There Has Been vs There Have Been

Many English learners become confused between “there has been” and “there have been” because both phrases look almost identical. However, the difference is actually based on one simple grammar rule: singular and plural agreement. Understanding this rule helps improve speaking, writing, grammar accuracy, and sentence clarity.

These phrases are very common in everyday English, academic writing, business communication, news reports, and conversations. They are used to talk about situations, events, problems, changes, or experiences that started in the past and still connect to the present. Once you understand subject agreement and present perfect structure, choosing the correct phrase becomes much easier.

Parts of Speech Analysis

Both phrases contain several grammar elements working together.

Word	Part of Speech	Function
There	Introductory adverb/pronoun	Introduces existence
Has/Have	Helping verb	Forms present perfect tense
Been	Past participle	Main verb form

Examples:

• There has been a mistake.
• There have been many mistakes.

The main difference depends on whether the noun after the phrase is singular or plural.

What These Phrases Mean

“There has been” and “there have been” both describe something that existed or happened before now and still matters in the present.

Simple meanings:

• “There has been” → one thing existed or happened
• “There have been” → multiple things existed or happened

Examples:

• There has been an accident.
• There have been several accidents.

Both use the present perfect tense.

Parts of Speech Analysis for This Section

Example sentence:

• There have been many changes recently.

Word	Part of Speech
There	Introductory word
Have	Auxiliary verb
Been	Past participle
Many changes	Plural noun phrase
Recently	Adverb

The plural noun “changes” requires “have.”

The Rule: Subject Number Matters

The most important rule is simple:

Subject Type	Correct Phrase
Singular noun	There has been
Plural noun	There have been

Examples:

• There has been a delay.
• There have been delays.

Singular examples:

• There has been a problem.
• There has been an error.

Plural examples:

• There have been problems.
• There have been several errors.

Always identify the noun after the phrase before choosing the verb.

Parts of Speech Analysis for This Section

Example:

• There has been a misunderstanding.

Word	Part of Speech
There	Introductory pronoun
Has	Auxiliary verb
Been	Past participle
Misunderstanding	Singular noun

Because “misunderstanding” is singular, “has” is correct.

Why Present Perfect? (Meaning and Use)

These phrases use the present perfect tense because they connect past events to the present moment.

Present perfect often shows:

• Recent events
• Experiences
• Changes over time
• Ongoing situations
• Unfinished time periods

Examples:

• There has been progress this year.
• There have been many improvements lately.

The focus is not only on the past but also on the current result or relevance.

Parts of Speech Analysis for This Section

Example:

• There have been improvements recently.

Word	Part of Speech
There	Introductory word
Have	Helping verb
Been	Past participle
Improvements	Plural noun
Recently	Adverb

The adverb “recently” supports present perfect usage.

Read This: Laid Out or Layed Out : Grammar Rules in Modern English

Clear Examples and Breakdowns

Here are easy examples showing the difference clearly.

Singular	Plural
There has been a mistake.	There have been mistakes.
There has been a complaint.	There have been complaints.
There has been confusion.	There have been several issues.

Sentence breakdown:

• “A mistake” = singular
• “Mistakes” = plural

More examples:

• There has been rain all day.
• There have been storms this week.
• There has been a change in policy.
• There have been many policy changes.

Parts of Speech Analysis for This Section

Example:

• There have been many questions.

Word	Part of Speech
There	Introductory word
Have	Auxiliary verb
Been	Past participle
Questions	Plural noun

Plural nouns require “have.”

Agreement With Complex Subjects

Sometimes the noun phrase becomes longer and harder to identify.

Example:

• There has been a rise in prices.
• There have been increases in fuel costs.

Focus on the main noun:

• Rise = singular
• Increases = plural

Another example:

• There has been a series of accidents.
• There have been several series of accidents.

Even when phrases become complex, the main noun controls verb agreement.

Parts of Speech Analysis for This Section

Example:

• There has been a list of changes.

Main noun:

• List = singular

So “has” is correct.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Many learners choose the wrong helping verb.

Common mistakes:

• There has been many people here.
• There have been a problem.

Correct versions:

• There have been many people here.
• There has been a problem.

