There Has Been or There Have Been: Grammar Rules & Examples

You are drafting an email or a report, and you pause. Should it be “there has been an increase” or “there have been increases”? Getting this wrong in front of a client, a boss, or a teacher can make careful writing look sloppy. 

The confusion around there has been or there have been trips up even experienced writers because the rule hides behind a small, easy-to-miss word. The good news is that the fix takes less than five minutes to learn, and this guide breaks it down with clear rules, real examples, and a quick reference table so you never second-guess it again.

Quick Answer

There has been or there have been depends entirely on whether the noun after it is singular or plural. Use “there has been” with singular or uncountable nouns (there has been a delay). Use “there have been” with plural nouns (there have been several delays). The subject that follows always decides the verb.

Understanding Has vs Have: The Core Grammar Rule

The phrase there has been or there have been confuses people because “there” looks like the subject. It is not. “There” is just an introductory word that points to something. The real subject sits after “been,” and that subject controls whether you use “has” or “have.”

This structure is called existential “there,” and it flips the normal sentence order. Instead of “a problem has occurred,” you get “there has been a problem.” The verb still has to match the noun that follows it, even though the noun comes later in the sentence.

When to Use “There Has Been”

Use “has been” when the noun right after it is singular or uncountable.

• There has been a mistake in the report.
• There has been progress on the new policy.
• There has been rain all week.

Notice that “progress” and “rain” are uncountable nouns. They never take a plural form, so they always pair with “has been.” This is one of the most common trip points when writers debate there has been or there have been, because uncountable nouns look plural in meaning even though they are grammatically singular.

When to Use “There Have Been”

Use “have been” when the noun that follows is plural.

• There have been three complaints this month.
• There have been changes to the schedule.
• There have been many questions about the update.

If you can put a number in front of the noun and it still makes sense, like “three complaints,” the noun is plural and needs “have been.”

There Has Been or There Have Been: Side-by-Side Examples

Sentence	Correct Form	Why
___ a fire at the warehouse.	There has been	“Fire” is singular here
___ two fires this year.	There have been	“Fires” is plural
___ no news yet.	There has been	“News” is uncountable
___ several updates today.	There have been	“Updates” is plural
___ a lot of interest in the product.	There has been	“Interest” is uncountable

Regional Preference: British English vs American English

Some writers assume British and American English disagree on this rule. They do not. Both varieties apply the same singular versus plural logic. The difference shows up only in related habits, like how collective nouns are treated.

Feature	American English	British English
Core rule for there has been or there have been	Matches singular or plural noun	Matches singular or plural noun
Collective nouns (team, staff, committee)	Usually singular: “there has been a team meeting”	Can be treated as plural in context: “there have been the committee’s objections”
Style guide consistency	Strict subject-verb agreement	Slightly more flexible with collective nouns

Style Guide Standards: APA, Chicago, and AP

Major style guides do not create a separate rule for there has been or there have been. They simply apply standard subject-verb agreement.

• APA Style requires the verb to agree with the noun that follows “there,” consistent with general grammar guidance in the manual.
• Chicago Manual of Style treats existential “there” sentences under normal agreement rules, with no special exception.
• AP Style, used widely in journalism, follows the same singular-plural matching and encourages tighter sentences overall, so writers are often advised to rework “there has been” or “there have been” into a more direct sentence when possible.

Compound Nouns and Collective Subjects

Compound subjects joined by “and” usually take “have been,” since two or more items together create a plural idea.

• There have been a printer and a scanner missing from the office.

Collective nouns like “team,” “staff,” or “committee” are trickier. In American English, these are usually treated as singular units.

• There has been a team decision to postpone the launch.

In British English, if the writer is emphasizing the individual members rather than the group as a whole, “have been” can appear instead. This is one of the genuine differences that separates American and British instincts on there has been or there have been.

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Questions and Interrogative Forms

The same rule applies when forming questions. Move “has” or “have” to the front.

• Has there been any update on the shipment?
• Have there been any complaints this week?

The noun after “been” still determines the verb, exactly as it does in a statement.

Negative Sentences

Negation does not change the core rule either.

• There has not been enough time to review the file.
• There have not been any responses yet.

Contractions follow the same pattern: “there hasn’t been” for singular nouns and “there haven’t been” for plural nouns.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

• Mistake: There has been three errors in the invoice. Fix: There have been three errors in the invoice.
• Mistake: There have been a shortage of supplies. Fix: There has been a shortage of supplies.
• Mistake: There has been many opportunities missed. Fix: There have been many opportunities missed.

The fastest way to catch these errors is to isolate the noun right after “been” and ask whether it is one thing or more than one.

Domain-Specific Usage: HR and Medical Writing

In HR documentation, this structure appears constantly in incident reports and policy memos.

• There has been a formal complaint filed against the vendor.
• There have been multiple violations of the attendance policy.

In medical and clinical writing, the same rule governs case notes and patient summaries.

• There has been no change in the patient’s condition.
• There have been several follow-up visits scheduled.

Getting there has been or there have been right in these settings matters because inconsistent grammar in formal documentation can undermine credibility, even when the facts are accurate.

Quick Quiz: There Has Been or There Have Been

Test yourself with these four questions before moving on.

1. ___ a delay in the flight schedule.
2. ___ two accidents on that road this year.
3. ___ no feedback from the client yet.
4. ___ several new hires this quarter.

Answer Key

1. There has been (delay is singular)
2. There have been (accidents is plural)
3. There has been (feedback is uncountable)
4. There have been (hires is plural)

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say “there has been” with a plural noun?

No. If the noun after “been” is plural, standard grammar requires “there have been,” not “there has been.”

Does “there has been or there have been” change with formal writing?

The rule stays the same in formal and informal writing. Formal contexts simply expect fewer mistakes and more consistent phrasing.

Can “there’s been” replace “there has been” in writing?

“There’s been” is a spoken contraction of “there has been” and is common in casual writing, but formal documents usually spell it out fully.

Why do uncountable nouns like “news” or “information” take “has been”?

Uncountable nouns do not have a plural form, so grammar treats them as singular, which pairs them with “has been.”

Is there a difference between American and British rules for this phrase?

The core rule is identical. The only variation appears with collective nouns, where British English sometimes allows a plural verb that American English would treat as singular.

Conclusion

Choosing correctly between there has been or there have been comes down to one habit: always check the noun that follows “been” before picking the verb. Singular and uncountable nouns take “has been,” while plural nouns take “have been.” Once this becomes automatic, the confusion disappears completely, whether you are writing a quick email or a formal report.

This rule holds steady across American and British English, across style guides like APA, Chicago, and AP, and across professional fields from HR to healthcare. The only real variation appears with collective nouns, where British writers occasionally treat a group as individuals. Keep the noun-first check in mind, and there has been or there have been will never slow down your writing again.