There Is No vs There Are No: Which One Is Correct

Few phrases trigger a quick pause the way there is no and there are no do. Both announce that something is missing, yet only one of them fits a given sentence. This guide explains how to choose between them, why the mix-ups happen, and which errors are worth watching for in your own writing.

What Is the Difference

The two phrases differ only in the verb, and the verb depends on the noun that comes right after the word no. Use there is no when that noun is singular or uncountable. Use there are no when it is plural.

Quick Definition

Phrase	Used With
There is no	Singular or uncountable nouns
There are no	Plural countable nouns

Example

Singular: “There is no elevator in this building.”

Plural: “There are no elevators in this building.”

Understanding Subject Verb Agreement

Agreement means the verb matches its subject in number. In these sentences, the word there simply fills the opening slot. The real subject, the thing being described as missing, arrives after the verb, so that is the word the verb follows. Grammarians sometimes call this an existential there, because the sentence states whether something exists.

Sentence Pattern	What the Verb Follows
There is no + singular noun	The singular noun
There are no + plural noun	The plural noun

In “There is no elevator,” the noun elevator is the real subject, which is why the verb stays singular.

When to Use There Is No

Choose there is no when the noun after it names a single item or a substance that is measured rather than counted.

With Singular Nouns

• “There is no pharmacy on this street.”
• “There is no seat beside me.”
• “There is no doubt about the result.”

With Uncountable Nouns

• “There is no milk in the fridge.”
• “There is no space in the trunk.”
• “There is no evidence of damage.”
• “There is no traffic this morning.”

Uncountable nouns, sometimes called mass nouns, describe things we measure instead of count. You can have a little milk or a lot of space, but you cannot have milks or spaces in the same sense. Grammatically they behave as singular.

When to Use There Are No

Choose there are no when the noun after it is plural, meaning you could count the items one by one.

With Plural Nouns

• “There are no pharmacies on this street.”
• “There are no seats beside me.”
• “There are no doubts about the result.”
• “There are no lights in the hallway.”

Each of these nouns can be counted: one seat, two seats, three seats. Countable and plural means the verb has to be are.

Singular Versus Plural Comparison

Seeing matching pairs side by side makes the pattern easy to spot.

Singular Sentence	Plural Sentence
There is no ladder in the garage	There are no ladders in the garage
There is no mistake in the report	There are no mistakes in the report
There is no message from her	There are no messages from her
There is no window in the office	There are no windows in the office

Only the noun and the verb change. Everything else stays put, which shows that the noun is doing the steering.

Uncountable Nouns Always Take Is

Uncountable nouns cause more slips than any other category, because a large quantity can feel plural even when the grammar says otherwise.

Uncountable Noun	Correct Usage
Rice	There is no rice
Luck	There is no luck
Furniture	There is no furniture
Equipment	There is no equipment
Homework	There is no homework tonight

No matter how much of the thing exists, the noun stays singular in grammar. If you want to count it, you need a unit word such as pieces, grains, or items.

Incorrect: “There are no furniture in the room”

Correct: “There is no furniture in the room”

Also correct: “There are no pieces of furniture in the room”

That last version works because pieces is a plural noun, and it now sits right after no.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake One: Using Are With Uncountable Nouns

Incorrect: “There are no equipment available”

Correct: “There is no equipment available”

Mistake Two: Using Is With Plural Nouns

Incorrect: “There is no windows in the office”

Correct: “There are no windows in the office”

Mistake Three: Letting There’s Hide the Problem

The contraction there’s sounds so smooth that many speakers use it with plurals without noticing.

Incorrect: “There’s no options left”

Correct: “There are no options left”

Spoken English often lets this slide, but careful writing does not.

Mistake Four: Following the Wrong Noun

When a longer phrase follows no, writers sometimes match the verb to a word further along instead of the one right after no.

Incorrect: “There is no pieces of evidence on the desk”

Correct: “There are no pieces of evidence on the desk”

The noun immediately after no is pieces, so the verb must be plural. Compare it with “There is no evidence on the desk,” where the noun after no is evidence and the verb is singular.

Special Cases to Watch For

Nouns That Look Plural but Are Treated as Singular

A few nouns end in s yet take a singular verb. Many are names of diseases, sports, or school subjects.

Noun	Example
Gymnastics	“There is no gymnastics on today’s schedule”
Physics	“There is no physics on the exam”
Measles	“There is no measles in this region”

Nouns That Look Singular but Require Are

Some nouns are plural in form or meaning even when they do not look like it, so they always take are.

Noun	Example
Binoculars	“There are no binoculars in the case”
Tweezers	“There are no tweezers in the kit”
People	“There are no people in the lobby”
Police	“There are no police nearby”

Collective Nouns

Words such as crew, staff, or committee name a group. American English usually treats them as singular: “There is no crew on board.” British English often treats them as plural, so you may see “There are no crew on board” there.

Formal Versus Casual Usage

The agreement rule applies in every setting. What changes is how forgiving readers are when it is broken.

Setting	Example
Formal writing	“There is no indication that the policy failed”
Casual conversation	“There are no clean mugs left”
Academic writing	“There are no studies confirming this effect”
Everyday texting	“There is no signal here”

Why This Distinction Matters

A mismatched verb is a small error, but readers notice it, especially in resumes, reports, emails, and published work. Getting there is no and there are no right signals care and keeps attention on your message instead of your grammar. In casual talk the stakes are lower, yet the correct form still reads more naturally.

Quick Reference Table

Noun Type	Correct Phrase	Example
Singular noun	There is no	“There is no ladder”
Uncountable noun	There is no	“There is no rice”
Plural noun	There are no	“There are no ladders”
Collective noun (American usage)	There is no	“There is no crew”
Plural only noun	There are no	“There are no binoculars”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the quickest way to decide between there is no and there are no? Look at the noun right after no. If it is singular or uncountable, use there is no. If it is plural, use there are no.

Does the word there count as the subject? No. In these sentences there is only a placeholder. The noun that follows the verb is the real subject.

Why is there is no furniture correct when the room may hold many items? Furniture is an uncountable noun, so it takes a singular verb regardless of how much exists.

Is there’s no with a plural noun acceptable? It is common in speech, but most editors mark it as an error in formal writing. Use there are no instead.

Do British and American English follow the same rule? Yes for singular, plural, and uncountable nouns. The main difference is with collective nouns, which British English more often treats as plural.

Final Thoughts

The decision between there is no and there are no rests on one habit: read the noun that follows no and let it set the verb. Singular and uncountable nouns pair with is, while plural nouns pair with are. Once you build that habit, the choice stops being a pause and becomes automatic, whether you are writing a report, an email, or a quick message.