If you’re wondering about the difference, There Have Been or There Has Been? The Complete Guide to Using Them Correctly makes the rules easier to understand.
The phrases look nearly identical, but strict grammar rules guide when to use each one. There has been takes a singular noun, while there have been takes a plural noun. Knowing the subject helps you avoid guessing, overthinking, and confused writing.
In spoken English and formal writing, choosing the correct form improves clarity, precision, and communication. I’ve seen this in emails, business reports, and research papers, where the right form builds credibility and makes writing sound more natural.
There Have Been or There Has Been: The Quick Answer
Use there has been with a singular noun or an uncountable noun.
Use there have been with a plural noun.
| Correct form | Use it with | Example |
| There has been | Singular noun | There has been a mistake. |
| There has been | Uncountable noun | There has been progress. |
| There have been | Plural noun | There have been several mistakes. |
A useful shortcut is to look beyond there.
The word there doesn’t determine whether you need has or have. Instead, identify the noun that tells you whether the idea is singular or plural.
There has been a delay.
There have been several delays.
The change from a delay to several delays changes the verb from has to have.
What Does “There Has Been” Mean?
There has been is the present perfect form of the existential construction there is.
You use it when something singular has existed, happened, occurred, or been present at some point leading up to the present.
For example:
- There has been a delay.
- There has been an accident.
- There has been a change in the schedule.
- There has been a misunderstanding.
- There has been a significant increase in demand.
The phrase often describes something that happened in the past but still matters now.
Consider this example:
There has been a change in the meeting schedule.
The change happened before the present moment. However, it matters now because the meeting schedule is different.
There Has Been With Singular Nouns
A singular countable noun takes has in this construction.
Examples include:
- There has been a problem.
- There has been one complaint.
- There has been an improvement.
- There has been a mistake.
- There has been a major development.
The noun can have descriptive words around it without changing the basic rule.
For example:
There has been a significant improvement in customer satisfaction.
The main noun is improvement. It is singular. Therefore, has is correct.
There Has Been With Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable nouns also take has because they generally don’t have a plural form when used in their ordinary sense.
Examples include:
- There has been progress.
- There has been confusion.
- There has been traffic.
- There has been growth.
- There has been damage.
- There has been evidence.
- There has been interest in the proposal.
For example:
There has been considerable progress since January.
You wouldn’t normally say progresses when you mean improvement or forward movement in general. Therefore, has been fits the construction.
What Does “There Have Been” Mean?
There have been is used when the noun that follows is plural.
It describes multiple things, events, people, developments, or situations that have existed or occurred.
Examples include:
- There have been several problems.
- There have been many changes.
- There have been three accidents.
- There have been numerous complaints.
- There have been several improvements.
Look at the difference:
There has been a complaint.
There have been several complaints.
The first sentence talks about one complaint. The second talks about more than one. That difference controls the verb.
There Have Been With Plural Nouns
Plural nouns require have.
For example:
- There have been two meetings.
- There have been many attempts.
- There have been several delays.
- There have been multiple warnings.
- There have been numerous studies.
This rule remains the same even when the sentence becomes longer.
There have been several unexpected changes to the original plan.
The phrase several unexpected modifies changes. The noun changes remains plural, so have remains correct.
Why Is It “There Has Been” Instead of “There Have Been”?
The confusion usually comes from the word there.
In sentences such as these, there doesn’t behave like an ordinary subject that determines verb agreement.
Compare:
There has been a problem.
The important noun is problem.
Now change it to plural:
There have been problems.
The word there hasn’t changed. The noun has.
That’s the clue.
The Real Subject Controls the Agreement
In traditional grammar, this construction is often called an existential there construction.
It introduces something that exists, occurs, or appears.
For practical writing, you don’t need to memorize the terminology. You only need to identify the noun phrase that follows.
Think of it this way:
There + has/have + been + noun
Then ask:
Is that noun singular, uncountable, or plural?
| Noun | Correct construction |
| a problem | There has been a problem. |
| progress | There has been progress. |
| several problems | There have been several problems. |
| many problems | There have been many problems. |
This approach is much more reliable than trying to decide based on how the entire sentence sounds.
There Has Been or There Have Been With Long Noun Phrases
Long sentences can make this rule harder to spot.
Consider:
There has been a significant increase in the number of people using the service.
The phrase the number of people using the service contains the plural noun people. Yet has is correct because the relevant noun phrase is a significant increase.
The head noun is increase, which is singular.
Now compare:
There have been significant increases in the number of people using the service.
Here, the head noun is increases. It is plural, so have is required.
This distinction matters.
Don’t Get Distracted by “Of” Phrases
Words following of can sometimes distract you.
For example:
There has been a series of unexpected events.