Quick correction tip:
Look directly at the noun after the phrase.

Parts of Speech Analysis for This Section

Example:

• There have been several mistakes.

Word	Part of Speech
Several mistakes	Plural noun phrase

Plural noun phrase = “have.”

Negative and Contract Forms

Negative forms:

• There has not been
• There have not been

Contracted forms:

• There hasn’t been
• There haven’t been

Examples:

• There hasn’t been enough time.
• There haven’t been any updates.

These forms are common in conversation and informal writing.

Parts of Speech Analysis for This Section

Example:

• There hasn’t been any response.

Word	Part of Speech
Hasn’t	Contracted auxiliary verb
Response	Singular noun

Singular noun = “has.”

Time Expressions With These Phrases

Common time expressions include:

• Recently
• Lately
• This week
• This year
• So far
• Since
• For

Examples:

• There have been many meetings this month.
• There has been little progress recently.

These expressions often signal present perfect tense.

Parts of Speech Analysis for This Section

Example:

• There has been progress lately.

Word	Part of Speech
Progress	Singular/uncountable noun
Lately	Adverb

Uncountable nouns usually take singular verbs.

American vs British English

The grammar rule stays the same in both American and British English.

Examples:

• There has been a delay.
• There have been delays.

However, British English sometimes uses present perfect more frequently in everyday conversation.

American English occasionally prefers simple past in casual speech.

Example:

• British: There has been a change.
• American casual speech: There was a change.

Still, both varieties follow the same agreement rules.

Parts of Speech Analysis for This Section

Example:

• There have been changes in policy.

Main noun:

• Changes = plural noun

Correct verb:

• Have

Idiomatic Expressions and Special Cases

Some nouns look plural but function differently.

Example:

• There has been news about the event.

“News” looks plural but is grammatically singular.

Other examples:

• There has been information released.
• There has been furniture delivered.

Uncountable nouns usually take “has.”

Parts of Speech Analysis for This Section

Example:

• There has been news recently.

Word	Part of Speech
News	Singular/uncountable noun
Recently	Adverb

Practical Tips for Learners

Follow these quick tips:

Use “there has been” with:

• Singular nouns
• Uncountable nouns
• One event or situation

Examples:

• There has been confusion.
• There has been an accident.

Use “there have been” with:

• Plural nouns
• Multiple events
• Several people or things

Examples:

• There have been accidents.
• There have been many visitors.

Simple memory trick:

• One thing = has
• More than one = have

Parts of Speech Analysis for This Section

Example:

• There have been visitors today.

Word	Part of Speech
Visitors	Plural noun
Today	Adverb

Rewritten, Polished Version (Simple and Clearer)

“There has been” is used with singular or uncountable nouns, while “there have been” is used with plural nouns. Both phrases are in the present perfect tense and describe situations connected to the present. Choosing the correct form depends on whether the noun after the phrase is singular or plural.

Polished Key Rules

• Singular noun → there has been
• Plural noun → there have been
• Uncountable noun → there has been

Examples:

• There has been progress.
• There have been delays.

Polish Notes

Good writing becomes clearer when subject-verb agreement is correct. Checking the noun carefully prevents most grammar mistakes.

Parts of Speech Analysis for This Section

Example:

• There has been improvement.

Word	Part of Speech
Improvement	Singular noun

Singular noun requires “has.”

Conclusion

The difference between “there has been” and “there have been” depends on subject number. Use “there has been” with singular or uncountable nouns and “there have been” with plural nouns. Both phrases use present perfect tense to connect past events to the present.

Understanding this grammar rule improves writing accuracy, speaking confidence, and sentence clarity. By focusing on the noun after the phrase, learners can quickly choose the correct form and avoid common mistakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between there has been and there have been?

“There has been” is used with singular nouns, while “there have been” is used with plural nouns.

Is “there has been many people” correct?

No. The correct sentence is “there have been many people.”

Why do these phrases use present perfect tense?

They connect past situations or events to the present moment.

Do uncountable nouns use has or have?

Uncountable nouns usually use “has.”

Is the rule different in British English?

No, both American and British English follow the same grammar rule.

How can I remember the rule easily?

Use:

• Has = one thing
• Have = more than one thing