Is there any and are there any are two common English question patterns that often confuse learners. At first glance, the difference seems small. After all, both expressions contain the word any, and both are usually used when asking whether something exists or is available. However, choosing between is and are depends on an important grammar rule: subject-verb agreement.
The simplest way to understand the difference is this: use is there any when talking about a singular noun or an uncountable noun, and use are there any when talking about a plural countable noun.
In the first sentence, milk is an uncountable noun, so we use is. In the second sentence, apples is plural and countable, so we use are.
This distinction may sound straightforward, yet many English learners still make mistakes. The reason is that the word any can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. Therefore, you cannot decide whether to use is or are by looking at the word any alone. You need to look at the noun that follows it.
Understanding Is There Any vs Are There Any can improve your everyday English significantly. These phrases appear in conversations, emails, classrooms, offices, restaurants, stores, and many other situations. You might ask whether there is any water available, whether there are any empty seats, or whether there is any problem with a document.
Is There Any vs Are There Any: The Basic Difference
The basic difference comes down to noun countability and number.
Use “Is There Any” With Uncountable Nouns
An uncountable noun describes something that English normally treats as a mass, substance, concept, or general quantity rather than separate individual items.
Examples include:
- water
- milk
- money
- information
- advice
- furniture
- equipment
- homework
- sugar
- time
So you say:
- Is there any water left?
- Is there any money in your account?
- Is there any information about the event?
- Is there any furniture in the room?
These nouns take the singular form of be, which gives us is.
Reade More:Nonresponsive vs Unresponsive: What’s the Difference?
Use “Are There Any” With Plural Countable Nouns
Countable nouns refer to individual things that you can count.
A singular countable noun can normally take a, an, or a number:
- a book
- an apple
- one chair
- two chairs
When you make these nouns plural, use are in a there-existential question:
- Are there any books on the desk?
- Are there any apples in the refrigerator?
- Are there any chairs available?
- Are there any students in the classroom?
Merriam-Webster explains that count nouns have singular and plural forms, while mass or noncount nouns normally use singular verb forms.
The Quick Rule
Is there any + uncountable noun?
Are there any + plural countable noun?
That rule handles most everyday situations.
Is There Any vs Are There Any: Quick Comparison
| Structure | Noun Type | Example |
| Is there any + noun? | Uncountable | Is there any water? |
| Are there any + noun? | Plural countable | Are there any bottles? |
| There isn’t any + noun | Uncountable | There isn’t any water. |
| There aren’t any + noun | Plural countable | There aren’t any bottles. |
The word any doesn’t decide whether you need is or are. The noun does.
That’s the key idea to remember.
What Does “Is There Any” Mean?
Is there any asks whether an amount or quantity of something exists, remains, or is available.
The noun after any is typically uncountable.
Consider this question:
Is there any coffee left?
The speaker isn’t asking about individual cups of coffee. The speaker wants to know whether some amount of coffee remains.
Now compare it with:
Are there any cups of coffee left?
Here, cups are individual objects. You can count them:
- one cup
- two cups
- three cups
Therefore, are becomes the natural choice.
Common “Is There Any” Examples
- Is there any water in the glass?
- Is there any milk in the refrigerator?
- Is there any food left?
- Is there any money in the drawer?
- Is there any information online?
- Is there any advice you can give me?
- Is there any furniture in the apartment?
- Is there any homework tonight?
- Is there any traffic on the highway?
- Is there any evidence supporting the claim?
Notice the pattern. The nouns don’t represent separate countable objects in these sentences.
Is There Any With Uncountable Nouns
This is where the distinction becomes especially useful.
English has many nouns that learners may naturally try to make plural. However, standard American English normally treats certain nouns as uncountable when they refer to a general substance, quantity, or concept.
Common Uncountable Nouns
| Uncountable Noun | Correct Question |
| water | Is there any water? |
| information | Is there any information? |
| advice | Is there any advice? |
| money | Is there any money? |
| furniture | Is there any furniture? |
| equipment | Is there any equipment? |
| homework | Is there any homework? |
| luggage | Is there any luggage? |
| traffic | Is there any traffic? |
| progress | Is there any progress? |
Cambridge Dictionary notes that the ordinary “indefinite quantity” use of any occurs with uncountable nouns and plural nouns, especially in questions and negative sentences.