The noun events is plural, but the main noun is series. In this sentence, series is singular.
Therefore:
There has been a series of unexpected events.
The same principle applies to:
There has been a group of students outside.
Students is plural. However, group is singular.
The sentence focuses grammatically on the singular noun group.
There Have Been or There Has Been With “A Number Of”
The phrase a number of deserves special attention because it frequently causes agreement mistakes.
When a number of means “several” or “many,” it takes a plural noun and normally a plural verb.
Correct:
There have been a number of complaints.
Incorrect:
There has been a number of complaints.
Why?
Because a number of complaints means several complaints. The noun phrase is plural in meaning and takes plural agreement.
Now compare it with the number of.
The number of complaints has increased.
Here, the grammatical head is number, which is singular.
This creates an important contrast:
| Expression | Correct example |
| A number of + plural noun | There have been a number of complaints. |
| The number of + plural noun | The number of complaints has increased. |
That tiny word, a versus the, can change the grammatical structure.
There Has Been or There Have Been With “A Lot Of”
The phrase a lot of can take either a singular uncountable noun or a plural countable noun.
Therefore, the verb changes according to the noun that follows.
With an Uncountable Noun
There has been a lot of traffic.
Traffic is uncountable in this meaning, so has is correct.
Another example:
There has been a lot of confusion about the new policy.
Confusion is uncountable, so the singular form works.
With a Plural Countable Noun
There have been a lot of complaints.
Complaints is plural, so have is correct.
Another example:
There have been a lot of changes this year.
The noun changes is plural.
The pattern is straightforward:
A lot of + uncountable noun → has
A lot of + plural count noun → have
There Has Been or There Have Been With “Some”
The word some doesn’t automatically tell you whether to use has or have.
You need to examine the noun that follows.
There has been some confusion.
Here, confusion is uncountable.
But:
There have been some problems.
Here, problems is plural.
So don’t memorize some as a singular or plural trigger. Look at the noun.
There Has Been or There Have Been With Numbers
Numbers can make these sentences look more complicated than they are.
When the number refers to plural countable things, use have.
- There have been three accidents.
- There have been five complaints.
- There have been ten attempts.
- There have been several thousand visitors.
However, an amount can function as an uncountable quantity.
For example:
There has been $1 million in investment.
Here, investment is being treated as an amount rather than separate countable investments.
Context matters.
For clear writing, it helps to identify exactly what the number represents before choosing the verb.
There Has Been or There Have Been in Questions
The same agreement rule applies when you turn the sentence into a question.
Singular Questions
Use has with a singular or uncountable noun.
- Has there been a problem?
- Has there been a delay?
- Has there been any progress?
- Has there been a change?
Plural Questions
Use have with plural nouns.
- Have there been any problems?
- Have there been several delays?
- Have there been many complaints?
- Have there been any changes?
A common mistake looks like this:
Has there been any changes?
The problem is changes. It’s plural.
The standard form is:
Have there been any changes?
There Has Been or There Have Been in Negative Sentences
Negative sentences follow exactly the same principle.
With a singular noun:
There hasn’t been a response.
With an uncountable noun:
There hasn’t been enough evidence.
With a plural noun:
There haven’t been any responses.
With another plural noun:
There haven’t been enough opportunities.
In everyday English, contractions sound natural:
- There hasn’t been
- There haven’t been
Formal writing may use the full forms when a more restrained tone suits the context.
There Has Been vs. There Have Been Across Different Tenses
The same agreement idea appears in related constructions.
Present Perfect
- There has been a problem.
- There have been several problems.
Past Perfect
- There had been a problem.
- There had been several problems.
Notice something interesting: had doesn’t change between singular and plural.
That’s because had works with both.
Future Perfect
- There will have been a problem.
- There will have been several problems.
Again, will have doesn’t change according to number.
The important distinction between has and have appears specifically in the present perfect form.
There Has Been vs. There Is
These expressions aren’t interchangeable because they use different tenses.
There is a problem.
This presents the problem as existing now.
There has been a problem.
This emphasizes that a problem has occurred or existed during a period leading up to the present.
Compare:
There is a delay at the airport.
This tells you about the current situation.
There has been a delay at the airport.
This tells you that a delay has occurred, often with some connection to the current situation.
The context decides which tense communicates the intended meaning.
Common Mistakes With There Has Been and There Have Been
Mistake: “There Has Been Several Problems”
This is one of the most common errors.
Incorrect:
There has been several problems.
Correct:
There have been several problems.
Problems is plural.
Mistake: “There Have Been a Problem”
Incorrect:
There have been a problem.
Correct:
There has been a problem.
A problem is singular.
Mistake: Assuming “There” Takes the Verb
Another common mistake is thinking that there should determine the verb.
It doesn’t work that way in this construction.
