There Have Been or There Has Been: A Complete Grammar Guide

Few grammar questions create as much confusion as “there have been” vs. “there has been.” You have probably seen both phrases in books, emails, news articles, and everyday conversations. At first glance, they seem almost identical. However, using the wrong one can make a sentence sound awkward or grammatically incorrect.

The confusion usually happens because many people assume that the word “there” controls the verb. In reality, it doesn’t. The actual subject appears later in the sentence, and that subject determines whether you should use has been or have been. Once you understand this simple rule, choosing the correct form becomes much easier.

Whether you’re a student, writer, business professional, or English learner, mastering this grammar point can improve your communication instantly. This guide explains the rules, provides real-world examples, highlights common mistakes, and gives you practical tips you can use every day.

Table of Contents

Understanding the Structure Behind “There Has Been” and “There Have Been”

Before learning which phrase is correct, it helps to understand how these sentence structures work.

In sentences such as:

There has been a problem.
There have been several problems.

The word “there” is not the subject. It acts as a placeholder that introduces the sentence.

The true subject comes after the verb phrase.

Consider these examples:

Sentence	Real Subject	Singular or Plural
There has been a mistake.	mistake	Singular
There have been mistakes.	mistakes	Plural
There has been an accident.	accident	Singular
There have been accidents.	accidents	Plural

This rule forms the foundation of correct usage.

“Ignore the word ‘there’ and find the noun that follows. That noun determines the verb.”

Once you adopt this habit, most subject-verb agreement problems disappear.

What the Present Perfect Tense Means

Both there has been and there have been belong to the present perfect tense.

The structure looks like this:

There + has/have + been + subject

The present perfect connects the past to the present. It describes something that happened before now but still has relevance today.

Examples include:

There has been a significant increase in sales this year.
There have been several changes to company policy.
There has been a delay in production.
There have been many customer complaints recently.

In each case, the event began in the past or occurred recently, yet it remains important in the present moment.

Common Situations Where Native Speakers Use the Present Perfect

Recent Events

There has been a fire downtown.
There have been several earthquakes this month.

Ongoing Changes

There has been steady growth in the economy.
There have been major improvements in technology.

Experiences and Developments

There have been many advances in medicine.
There has been increased interest in renewable energy.

The present perfect helps speakers emphasize current relevance rather than focusing on a specific past time.

When to Use “There Has Been”

Use there has been when the subject is singular.

This includes:

One person
One thing
One event
One issue
One situation
Uncountable nouns

Examples of Correct Usage

There has been a mistake in the report.
There has been an improvement in performance.
There has been a delay in shipping.
There has been a change in management.
There has been an increase in demand.

Notice that each subject is singular.

Common Singular Subjects

Writers frequently use there has been with:

Problem
Change
Improvement
Increase
Decrease
Accident
Delay
Concern
Issue
Complaint

Examples:

There has been a problem with the software.
There has been an increase in website traffic.
There has been a concern regarding security.

Using Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns also require there has been because they function as singular nouns.

Examples include:

Information
Advice
Research
Progress
Evidence
Knowledge

Correct sentences:

There has been significant progress.
There has been new information released.
There has been strong evidence supporting the claim.

Incorrect sentences:

There have been progress.
There have been information.

These constructions sound incorrect because the nouns are not countable.

When to Use “There Have Been”

Use there have been when the subject is plural.

The subject must refer to more than one person, thing, event, or idea.

Examples of Correct Usage

There have been several problems this week.
There have been many changes recently.
There have been multiple complaints from customers.
There have been numerous improvements.
There have been unexpected delays.

Each sentence contains a plural subject.

Common Plural Subjects

You’ll often see there have been paired with:

Problems
Changes
Complaints
Improvements
Delays
Accidents
Opportunities
Discussions
Meetings
Challenges

Examples:

There have been several meetings this month.
There have been new opportunities for investors.
There have been many challenges during the project.

Real-Life Business Examples

Business communication frequently uses this structure.

Examples:

There have been significant changes in market conditions.
There have been several updates to the software.
There have been concerns raised by stakeholders.
There have been improvements in customer satisfaction.

These sentences sound professional because they follow proper subject-verb agreement.

How to Identify the Real Subject Quickly

Many grammar mistakes occur because writers focus on the wrong word.

Follow this simple process:

Step 1: Ignore “There”

The word “there” never determines the verb.

Step 2: Find the Noun

Look for the noun that follows “been.”

Step 3: Determine Whether It Is Singular or Plural

Ask yourself:

Is there one thing?
Or are there multiple things?

Step 4: Match the Verb

Singular = has been
Plural = have been

Example Breakdown

Sentence:

There has been an increase in sales.

Subject:

increase

Result:

has been

Sentence:

There have been increases in sales.

Subject:

increases

Result:

have been

This technique works almost every time.

Special Cases That Confuse Writers

Certain sentence structures create extra confusion.

Let’s examine them closely.

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns refer to groups acting as a single unit.

Examples:

Team
Committee
Family
Group
Organization

Examples:

There has been a committee formed to investigate.
There has been a team assigned to the project.