Why “Is” Works Here
Take the sentence:
Is there any information about the meeting?
The noun information doesn’t normally become informations when referring to facts generally.
You wouldn’t say:
❌ Are there any informations about the meeting?
Instead, say:
✅ Is there any information about the meeting?
If you need to count individual pieces, change the noun structure:
✅ Are there any pieces of information about the meeting?
That’s an important trick. When English treats something as uncountable, you can often count it through a separate unit.
For example:
- information → pieces of information
- advice → pieces of advice
- furniture → pieces of furniture
- equipment → pieces of equipment
So:
- Is there any advice?
- Are there any pieces of advice?
Both sentences can be grammatical, but they frame the noun differently.
What Does “Are There Any” Mean?
Are there any asks whether one or more individual things exist, remain, or are available.
The noun normally appears in its plural countable form.
For example:
Are there any tickets available?
A ticket is countable:
- one ticket
- two tickets
- three tickets
Because the question concerns multiple possible tickets, are fits naturally.
Common “Are There Any” Examples
- Are there any books on the shelf?
- Are there any students outside?
- Are there any restaurants nearby?
- Are there any tickets left?
- Are there any questions?
- Are there any problems with the computer?
- Are there any seats available?
- Are there any messages for me?
- Are there any hotels near the airport?
- Are there any mistakes in this paragraph?
The nouns here represent things that can be counted individually.
Why “Any” Works With Both Is and Are
This point causes much of the confusion.
Any can work with both uncountable nouns and plural countable nouns when it refers to an indefinite quantity or number.
Cambridge gives the same broad distinction: weak-form any appears with uncountable nouns and plural nouns in questions and negative sentences.
Compare:
Is there any sugar?
and:
Are there any cookies?
The word any hasn’t changed.
The noun has.
- sugar → uncountable → is
- cookies → plural countable → are
Think of any as a flexible word that can sit in both lanes. The noun determines which lane you take.
Is There Any or Are There Any With Countable Nouns?
Countable nouns deserve extra attention because they can create several different structures.
Consider the noun book.
You can say:
- Is there a book on the table?
- Are there any books on the table?
The first sentence asks about one possible book.
The second asks whether one or more books exist.
Singular Countable Noun
Use a/an with an ordinary singular countable noun:
Is there a book on the table?
Plural Countable Noun
Use any + plural noun in a neutral question:
Are there any books on the table?
This is why the following sentence sounds wrong in ordinary usage:
❌ Is there any books on the table?
The noun books is plural. Therefore, the natural standard form is:
✅ Are there any books on the table?
Can “Any” Be Used With a Singular Countable Noun?
Yes, but this is where the simple rule needs an important qualification.
The ordinary question pattern any + singular countable noun isn’t normally used when you’re asking whether one or more examples exist.
For example:
❌ Is there any book on the table?
In ordinary conversation, these are more natural:
✅ Is there a book on the table?
or:
✅ Are there any books on the table?
However, any + singular countable noun can be grammatical when any has a different meaning.
Cambridge explains that the strong form of any can mean something like “it doesn’t matter which” and can occur with singular countable nouns.
For example:
You can choose any book you like.
Here, any book means any one book from the available choices. It doesn’t mean that you’re asking whether books exist.
Another example:
Is there any particular book you’d recommend?
Here, any particular book refers to an unrestricted possible choice.
The meaning matters.
Two Different Uses of “Any”
| Use of any | Example | Meaning |
| Indefinite quantity | Are there any books? | One or more books |
| Unrestricted choice | Choose any book. | Any book; the choice doesn’t matter |
This distinction prevents a common oversimplification: “Any can never go with a singular countable noun.”
That statement isn’t completely accurate.
Is There Any vs Are There Any Examples
The fastest way to understand this grammar point is to compare similar sentences.
Water vs Bottles
- Is there any water?
- Are there any bottles?
Water is uncountable. Bottles are countable and plural.
Furniture vs Chairs
- Is there any furniture in the room?
- Are there any chairs in the room?
Furniture is generally uncountable. Chairs are plural countable nouns.
