There has been vs there have been

“There has been vs there have been” is a common grammar question. Learners want to know which form to use and why. Both phrases come from the present perfect tense. We use them to talk about past events that matter now. 

The main rule is to match the verb with the subject that follows. Small errors can make a sentence sound wrong or unclear. This article explains the rules with many clear examples. It also checks parts of speech and grammar in simple language.

Parts of speech analysis

• Nouns: question, form, tense, events, rule, sentence, article, language, examples, parts, speech, grammar.
• Verbs: is, want, use, come, talk, matter, is, explains, checks (present simple; all verbs agree with their subjects).
• Adjectives: common, past, small, many, clear, simple.
• Adverbs: now (used to show current relevance).
• Prepositions: from, about, with, in.
• Conjunctions: and, or, that.
• Pronouns: we, they, it.

Grammar and structure check for the introduction

• Verb tense: Present simple used to state facts and aims.
• Subject-verb agreement: Correct (e.g., “Learners want,” plural subject with plural verb).
• Articles and prepositions: Used correctly (“the present perfect tense,” “in simple language”).
• Sentence structure: Sentences are complete and short. No run-ons or fragments. Tone is simple.

What these phrases mean

Short explanation Both “there has been” and “there have been” are forms of the present perfect tense. We use them to say that something happened in the past and that it matters now or affects now. The difference is simple: use there has been with a singular noun or an uncountable noun. Use there have been with a plural noun. For example: “There has been a change” vs “There have been changes.”

Parts of speech analysis for this section

• Nouns: phrases, forms, tense, past, noun, example, change, changes.
• Verbs: are, use, say, happened, matters, affects, is, use (present simple).
• Adjectives: singular, plural, simple, uncountable.
• Adverbs: now.
• Prepositions: with, in, of, for.
• Conjunctions: and, or, but.
• Pronouns: them, it, we.

Grammar and structure check

• Tenses: Present simple for general rules.
• Agreement: Explanation shows correct subject-verb matching.
• No fragments; short and clear sentences.

The rule: subject number matters

The simple rule Choose has or have to match the subject. If the subject is singular, use has. If the subject is plural, use have.

Examples:

• Singular: There has been a problem. (problem = singular)
• Plural: There have been three problems. (problems = plural)
• Uncountable: There has been some confusion. (confusion = uncountable)

Parts of speech analysis for this section

• Nouns: rule, subject, number, examples, problem, problems, confusion.
• Verbs: choose, match, is, use, has, have, been (present perfect main verb used).
• Adjectives: simple, singular, plural, uncountable.
• Adverbs: simply (implied).
• Prepositions: for, with.
• Conjunctions: and, if.
• Pronouns: it, them.

Grammar and structure check

• Tense: Present simple to explain the rule; present perfect used in examples.
• Agreement: Showed correct agreement with singular and plural nouns.
• Clarity: Short examples make the rule clear.

Why present perfect? (meaning and use)

Why we use the present perfect The present perfect links past and present. We use it when the event is in the past but still matters now. We choose “there has been” or “there have been” when we want to say that something existed or happened at some point up to now.

Simple cases:

• Use it for experiences up to now: There have been many changes in the city.
• Use it for recent events with present effect: There has been an accident on the road.
• Use it for actions that started in the past and continue: There have been problems with the system for months.

Parts of speech analysis for this section

• Nouns: present perfect, past, present, event, experience, changes, city, accident, road, actions, problems, system, months.
• Verbs: links, use, choose, want, say, existed, happened, started, continue (present simple or present perfect in examples).
• Adjectives: recent, present, simple.
• Adverbs: up to now, for months (adverbial phrases).
• Prepositions: for, in, on, up to.
• Conjunctions: and, when.
• Pronouns: it, they.

Grammar and structure check

• Tense: Present perfect used correctly in examples; explanation uses present simple.
• Agreement and articles are correct.

Clear examples and breakdowns

Below are many simple examples with short notes. Each sentence shows the correct matching of verb and subject.

Single event or uncountable noun (use has been):

1. There has been a fire in the building. (a fire = singular)
2. There has been rain all week. (rain = uncountable)
3. There has been a delay in the train service. (a delay = singular)

Multiple events or plural nouns (use have been): 4. There have been two fires this month. (fires = plural) 5. There have been many delays lately. (delays = plural) 6. There have been several changes to the plan. (changes = plural)

Negative forms: 7. There has not been any progress. (singular/uncountable) 8. There have not been any updates.(plural)

Question forms: 9. Has there been a mistake? (singular) 10. Have there been problems with the server? (plural)

Parts of speech analysis for this section

• Nouns: fire, building, rain, week, delay, train service, events, month, delays, changes, plan, progress, updates, mistake, problems, server.
• Verbs: has been, have been, has not been, have not been, has, have (used in questions) — present perfect used correctly.
• Adjectives: many, several, any.
• Adverbs: lately, not.
• Prepositions: in, all, to, with.
• Conjunctions: and.
• Pronouns: there, it, any (quantifier used as pronoun).