Because the nouns are singular, use has been.

Indefinite Pronouns

Some indefinite pronouns are singular.

Examples:

Everyone
Someone
Anyone
Nobody

Correct:

There has been someone waiting outside.
There has been nobody available to help.

Plural indefinite pronouns require have been.

Examples:

There have been several attending the conference.
There have been many expressing concern.

Compound Subjects: Has Been or Have Been?

Compound subjects deserve special attention.

Subjects Joined by “And”

When two singular nouns are joined by “and,” they usually create a plural subject.

Example:

There have been a manager and an assistant assigned to the project.

The combined subject becomes plural.

Subjects Joined by “Or”

When nouns are connected by “or,” agreement usually follows the noun closest to the verb.

Examples:

There has been either a delay or a cancellation.
There have been either cancellations or delays.

Always identify the actual subject before choosing the verb.

There Has Been vs. There Have Been: Quick Comparison Table

Feature	There Has Been	There Have Been
Subject Type	Singular	Plural
Helping Verb	Has	Have
Used With	One thing or event	Multiple things or events
Example	There has been a delay.	There have been delays.
Common Error	Using with plural nouns	Using with singular nouns

There Has Been vs. There Had Been

Many learners also confuse these forms with there had been.

The difference involves tense.

Phrase	Tense	Usage
There has been	Present Perfect	Connected to the present
There have been	Present Perfect	Connected to the present
There had been	Past Perfect	Before another past event

Examples:

There has been a problem today.
There have been several issues this week.
There had been a problem before the meeting started.

The past perfect points to an earlier event in the past.

Story Example

Imagine a company meeting.

There had been complaints before management intervened.
There has been improvement since the new policy was introduced.

The timeline makes the difference clear.

FAQs

1. What is the difference between “there has been” and “there have been”?

The difference depends on the subject that follows the verb.

Use there has been with a singular subject:

There has been a problem with the website.
There has been a delay in delivery.

Use there have been with a plural subject:

There have been several problems with the website.
There have been multiple delays in delivery.

The key is to identify whether the subject is singular or plural.

2. Is “there has been” grammatically correct?

Yes, there has been is completely grammatically correct when the subject is singular or uncountable.

Examples:

There has been an accident on the highway.
There has been significant progress.
There has been new information released.

These sentences follow standard English grammar rules.

3. Is “there have been” grammatically correct?

Yes, there have been is grammatically correct when the subject is plural.

Examples:

There have been many improvements this year.
There have been several customer complaints.
There have been numerous changes to the policy.

Because the subjects are plural, “have been” is the correct choice.

4. Why can’t we say “there has been many people”?

The noun people is plural, so it requires have been rather than has been.

Incorrect:

There has been many people at the event.

Correct:

There have been many people at the event.

Always match the verb to the actual subject, not to the word “there.”

5. Can I use both expressions in the same paragraph?

Absolutely. Writers often use both phrases when discussing singular and plural subjects.

Example:

There has been a major increase in online shopping. At the same time, there have been significant changes in consumer behavior.

Both sentences are correct because the subjects differ.

6. Is “there had been” correct English?

Yes. There had been is the past perfect form and refers to something that happened before another event in the past.

Examples:

There had been several warnings before the storm arrived.
There had been a misunderstanding before the issue was resolved.

Use “there had been” when describing an earlier past event.

7. What about uncountable nouns like information, advice, and research?

Uncountable nouns generally take there has been because they function as singular nouns.

Examples:

There has been valuable information shared.
There has been useful advice provided.
There has been extensive research conducted.

Even though these nouns may refer to large amounts, they remain grammatically singular.

8. How do collective nouns affect the choice between “has been” and “have been”?

Most collective nouns are treated as singular in American English.

Examples:

There has been a team working on the project.
There has been a committee reviewing the proposal.

Since the collective noun represents one unit, “has been” is usually correct.

9. How can I quickly determine which form to use?

Use this simple grammar trick:

Ignore the word “there.”
Find the noun after “been.”
Decide whether it is singular or plural.
Choose the matching verb.

Singular noun → There has been
Plural noun → There have been

This method works in nearly every situation.

10. Which form is more common in everyday English?

Both forms are extremely common because they serve different purposes.

You will hear there has been when discussing one event, issue, or situation.

You will hear there have been when discussing multiple events, people, or things.

Neither form is more correct than the other. The correct choice depends entirely on the subject that follows.

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between there has been and there have been comes down to one simple idea: the real subject decides the verb, not the word “there.” Once you train your eye to spot the true subject, the confusion starts to disappear fast.

If the subject is singular or uncountable, you use there has been. If the subject is plural, you use there have been. That’s the core rule. Everything else just builds around it. Think of it like checking the engine before driving a car. You don’t look at the body and guess how it runs. You look inside. Grammar works the same way. You ignore the filler word and focus on what actually matters.

In real writing, this small rule makes a big difference. It helps your sentences sound natural, clean, and confident. Whether you’re writing an email, an academic essay, or a business report, correct subject-verb agreement shows clarity and control over language.