Information vs Facts
- Is there any information about the project?
- Are there any facts about the project?
Information is uncountable. Facts are plural countable nouns.
Money vs Coins
- Is there any money in your wallet?
- Are there any coins in your wallet?
Money is generally uncountable. Coins are individually countable.
Advice vs Suggestions
- Is there any advice for beginners?
- Are there any suggestions for beginners?
Advice is uncountable. Suggestions are countable.
This side-by-side method reveals the underlying rule much better than memorizing isolated sentences.
Is There Any or Are There Any in Questions?
Both forms commonly appear in questions about existence, availability, presence, or remaining quantities.
Asking About Availability
Is there any coffee left?
This asks whether some coffee remains.
Are there any cups available?
This asks whether individual cups remain available.
Asking About Existence
Is there any evidence?
The speaker asks whether evidence exists.
Are there any witnesses?
The speaker asks whether individual witnesses exist.
Asking About Presence
Is there any traffic ahead?
Are there any cars blocking the road?
The distinction stays the same even when the context changes.
Is There Any vs Are There Any in Negative Sentences
The same noun rule applies when you turn the question into a negative statement.
Compare:
There isn’t any water.
and:
There aren’t any bottles.
The first noun is uncountable. The second is plural countable.
Uncountable Nouns
- There isn’t any milk.
- There isn’t any information.
- There isn’t any furniture.
- There isn’t any money left.
- There isn’t any evidence.
Plural Countable Nouns
- There aren’t any chairs.
- There aren’t any students here.
- There aren’t any tickets left.
- There aren’t any problems.
- There aren’t any clean towels.
Cambridge notes that any doesn’t carry a negative meaning by itself. In constructions such as not any, the negative element comes from not.
Compare:
- There aren’t any cookies.
- There are no cookies.
Both communicate the absence of cookies. The second version can sound more emphatic depending on context.
Is There Any vs Are There Any in Short Answers
Short answers follow the same is/are distinction.
Questions With “Is There Any”
Is there any coffee left?
Possible answers:
- Yes, there is.
- No, there isn’t.
- Yes, there is some.
- No, there isn’t any.
Questions With “Are There Any”
Are there any cookies left?
Possible answers:
- Yes, there are.
- No, there aren’t.
- Yes, there are some.
- No, there aren’t any.
Notice the agreement:
Is there…? → Yes, there is.
Are there…? → Yes, there are.
The short answer doesn’t switch forms randomly. It mirrors the auxiliary verb in the question.
Is There Any vs Are There Any: Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Understanding countability gives you a much stronger foundation than simply memorizing the two phrases.
Countable Nouns
Countable nouns refer to things you can treat as separate units.
Examples:
- book
- car
- student
- chair
- apple
- ticket
- question
- idea
They can normally have singular and plural forms:
- one book → two books
- one chair → four chairs
- one idea → several ideas
Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable nouns generally refer to substances, materials, concepts, or quantities that English doesn’t normally count as separate units.
Examples:
- water
- information
- advice
- money
- furniture
- equipment
- traffic
- knowledge
- progress
Merriam-Webster describes mass or noncount nouns as nouns that aren’t normally used after a/an or a number and that generally take singular verb forms.
Comparison Table
| Uncountable | Plural Countable |
| water | bottles |
| advice | suggestions |
| information | facts |
| furniture | chairs |
| equipment | machines |
| money | coins |
| luggage | bags |
| homework | assignments |
| traffic | cars |
| progress | improvements |
This distinction explains most cases of is there any vs are there any.
Common Mistakes With Is There Any and Are There Any
Grammar mistakes often happen because learners focus on any rather than the noun.
Here are the most common problems.
Mistake: “Are There Any Water?”
❌ Are there any water in the bottle?
Water is generally uncountable.
Correct:
✅ Is there any water in the bottle?
If you’re counting containers, change the noun:
✅ Are there any bottles of water in the refrigerator?
Mistake: “Is There Any Books?”
❌ Is there any books on the desk?
Books is plural and countable.
Correct:
✅ Are there any books on the desk?
Mistake: “There Isn’t Any Books”
❌ There isn’t any books on the shelf.
The noun books is plural.
