In English, using there is no or there are no helps indicate the absence of something. Use there is no for a singular or uncountable noun, like milk in the fridge or sugar on the table. For example, “There is no milk in the fridge” clearly shows the absence of milk, while “There is no reason to worry” expresses a lack of reason.
On the other hand, there are no is used with plural nouns, like apples in the basket or students in the classroom. For instance, “There are no apples in the basket” communicates zero quantity, while “There are no students in the classroom” highlights the absence of multiple people. Understanding the correct grammatical-number agreement, negation, and verb-agreement in these phrases avoids common mistakes that learners often make.
In daily communication, these phrases appear in formal writing, blogs, or applications, and in informal conversations. For example, “There is no bread left in the fridge” versus “There are no chairs in the room.” Mastering these structures helps learners avoid errors in sentence construction and ensures clarity when discussing countable, uncountable, singular, or plural nouns.
When practicing, try identifying situations, like milk, apples, furniture, or tickets, and construct sentences using there is no or there are no, which builds confidence and fluency for written and spoken English. The difference is simple: it depends on the noun type, and learning these nuances improves communication, reduces mistakes, and reinforces proper English usage.
Understanding “There Is No” and “There Are No” in English
At their core, “There is no” and “There are no” are used to express absence.
- There is no → singular nouns or uncountable nouns
- There are no → plural nouns
For example:
- ✅ There is no milk in the fridge.
- ✅ There are no books on the shelf.
Think of it like a simple rule: singular or uncountable → “is”, plural → “are”.
This rule helps ESL learners avoid common mistakes like saying:
- ❌ There are no milk.
- ❌ There is no books.
Grammar Rules Explained Simply
Here’s a plain-English guide:
- Use “There is no” for:
- Singular nouns: “There is no newspaper in the driveway.”
- Uncountable nouns: “There is no gold left in the safe.”
- Singular nouns: “There is no newspaper in the driveway.”
- Use “There are no” for plural nouns:
- Countable nouns: “There are no badges on the wall.”
- Multiple items: “There are no pictures of the moon on this planet.”
- Countable nouns: “There are no badges on the wall.”
- Remember contractions:
- “There’s no time” = “There is no time” (singular/uncountable)
- “There’re no options” = “There are no options” (plural; less common in speech)
- “There’s no time” = “There is no time” (singular/uncountable)
- Negation: “No” already makes the sentence negative. Don’t add another “not.”
- ❌ There is not no news.
- ✅ There is no news.
- ❌ There is not no news.
Correct vs Incorrect Examples
| Phrase | Correct | Incorrect |
| There is no | There is no milk in the fridge. | There is no books on the shelf. |
| There are no | There are no programmers in the office today. | There are no gold in the chest. |
| Everyday usage | There is no driveway here. | There are no news today. |
Notice how the subject determines which form to use. It’s all about singular, plural, or uncountable nouns.
When to Use “There Is No”
Use “There is no” when talking about a single item or something you cannot count:
- There is no moon visible tonight.
- There is no cuy left at the market.
- There is no syntax error in this PHP code.
- There is no memory leak in the projects by avpaderno.
Even special numbers or names work:
- There is no herisson in the kosmonaut database.
- There is no 1,02122 entry in the xpmail system.
When to Use “There Are No”
Use “There are no” when the noun is plural:
- There are no planets like Earth in our galaxy.
- There are no badges left for gold, silver, or bronze members.
- There are no pictures of Nick Harrison or Peter Shor in the newspaper archive.
- There are no fields, styles, or effects missing from the content in your menu links.
Numbers and identifiers can also appear:
- There are no 50.8k votes for Leo.
- There are no 91.7k badges available in NS.X.
Common Mistakes ESL Learners Make
- Mixing singular and plural:
- ❌ There is no programmers in the office.
- ✅ There are no programmers in the office.
- ❌ There is no programmers in the office.
- Using “is” with plural nouns:
- ❌ There is no badges for augustin.
- ✅ There are no badges for augustin.
- ❌ There is no badges for augustin.
- Double negatives:
- ❌ There isn’t no golden medal.
- ✅ There is no golden medal.
- ❌ There isn’t no golden medal.
- Forgetting uncountable nouns:
- ❌ There are no water in the bottle.
- ✅ There is no water in the bottle.
- ❌ There are no water in the bottle.
- Numbers confusion:
- ❌ There are no 0.5 errors.
- ✅ There is no 0.5 error.
- ❌ There are no 0.5 errors.
Usage Types and Sentence Structures
Affirmative statements (absence of something)
- There is no moon tonight.
