📝 Why You Should Stop Starting Sentences with “There Is” or “There Are”

Jun 4

Written By Henry

And what to do instead for stronger, clearer writing. 💪

🎯 What’s the Problem?

Starting a sentence with “There is” or “There are” might feel natural, but it weakens your writing. It delays the subject, makes your point less direct, and adds unnecessary words.

❌ There are many students who struggle with grammar.
✅ Many students struggle with grammar.

See the difference? The second sentence is clearer, stronger, and more to the point.

💡 Why This Matters (Especially for Essays)

In academic writing or college application essays, every word should work hard. When you bury your subject behind filler phrases like “There is/are,” you lose impact.

Let’s compare:

❌ There is a moment I’ll never forget.
✅ I’ll never forget that moment.

Cleaner. More engaging. More you.

🔧 How to Fix It

Step 1: Find the “there is/there are”
Step 2: Identify the real subject of the sentence
Step 3: Rewrite it so the subject leads the sentence

Example:

🐢 Original: There is a reason I love biology.
🏃‍♂️ Better: I love biology for a reason.
🔥 Best: Curiosity drives my love for biology.

Bonus: In that last version, you’ve also added specificity and voice!

✅ When It’s Okay to Use “There Is/There Are”

Sometimes, it’s fine! Especially in creative writing or reflective moments, where tone or rhythm matters more than conciseness:

There’s a quiet beauty in early mornings.

Just don’t make it a habit in formal or persuasive writing.

🔁 TL;DR

“There is/There are” = weak sentence starters
Lead with strong subjects and active verbs
Trim the fluff, find your voice
Your writing will instantly feel more confident 💪

Henry