Correct:
✅ There aren’t any books on the shelf.
Mistake: “There Aren’t Any Information”
❌ There aren’t any information about the case.
Information is normally uncountable.
Correct:
✅ There isn’t any information about the case.
Mistake: “Are There Any Advice?”
❌ Are there any advice for new students?
Advice is uncountable.
Correct:
✅ Is there any advice for new students?
If you want to count individual recommendations, use:
✅ Are there any pieces of advice for new students?
Is There Any or Are There Any: Sentence Structure
Understanding the sentence pattern makes this grammar easier to remember.
Question With an Uncountable Noun
Is + there + any + uncountable noun?
Examples:
- Is there any food?
- Is there any water?
- Is there any information?
- Is there any reason?
Question With a Plural Countable Noun
Are + there + any + plural countable noun?
Examples:
- Are there any restaurants?
- Are there any questions?
- Are there any students?
- Are there any tickets?
Negative With an Uncountable Noun
There + isn’t + any + uncountable noun.
Example:
There isn’t any milk.
Negative With a Plural Countable Noun
There + aren’t + any + plural countable noun.
Example:
There aren’t any eggs.
Is There Any or Are There Any in American English?
Both forms are standard in American English.
The choice isn’t mainly about formality. It depends on the grammatical number and countability of the noun.
For example:
Is there any gas in the tank?
sounds completely natural in everyday American English.
So does:
Are there any gas stations nearby?
The first sentence asks about a substance. The second asks about separate locations.
This distinction matters because some nouns can change meaning depending on how speakers use them.
One Noun Can Sometimes Have Different Uses
Consider chicken.
You can use chicken as an uncountable noun when talking about food:
Is there any chicken left?
You can use chicken as a countable noun when referring to individual birds:
Are there any chickens in the yard?
The noun itself didn’t magically become a different word. The context changed how English treats it.
That’s one reason countability is partly about meaning and usage, not simply vocabulary lists.
Is There Any vs Is There Some?
Learners sometimes confuse any and some because both can refer to an indefinite quantity.
Compare:
Is there any coffee?
Is there some coffee?
Both can be grammatical, but they don’t always communicate the same conversational expectation.
“Any” in a Neutral Question
Is there any coffee?
This usually asks whether coffee exists or remains without strongly suggesting the answer.
“Some” With an Expected or Assumed Answer
Is there some coffee left?
This can suggest that the speaker has some reason to think coffee exists.
The distinction becomes even clearer with offers and requests:
- Would you like some coffee?
- Do you have any coffee?
Some often appears when the speaker expects or wants a particular quantity. Any often appears in neutral questions about whether something is available.
Cambridge explains that the ordinary weak form of any commonly appears in questions and negative sentences, while some commonly appears in affirmative statements.
Are There Any vs Are There Some?
The same idea applies to plural countable nouns.
Compare:
Are there any questions?
and:
Are there some questions?
The first is a natural neutral question.
The second can work in a context where the speaker expects some questions to exist or is confirming a particular assumption.
For everyday grammar, are there any is usually the form to reach for when you’re simply asking whether one or more items exist.
Examples:
- Are there any seats available?
- Are there any questions about the lesson?
- Are there any restaurants open now?
- Are there any problems with the order?
“Is There Any” vs “Are There Any” With Similar Ideas
Sometimes the easiest way to learn the difference is to change only the noun.
Example: Food
Is there any food?
Food is uncountable.
Are there any sandwiches?
Sandwiches are countable and plural.
Example: Furniture
Is there any furniture in the office?
Furniture is uncountable.
Are there any desks in the office?
Desks are countable and plural.
Example: Information
Is there any information about the flight?
Information is uncountable.
Are there any details about the flight?
Details are countable and plural.
Example: Equipment
Is there any equipment in the storage room?
Equipment is uncountable.
Are there any machines in the storage room?
Machines are countable and plural.
“Is There Any” vs “Are There Any”: Real-Life Case Studies
Case Study: At a Restaurant
Imagine a customer wants to know whether the restaurant has vegetarian food.
The natural question is:
Is there any vegetarian food?
Here, food is being treated as an uncountable category.
If the customer wants to know about specific dishes, the structure changes:
Are there any vegetarian dishes?
