There is vs. There are

[Li Chyan]

Hello!
Could anyone tell me which of the following two sentences is correct?
"There is a woman and two children in the room".
"There are a woman and two children in the room".
Thanks in advance)

[Milanya]

Correct:
"There are a woman and two children in the room".

MULTIPLE SUBJECTS
(a) The boy and the girl are here. (b) Both the man and the women are here.
[Two subjects connected by "and" require a plural verb.]
(c) Either the teacher or the student has the book. (d) Either the teacher or the students have the book.
(e) Neither the boy nor the girl is here. (f) Neither the boy nor the girls are here.
(g) Not only John but also Mary wants to come. (h) Not only John but also his parents want to come.

When two subjects are connected by either...or, neither...nor, and not only...but also, the subject
which is closest to the verb determines whether the verb is singular or plural.
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con·text - The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.

[Alan]

Hi Li Chyan,

If you are not sure whether to say: There is or There are, simply change the beginning of your sentence. If you say: A woman and two children are in the room, you can see that the original sentence has to be: There are a woman and two children in the room.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Li Chyan]

Thank you so much!