Compare:
- There has been a mistake.
- There have been mistakes.
The introductory there remains unchanged.
Mistake: Ignoring Uncountable Nouns
Writers sometimes use have simply because a noun feels like it represents “a lot.”
That doesn’t make it plural.
For example:
There has been considerable damage.
Not:
There have been considerable damage.
Damage is uncountable in this use.
Case Studies: There Have Been or There Has Been?
Case Study: Several Changes
Sentence:
There ___ been several changes to the policy.
The key noun is changes.
Because changes is plural, the correct answer is:
There have been several changes to the policy.
Case Study: One Change
Sentence:
There ___ been a change to the policy.
The noun change is singular.
Correct:
There has been a change to the policy.
The difference is only one letter in the noun’s ending, but it changes the verb.
Case Study: A Lot of Traffic
Sentence:
There ___ been a lot of traffic today.
The noun traffic is uncountable.
Correct:
There has been a lot of traffic today.
Case Study: A Lot of Delays
Sentence:
There ___ been a lot of delays today.
The noun delays is plural.
Correct:
There have been a lot of delays today.
Case Study: A Number of Complaints
Sentence:
There ___ been a number of complaints.
The phrase a number of complaints means several complaints.
Correct:
There have been a number of complaints.
Case Study: A Series of Events
Sentence:
There ___ been a series of unexpected events.
The main noun is series. In this sentence, it is singular.
Correct:
There has been a series of unexpected events.
This example shows why you shouldn’t automatically look at the last noun in the sentence. Find the grammatical head of the noun phrase.
There Has Been or There Have Been: A Practical Comparison
| Sentence | Correct? | Explanation |
| There has been a problem. | Yes | Problem is singular. |
| There have been problems. | Yes | Problems is plural. |
| There has been several problems. | No | Problems requires plural agreement. |
| There have been one problem. | No | Problem is singular. |
| There has been progress. | Yes | Progress is uncountable. |
| There have been several improvements. | Yes | Improvements is plural. |
| There has been a series of events. | Yes | Series is singular here. |
| There have been a number of complaints. | Yes | A number of takes a plural noun and plural agreement. |
| There has been a lot of traffic. | Yes | Traffic is uncountable. |
| There have been a lot of delays. | Yes | Delays is plural. |
There Has Been or There Have Been in Everyday Writing
These forms appear everywhere. You’ll find them in emails, reports, news stories, academic papers, workplace updates, and ordinary conversations.
Workplace Examples
There has been a change to the deadline.
There have been several changes to the project timeline.
The first sentence reports one change. The second reports multiple changes.
Academic Examples
There has been considerable research into this issue.
There have been numerous studies examining the same question.
Academic writing often uses these constructions because they allow writers to describe developments without immediately naming a specific person or organization.
News Examples
There has been a major development in the investigation.
There have been several developments since the announcement.
Again, the noun determines the form.
Everyday Conversation
There has been a misunderstanding.
There have been a few misunderstandings.
These sentences sound completely natural in ordinary speech.
A Simple Trick for Choosing Has or Have
When you’re unsure, use this five-step method:
- Find there has/have been.
- Look at the noun phrase that follows.
- Identify the main noun.
- Decide whether that noun is singular, uncountable, or plural.
- Choose has for singular or uncountable nouns and have for plural nouns.
For example:
There ___ been several unexpected delays.
Find the noun: delays.
Is it plural? Yes.
Therefore:
There have been several unexpected delays.
Now try:
There ___ been an unexpected delay.
The noun is delay.
Is it singular? Yes.
Therefore:
There has been an unexpected delay.
This method works even when the sentence contains several extra words.
Read More: Year Old vs. Years Old: The Complete Guide
A Useful Memory Rule
Think of the construction like this:
There has been + one thing or an uncountable thing
There have been + multiple things
Examples:
- There has been a problem.
- There has been progress.
- There have been problems.
- There have been several improvements.
That’s the heart of the rule.
FAQs:
What is the difference between “there has been” and “there have been”?
There has been is used with a singular noun, while there have been is used with a plural noun.
When should I use “there has been”?
Use there has been when the noun that follows is singular. For example: “There has been a problem.”
When should I use “there have been”?
Use there have been when the noun is plural. For example: “There have been several problems.”
Are “there has been” and “there have been” interchangeable?
No. The correct choice depends on whether the following noun is singular or plural.
Why do people confuse these phrases?
They look nearly identical, so learners often overlook the subject and choose the wrong auxiliary verb.
Conclusion:
Choosing between there has been and there have been becomes easier once you identify the subject. Remember the simple rule: singular takes has, while plural takes have.
With regular practice, this grammar distinction will become more natural. Using the correct form can make your writing clearer, more precise, and more confident.