Grammar and structure check

• Each example shows correct subject-verb agreement.
• Negatives use auxiliary “have/has” + “not” before “been.”
• Questions invert auxiliary and subject: “Has there been…?” “Have there been…?”

Agreement with complex subjects

When the subject is a phrase Sometimes the noun that decides has/ have is inside a longer phrase. You must find the real subject.

Examples:

• There has been a long list of complaints. (subject = a long list, singular)
• There have been a lot of complaints about the food. (subject = complaints, plural)
• There has been a group of students waiting outside. (subject = a group, singular)
• There have been a number of students waiting outside. (subject = a number of students, plural subject = students)

Watch for collective nouns Collective nouns like team, group, committee are usually singular in American English. Use has been with them. Example: There has been a team meeting. But if you think of the members individually, some writers might use plural. Keep it simple: treat most collective nouns as singular.

Parts of speech analysis for this section

• Nouns: subject, phrase, list, complaints, food, group, students, team, meeting, members.
• Verbs: find, decides, must, has been, have been, think, use, treat (present simple).
• Adjectives: complex, long, collective, singular, plural.
• Adverbs: usually.
• Prepositions: of, about, outside, with.
• Conjunctions: and, but, if.
• Pronouns: them, it.

Grammar and structure check

• Tenses and agreement shown with clear examples.
• Explanation avoids ambiguity by showing subject extraction from a phrase.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Mistake 1: Using has with plural Wrong: There has been many problems. Fix: There have been many problems.

Mistake 2: Using have with singular Wrong: There have been a problem with the printer. Fix: There has been a problem with the printer.

Mistake 3: Confusion with collective nouns Wrong: There have been a committee meeting today. Fix: There has been a committee meeting today.

Mistake 4: Ignoring uncountable nouns Wrong: There have been much rain this week. Fix: There has been much rain this week. Or better: There has been a lot of rain this week.

Mistake 5: Wrong inversion for questions Wrong: There have been problems? (spoken maybe ok informally) Fix: Have there been problems? (correct question form)

Parts of speech analysis for this section

• Nouns: mistakes, problems, printer, committee, meeting, rain, week, questions.
• Verbs: using, fix, have been, has been, ignore, is (present simple).
• Adjectives: common, plural, singular, uncountable.
• Adverbs: today, this (demonstratives used as adjectives).
• Prepositions: with, in.
• Conjunctions: and, or.
• Pronouns: it.

Grammar and structure check

• Each wrong sentence is corrected to show proper agreement.
• Question inversion highlighted.

Negative and contract forms

Negative forms In negative sentences, we use has not been or have not been. We often use contractions in speech and informal writing: hasn’t been and haven’t been.

Examples:

• There has not been a decision yet. or There hasn’t been a decision yet.
• There have not been any replies. or There haven’t been any replies.

Parts of speech analysis for this section

• Nouns: decision, replies, sentences, speech, writing.
• Verbs: has not been, have not been, hasn’t been, haven’t been (present perfect negative).
• Adjectives: any.
• Adverbs: yet.
• Prepositions: in.
• Conjunctions: or.
• Pronouns: there.

Grammar and structure check

• Negatives place not after auxiliary verb: correct.
• Contractions are acceptable in informal contexts.

Time expressions with these phrases

Common time phrases We often use words like since, for, recently, lately, already, yet, so far, recently, up to now with present perfect.

Examples:

• There have been many calls recently.
• There has been no signal since morning.
• There have been three updates so far.
• There has not been any response yet.

Parts of speech analysis for this section

• Nouns: time phrases, calls, signal, morning, updates, response.
• Verbs: use, have been, has been (present perfect examples).
• Adjectives: common, many, no, three.
• Adverbs: recently, yet, so far, since (used as preposition), already, lately, up to now (adverbial phrases).
• Prepositions: since, for.
• Conjunctions: and.
• Pronouns: there.

Grammar and structure check

• Time expressions fit with present perfect usage.
• Examples show correct agreement.

American vs British English

Are there differences? The rule for there has been vs there have been is the same in both American and British English. Both varieties match has/have to the subject. Slight differences can appear with collective nouns. British English sometimes uses plural verbs with collective nouns more often than American English. But for learners, the simple rule—singular uses has, plural uses have—works in both forms of English.

Parts of speech analysis for this section

• Nouns: differences, rule, varieties, nouns, collective nouns, learners, English.
• Verbs: are, match, use (present simple).
• Adjectives: slight, singular, plural.
• Adverbs: sometimes.
• Prepositions: with, in.
• Conjunctions: and, but.
• Pronouns: both, it.

Grammar and structure check

• Short, clear statements.
• Tense and agreement are checked.

Idiomatic expressions and special cases

Special verbs and expressions Sometimes we use there has been or there have been with verbs that do not show simple count. For example: There has been talk about the changes. Here talk is uncountable so we use has been. Or: There have been reports of fraud.Reports is plural so we use have been.

Phrases with numbers When you use numbers, the verb matches the number: There have been 10 new cases. There has been 1 new case. Even with time expressions like a hundred dollars treat it as singular: There has been a hundred dollars donated is less common — better: There have been donations totaling a hundred dollars. Keep it simple: match verb to the main noun.