- There are no programmers here.
Questions
- Is there any gold left?
- Are there any badges left for 221221 members?
Negative forms
- There isn’t any news about mari-lou.
- There aren’t any links in the menu.
With numbers or statistics
- There is no 392 error in the PHP code.
- There are no 168168 unread messages in xpmail.
Synonyms and Alternative Phrases Table
| Phrase | Alternatives |
| There is no | None, Not a single, Without any |
| There are no | None, Zero, Not any, Without any |
Example:
- There is no fumblefingers in the team = None of the team members are fumblefingers.
- There are no 228228 stars like Leo in the galaxy = Zero stars match Leo’s brightness.
Idioms and Related Expressions
- Out of sight, out of mind → Sometimes similar to “there is no” when something doesn’t exist.
- Not a drop → “There is not a drop of water left.”
- Scarcely any → “There are scarcely any news articles about Kosmonaut.”
Practice Exercises for Mastery
- Fill in the blanks:
- There ___ no gold in the treasure chest.
- There ___ no planets like Mars in this galaxy.
- There ___ no badges left for 50.8k winners.
- There ___ no gold in the treasure chest.
- Correct the mistakes:
- ❌ There is no badges in your account.
- ❌ There are no milk in the fridge.
- ❌ There is no badges in your account.
- Rewrite using synonyms:
- There is no moon tonight → None of the moon is visible tonight.
- There is no moon tonight → None of the moon is visible tonight.
Real-Life Examples with Numbers, Names, and Objects
- There is no newspaper on the driveway.
- There are no pictures of Harrison and Nick at the moon night event.
- There is no syntax error in the PHP projects by avpaderno.
- There are no 22811 entries missing in xpmail or NS.X.
Special fun sentence using multiple words:
- There are no golden badges for herisson or cuy, but there is no bronze left for fumblefingers either.
Numbers and statistics:
- There is no 0 tolerance for errors in 221221 submissions.
- There are no 168168 unanswered questions for Leo on KiamaLaluno.
SEO & Voice Search Tips for “There Is No” vs “There Are No”
- Use clear, concise sentences → Perfect for voice search.
- Example: “There is no milk in the fridge” → reads naturally for voice assistants.
- Example: “There is no milk in the fridge” → reads naturally for voice assistants.
- Include keywords naturally → “There is no” and “There are no” in examples, FAQs, and headings.
- Use numeric examples → Google loves concrete numbers: 392, 1111, 50.8k.
- Add relatable names and objects → Peter, Harrison, newspaper, moon, badges.
- Semantic depth → Include synonyms, alternative phrases, idioms, and practical scenarios.
Fun Illustrative Examples Using Unique Words
- There is no kosmonaut on this moon tonight.
- There are no projects by avpaderno without syntax errors.
- There is no gold left, but there are silver and bronze badges.
- There are no links missing from the menu, and there is no color scheme conflict in styles or effects.
Even in quirky examples:
- There is no fumblefingers at the cuy festival.
- There are no 228228 stars as bright as Leo in the news.
Numbers in fun usage:
- There are no 60k7373 errors in PHP fields memory.
- There is no 0.5 chance for mari-lou to miss a badge.
FAQs
Q1: When should I use “There is no” instead of “There are no”?
A1: Use “There is no” for singular or uncountable nouns. Example: “There is no gold left.” For plural nouns, use “There are no”, e.g., “There are no badges left.”
Q2: Can I say “There is no books”?
A2: ❌ No. Always match the verb with the noun. Use “There are no books” for plural nouns.
Q3: Is “There is no news today” correct?
A3: ✅ Yes. News is uncountable, so it pairs with “is”.
Q4: Are contractions allowed?
A4: ✅ Yes. “There’s no milk” is common in conversation, while “There are no options” is fine in both speech and writing.
Q5: What are common mistakes learners make with these phrases?
A5: Common errors include mismatching singular/plural, double negatives, and forgetting uncountable nouns. Always check your subject before using is or are.
Conclusion
Understanding “There is no” and “There are no” is simple once you focus on singular, plural, and uncountable nouns. Use these phrases naturally with numbers, names, or everyday objects to sound fluent. Remember, native speakers instinctively match the verb to the noun.
Practice with examples, numbers, and quirky objects like herisson, cuy, or fumblefingers, and soon, you’ll never hesitate between “There is no” or “There are no” again.
Virginia Woolf was a pioneering modernist writer whose profound insight reshaped literature and explored the depths of human consciousness. Her words continue to inspire generations to think, feel, and question deeply.