Now dishes are individual countable items.
The context stayed almost identical. The noun changed, so the verb changed.
Case Study: At a Hotel
A guest asks:
Is there any luggage in the lobby?
The question treats luggage as an uncountable category.
But if the guest asks about individual suitcases:
Are there any suitcases in the lobby?
Again, the noun determines the structure.
Case Study: In a Classroom
A teacher asks:
Is there any homework for tomorrow?
Here, homework is uncountable.
The teacher could instead ask:
Are there any assignments due tomorrow?
The noun assignments is plural and countable.
These examples show why translating word-for-word from another language can lead to mistakes. English organizes some concepts differently.
A Useful Trick for Choosing Is or Are
When you’re unsure, ignore any for a moment.
Look at the noun.
Ask yourself:
Can I count the noun as individual items in this sentence?
If yes, check whether it’s plural.
If It’s Uncountable
Use:
Is there any…?
Examples:
- water
- advice
- information
- money
- furniture
If It’s Plural and Countable
Use:
Are there any…?
Examples:
- books
- chairs
- students
- tickets
- questions
This simple test works in most everyday cases.
Is There Any vs Are There Any: Quick Decision Chart
What noun follows “any”?
|
┌────────────┴────────────┐
| |
Uncountable Countable noun
| |
“Is there any?” Is it plural?
| / \
| Yes No
| | |
Is there any water? Are there any Usually use
books? “a/an”
The chart isn’t a substitute for learning noun usage. However, it provides a useful mental shortcut.
Is There Any or Are There Any With Abstract Nouns?
Not all uncountable nouns describe physical substances.
Many abstract nouns also use is when they function as uncountable nouns.
Examples include:
- evidence
- progress
- knowledge
- patience
- hope
- information
- advice
- experience
For example:
Is there any evidence of fraud?
Is there any progress on the project?
Is there any hope of finishing today?
Is there any information about the results?
These nouns aren’t physical objects you can place in a basket and count individually. English commonly treats them as uncountable in these meanings.
However, context can sometimes change countability.
Countability Can Change With Meaning
English noun countability isn’t always fixed forever.
Consider experience.
When you mean knowledge gained from life or work:
Is there any experience required for this job?
Here, experience is generally uncountable.
But when you mean individual events:
Are there any interesting experiences you remember from college?
Now experiences refers to separate events.
The same principle applies to many nouns.
More Examples
Chicken
- Is there any chicken left? → food
- Are there any chickens outside? → birds
Paper
- Is there any paper in the printer? → material
- Are there any papers on the desk? → individual documents
Light
- Is there any light in the room? → illumination
- Are there any lights on upstairs? → individual lamps or fixtures
Room
- Is there any room in the car? → available space
- Are there any rooms available? → individual rooms
This is why memorizing a rigid list of “uncountable words” isn’t enough. Meaning and context matter.
Is There Any vs Are There Any With “Reason” and “Reasons”
The word reason offers a useful comparison.
You can say:
Is there any reason to leave early?
Here, any reason means whether there is at least one possible reason or justification.
You can also say:
Are there any reasons to leave early?
Here, reasons explicitly refers to multiple possible reasons.
Both sentences can be grammatical.
The difference lies in how the speaker frames the noun.
This example also shows why a simple rule such as “any always requires a plural noun” would be inaccurate.
The correct rule is more precise:
In its ordinary indefinite-quantity use, any commonly occurs with uncountable nouns and plural countable nouns. In other meanings, especially unrestricted choice, any can occur with singular countable nouns too.
Common “Is There Any” Questions
Here are natural examples you can use in everyday English:
- Is there any water left?
- Is there any coffee?
- Is there any food in the refrigerator?
- Is there any information available?
- Is there any advice for beginners?
- Is there any reason for the delay?
- Is there any evidence?
- Is there any traffic ahead?
- Is there any room in the car?
- Is there any homework tonight?
- Is there any money left?
- Is there any space on the drive?
Common “Are There Any” Questions
These examples use plural countable nouns:
- Are there any books here?
- Are there any students outside?
- Are there any tickets available?
- Are there any questions?
- Are there any restaurants nearby?
