lot of concern” → kept with has been (uncountable noun)
- “there’s been reports” → “there have been reports” (plural subject)
Conclusion
The choice between there has been and there have been comes down to one simple question: is the subject singular or plural? Use has for singular and uncountable nouns; use have for plural nouns. The trick is remembering that “there” is never the real subject the noun that follows been is what matters.
There has been vs there have been Master this rule and you’ll handle both phrases correctly in formal reports, everyday emails, academic writing, and casual conversation without hesitation.
FAQs
Is “there has been” or “there have been” more formal?
Neither is more formal. Both are equally appropriate in professional and academic writing when used correctly.
Can I use “there’s been” in a formal email?
It depends on your audience. In most business emails, “there has been” is safer and more polished than the contraction.
What about “there had been”? Is that different?
Yes “there had been” is the past perfect tense. It describes something that happened before another past event, e.g., There had been several warnings before the accident occurred.
Is it correct to say “there have been a lot of problems”?
Yes. “A lot of problems” takes a plural verb because “problems” is the head noun there have been a lot of problems is correct.
Which is correct: “there has been no changes” or “there have been no changes”?
There have been no changes is correct. “Changes” is plural, so you need have.
Can “there” ever be the real subject?
No. In these constructions, “there” is always a dummy subject (also called an expletive subject). The real subject always follows been.
Why do people get this wrong so often?
Because “there” appears at the start of the sentence where the subject usually sits. Our brains automatically assign it subject status, leading to the wrong verb choice.
Is “there’ve been” acceptable in everyday speech?
Yes, in informal speech it’s fine. In formal writing, spell it out as there have been.
