Both there have been and there has been are correct. The right choice depends on the noun that follows the phrase.
Use there has been with a singular or uncountable noun:
There has been a delay.
Use there have been with a plural noun:
There have been several delays.
The tricky part is that there appears first, so it can feel like it controls the verb. In this construction, however, the noun that follows determines whether you need has or have.
Quick Answer
The simplest rule is:
- Singular or uncountable noun → there has been
- Plural noun → there have been
Compare:
There has been a change.
There have been several changes.
The same agreement applies in questions:
Has there been a change?
Have there been several changes?
Both phrases use the present perfect form, but has and have must agree with the relevant subject.
Why People Confuse Them
English often places the subject before the verb, as in:
A problem has occurred.
The existential construction changes the order:
There has been a problem.
Here, there introduces the existence of something. It does not simply behave like the ordinary subject people expect at the beginning of a sentence. The noun problem is singular, so has is used.
Plural nouns work the same way:
There have been several problems.
The noun problems is plural, so have is required.
This is why the phrase should not be chosen by looking only at the word there.
Key Differences At A Glance
| Context | Best Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One problem | there has been | “Problem” is singular |
| Several problems | there have been | “Problems” is plural |
| Some progress | there has been | “Progress” is uncountable |
| Several improvements | there have been | “Improvements” is plural |
| One delay | there has been | “Delay” is singular |
| Multiple delays | there have been | “Delays” is plural |
A quick comparison:
- There has been → singular or uncountable
- There have been → plural
- There → introduces the construction
- Has/have → agrees with the relevant noun
Meaning and Usage Difference
The two phrases have essentially the same basic function: they introduce something that has existed, occurred, or been present up to the relevant point in time.
The difference is grammatical agreement, not a completely different meaning.
Singular nouns
Use there has been when the noun is singular.
There has been an update to the schedule.
There has been a mistake in the report.
There has been a noticeable change in demand.
Uncountable nouns
Use there has been with an uncountable noun.
There has been significant progress.
There has been some confusion about the instructions.
There has been enough evidence to reconsider the decision.
Words such as progress, information, and research are commonly treated as uncountable in English, so they take singular agreement in this construction.
Plural nouns
Use there have been when the noun is plural.
There have been several updates.
There have been many complaints.
There have been unexpected delays.
The present perfect connects past events or situations with the present.
Tone, Context, and Formality
Neither phrase is inherently more formal than the other. There has been and there have been are both standard choices.
The important difference is the number of the noun.
In professional writing, academic writing, reports, and careful editing, standard agreement is expected:
There have been several changes to the policy.
Not:
There has been several changes to the policy.
In everyday speech, you may hear relaxed forms that do not follow standard agreement. Cambridge notes that singular there’s can sometimes occur before plural nouns in informal speech. Such usage is less suitable when you want polished standard writing.
Which One Should You Use?
Look at the noun that the phrase introduces.
If it is singular, choose there has been:
There has been one complaint.
If it is uncountable, choose there has been:
There has been little progress.
If it is plural, choose there have been:
There have been three complaints.
A useful mental check is to replace the construction with a normal sentence:
A problem has occurred.
So:
There has been a problem.
Likewise:
Several problems have occurred.
So:
There have been several problems.
This makes the agreement easier to see.
When One Choice Sounds Wrong
There has been sounds wrong in standard US English when the following noun is clearly plural:
❌ There has been several errors.
✅ There have been several errors.
Likewise, there have been sounds wrong with a singular noun:
❌ There have been a problem.
✅ There has been a problem.
The same issue appears with uncountable nouns:
❌ There have been progress.
✅ There has been progress.
Be especially careful when words such as many, several, or a number appear before a plural noun. The plural noun still requires have been.
Common Mistakes (and Quick Fixes)
Mistake: There has been many changes.
Fix: There have been many changes.
Mistake: There have been a problem.
Fix: There has been a problem.
Mistake: There have been some progress.
Fix: There has been some progress.
Mistake: There has been several complaints.
Fix: There have been several complaints.
A simple correction method is to find the noun after been. Ignore there temporarily and ask: Is that noun singular, uncountable, or plural?
That quick check solves most errors.
Everyday Examples
Here are natural examples from common US-English situations:
There has been a delay with your order.
There have been several delays this week.
There has been some confusion about the meeting time.
There have been three changes to the schedule.
There has been an increase in customer interest.
There have been many questions about the new policy.
There has been enough progress to continue the project.
There have been unexpected problems with the installation.
For questions, the same agreement remains:
Has there been a response yet?
Have there been any updates?
The word order changes, but the agreement rule does not.
Dictionary-Style Word Details
Verb
There has been: A present-perfect verb phrase used with a singular or uncountable subject in an existential construction.
There have been: A present-perfect verb phrase used with a plural subject in an existential construction.
The auxiliary has/have carries the agreement distinction, while been is the past participle of be.
Noun
Neither there has been nor there have been is a noun.
Both are verb phrases. The noun that follows them determines the form:
- there has been a problem — singular
- there has been progress — uncountable
- there have been problems — plural
Synonyms
These phrases do not have exact one-word synonyms because they are grammatical constructions rather than ordinary vocabulary items.
There has been: Closest plain alternatives include a situation has occurred, something has happened, or a direct sentence naming the subject.
There have been: Closest plain alternatives include several things have occurred or a direct sentence naming the plural subject.
These alternatives depend on the sentence and should not be treated as exact replacements.
Example Sentences
There has been: There has been a noticeable improvement in the service.
There have been: There have been several improvements in the service.
There has been: There has been some concern about the change.
There have been: There have been many concerns about the change.
Word History
The two phrases are combinations of ordinary English grammatical elements: there, has/have, and been. Their modern difference comes from grammatical agreement rather than from two separate words with different histories.
No special separate history is needed to understand the distinction.
Phrases Containing
Common related constructions include:
- there has been a
- there has been some
- there has been an
- there have been several
- there have been many
- there have been some
- has there been
- have there been
The noun following the construction remains the key to choosing has or have.
FAQs
Is “there have been” always plural?
Yes, in standard usage, there have been is used when the relevant subject is plural. For example, “There have been several meetings” uses have because “meetings” is plural. The phrase should not be chosen simply because “there” appears first.
Can “there has been” be used with uncountable nouns?
Yes. There has been works with uncountable nouns such as progress, information, research, and confusion. For example, “There has been progress” is correct because “progress” is treated as an uncountable noun in this sentence.
Why is “there has been many problems” incorrect?
It is incorrect in standard US English because “problems” is plural. The correct sentence is “There have been many problems.” The word “many” also signals a plural noun, making have been the appropriate choice.
Are “there have been” and “there has been” interchangeable?
No. They perform the same basic grammatical function, but they cannot normally replace each other. There has been goes with singular or uncountable nouns, while there have been goes with plural nouns.
Which form should I use in a question?
Use has there been with a singular or uncountable noun and have there been with a plural noun. For example, “Has there been a change?” is correct, while “Have there been any changes?” uses the plural form.
Is “there’s been” acceptable with plural nouns?
In careful standard writing, avoid there’s been before a plural noun. Use there have been instead. You may hear singular “there’s” before plural nouns in casual speech, but standard written agreement is clearer and safer.
Conclusion
Both there have been and there has been are correct forms. The choice depends on the noun they introduce.
Use there has been with a singular or uncountable noun:
There has been a problem.
Use there have been with a plural noun:
There have been several problems.
When you are unsure, find the noun after the phrase and check its number. That simple step will usually tell you whether has or have is correct.