- Are there any problems with the computer?
- Are there any seats left?
- Are there any messages for me?
- Are there any hotels near the station?
- Are there any mistakes in this sentence?
- Are there any buses after midnight?
- Are there any documents I need to sign?
Is There Any vs Are There Any: Common Corrections
| Incorrect | Correct | Reason |
| Are there any water? | Is there any water? | Water is uncountable. |
| Is there any books? | Are there any books? | Books are plural countable. |
| There isn’t any books. | There aren’t any books. | Books are plural. |
| There aren’t any information. | There isn’t any information. | Information is uncountable. |
| Are there any advice? | Is there any advice? | Advice is uncountable. |
| Is there any chairs? | Are there any chairs? | Chairs are plural countable. |
| Are there any furniture? | Is there any furniture? | Furniture is uncountable. |
| Is there any tickets? | Are there any tickets? | Tickets are plural countable. |
The pattern becomes obvious once the nouns are separated from the surrounding words.
Is There Any vs Are There Any: Practice Questions
Choose is there any or are there any.
- ___ water in the refrigerator?
- ___ books on the shelf?
- ___ information about the course?
- ___ students in the hallway?
- ___ furniture in the apartment?
- ___ chairs available?
- ___ money left?
- ___ questions about the lesson?
- ___ advice for new employees?
- ___ tickets available?
Answers
- Is there any water in the refrigerator?
- Are there any books on the shelf?
- Is there any information about the course?
- Are there any students in the hallway?
- Is there any furniture in the apartment?
- Are there any chairs available?
- Is there any money left?
- Are there any questions about the lesson?
- Is there any advice for new employees?
- Are there any tickets available?
The reason is straightforward: the is examples use uncountable nouns, while the are examples use plural countable nouns.
FAQS
Is “Is There Any” Correct?
Yes. “Is there any” is correct when any introduces an uncountable noun in its ordinary indefinite-quantity use.
Examples:
- Is there any water?
- Is there any information?
- Is there any money left?
It can also occur in other structures where any has a different meaning.
Is “Are There Any” Correct?
Yes. “Are there any” is correct when any introduces a plural countable noun.
Examples:
- Are there any books?
- Are there any students?
- Are there any tickets?
Is It “Is There Any” or “Are There Any”?
Both are correct.
The choice depends on the noun.
Is there any + uncountable noun
Are there any + plural countable noun
For example:
- Is there any coffee?
- Are there any cups?
Is It “Is There Any Water” or “Are There Any Water”?
The standard form is:
Is there any water?
Water is generally uncountable when you mean the substance.
If you count containers, use a plural countable noun:
Are there any bottles of water?
Is It “Is There Any Books” or “Are There Any Books”?
The correct standard form is:
Are there any books?
Books is plural and countable.
Is It “There Isn’t Any” or “There Aren’t Any”?
Both are correct, depending on the noun.
Use there isn’t any with an uncountable noun:
There isn’t any milk.
Use there aren’t any with a plural countable noun:
There aren’t any bottles.
Can “Any” Be Used With a Singular Countable Noun?
Yes, but not usually in the ordinary “one or more?” question pattern.
For example:
Choose any book you want.
Here, any means that the choice is unrestricted.
Cambridge specifically distinguishes this stronger meaning of any from its ordinary indefinite-quantity use.
Why Do People Confuse “Is There Any” and “Are There Any”?
The confusion usually comes from the word any.
Because any appears in both structures, learners may assume it controls the verb.
It doesn’t.
The noun does.
Compare:
Is there any information?
Are there any documents?
The difference is information versus documents, not any.
Is There Any vs Are There Any: The Simple Rule to Remember
If you remember only one thing, remember this:
Use “is there any” with an uncountable noun and “are there any” with a plural countable noun.
For example:
Is there any water?
Are there any bottles?
Then take one extra step. Don’t assume the rule covers every possible use of any. English also uses any with singular countable nouns when it means something like it doesn’t matter which one.
That small qualification keeps the rule accurate.
Conclusion
The difference between Is There Any vs Are There Any comes down to one essential grammar rule: subject-verb agreement. Use is there any with singular or uncountable nouns, and use are there any with plural countable nouns.