Parts of speech analysis for this section

• Nouns: verbs, expressions, talk, changes, reports, fraud, numbers, cases, dollars, donations.
• Verbs: use, shows, treat, match (present simple).
• Adjectives: special, uncountable, plural, main.
• Adverbs: sometimes.
• Prepositions: about, of, with, to, totaling.
• Conjunctions: and, or, even.
• Pronouns: it.

Grammar and structure check

• Examples show correct matching.
• Advice to keep sentences simple and match main noun.

Practical tips for learners

1. Find the real subject. Look after the verb: is it singular or plural?
   • There has been a problem. (subject = problem)
   • There have been problems. (subject = problems)
2. Mark uncountable nouns as singular. Words like advice, information, news, rain, money use has been.
3. Numbers and quantities match the noun: There have been 5 errors. There has been 1 error.
4. Collective nouns: treat most as singular in American English. Use has been with team, group, committee.
5. Check negatives and questions by moving the auxiliary verb: Has there been…? Have there been…? There has not been… There have not been…
6. Read aloud: hearing the sentence helps spot wrong agreement.
7. Practice with examples: write simple sentences and check.

Parts of speech analysis for this section

• Nouns: subject, verbs, nouns, advice, information, news, rain, money, numbers, quantities, errors, collective nouns, team, group, committee, negatives, questions, sentence, examples.
• Verbs: find, look, mark, use, match, treat, check, move, read, helps, practice (imperative present simple).
• Adjectives: real, singular, plural, uncountable, simple.
• Adverbs: aloud.
• Prepositions: after, with, in.
• Conjunctions: and, or, by.
• Pronouns: it, they.

Grammar and structure check

• Imperative mood used for tips; correct and simple.
• Agreement and tense guidance clear.

Rewritten, polished version (simple and clearer)

Below is a cleaner and shorter version of the main points. It keeps simple words and clear rules.

Polished Introduction (6 sentences) “There has been vs there have been” asks which verb to use with the present perfect. Use has been with singular or uncountable nouns. Use have been with plural nouns. The verb must agree with the real subject in the sentence. For questions, invert the auxiliary verb: Has there been…? Have there been…? Read your sentence aloud to check agreement and flow.

Polished Key Rules

• Singular or uncountable → has been.
• Plural → have been.
• Find the real subject in long phrases.
• Use hasn’t/haven’t for negatives.
• Use inversion for questions: Has/Have there been…?

Polish notes

• Short sentences help clarity.
• Use simple examples for practice.
• Keep the present perfect with relevant time words: recently, so far, yet, since, for.

Parts of speech analysis for this section

• Nouns: rules, verb, present perfect, subject, words, examples.
• Verbs: use, must, read, check (present simple).
• Adjectives: clean, shorter, simple.
• Adverbs: aloud, recently, so far.
• Prepositions: with, for.
• Conjunctions: and.
• Pronouns: it, they.

Grammar and structure check

• Rewritten sentences are short and clear.
• Agreement rules restated simply.

Conclusion

There has been and there have been are present perfect forms. The difference is in number: singular or uncountable nouns use has been. Plural nouns use have been. Check the subject in the sentence to choose the right form. Use negative and question forms properly: hasn’t/haven’t been and Has/Have there been…? Read aloud and practice with examples. With these simple steps, you can use these phrases correctly and clearly.

Parts of speech analysis for the conclusion

• Nouns: conclusion, forms, number, nouns, subject, sentence, steps, examples.
• Verbs: are, is, use, check, choose, read, practice, can (present simple and modal).
• Adjectives: simple, right, clear.
• Adverbs: properly.
• Prepositions: in, with.
• Conjunctions: and.
• Pronouns: these, you, it.

Grammar and structure check

• Final summary uses present simple and modal verbs.
• Sentences are short and complete.

FAQs

1. Q: Which is correct: “There has been two problems”? A: No. Use There have been two problems.
2. Q: Do I use “has been” with news? A: Yes. News is uncountable. Say There has been news about the event.
3. Q: How do I ask a question about past events? A: Invert the auxiliary: Have there been any changes? Has there been a mistake?
4. Q: Is “there has been” only for one event? A: It is for singular or uncountable nouns. One event uses has been.Multiple events use have been.
5. Q: What about “a number of” or “the number of”? A: A number of + plural → use have been (e.g., There have been a number of errors). The number of + singular idea → use has been (e.g., The number of errors has been high).
6. Q: Can I say “There have been a lot of rain”? A: No. Rain is uncountable. Say There has been a lot of rain.
7. Q: Are collective nouns tricky? A: Yes. Treat them as singular in American English: There has been a team meeting. In British English, you may hear plurals but stick with singular for learners.
8. Q: How to make negatives? A: Use has not been or have not been. You can say hasn’t been or haven’t been in informal speech.
9. Q: Do time words matter? A: Yes. Words like recently, so far, yet, since, for often pair with the present perfect: There have been changes recently.
10. Q: What is the fastest check? A: Find the noun after the phrase. If it is singular or uncountable, use has been. If it is plural, use have been.