271+ There Has Been vs There Have Been: Which Is Correct?

Choosing between there has been and there have been can be confusing, especially because both phrases are grammatically correct. The right choice depends on the noun that follows the phrase. If you are talking about one person, thing, or singular idea, use there has been. If you are referring to multiple people or things, there have been is usually the correct option.

This grammar rule is connected to subject-verb agreement in the present perfect tense. Although the word there appears at the beginning of the sentence, the real subject usually comes after the verb. Understanding this pattern makes it much easier to choose between has been and have been correctly in everyday writing and speech.

Quick Answer

Use there has been with singular nouns and uncountable nouns, such as There has been a problem or There has been a lot of rain. Use there have been with plural nouns, such as There have been several problems. The verb agrees with the noun that follows.

Why People Confuse It

The main reason people confuse there has been and there have been is that the sentence begins with there, which may appear to be the subject.

However, in these expressions, there acts as an introductory word. The noun that comes after been usually determines whether you should use has or have.

For example:

• There has been an accident.
• There have been several accidents.

In the first sentence, an accident is singular, so has is correct.

In the second sentence, several accidents is plural, so have is correct.

There Has Been

There has been is used with:

• Singular countable nouns
• Uncountable nouns
• Singular situations or events

Examples

• There has been a mistake.
• There has been an increase in prices.
• There has been a problem with the computer.
• There has been heavy rain.
• There has been a change in the schedule.

When to Use There Has Been

Use there has been when the noun or idea you are describing is singular or uncountable.

For example:

There has been a significant improvement.

The noun improvement is singular, so has been is the correct choice.

Similarly:

There has been a lot of confusion.

Confusion is an uncountable noun, so it takes has been.

There Have Been

There have been is used with plural nouns.

Examples

• There have been many changes.
• There have been several complaints.
• There have been two accidents today.
• There have been many opportunities.
• There have been several delays.

When to Use There Have Been

Use there have been when you are referring to more than one person, object, event, or situation.

For example:

There have been several improvements.

The noun improvements is plural, so have been is required.

Another example:

There have been many questions about the new policy.

Because questions is plural, have been is correct.

There Has Been vs There Have Been: Comparison Table

Feature	There Has Been	There Have Been
Used with	Singular and uncountable nouns	Plural nouns
Auxiliary verb	Has	Have
Example	There has been a problem.	There have been several problems.
Subject type	Singular	Plural
Common use	One event, thing, or situation	Multiple events, things, or situations

When to Use Each

The easiest way to choose between the two expressions is to identify the noun that follows been.

Use There Has Been When:

• The noun is singular.
• The noun is uncountable.
• You are referring to one event or situation.

Examples:

• There has been a delay.
• There has been an accident.
• There has been too much noise.
• There has been a misunderstanding.

Use There Have Been When:

• The noun is plural.
• You are referring to multiple people or things.
• The sentence describes several events or situations.

Examples:

• There have been many delays.
• There have been several accidents.
• There have been many complaints.
• There have been a few changes.

Examples of There Has Been and There Have Been

Here are more examples to help you understand the difference clearly.

1. There has been a problem with the website.
2. There have been several problems with the website.
3. There has been an increase in demand.
4. There have been many increases in prices.
5. There has been a delay in the delivery.
6. There have been several delays this week.
7. There has been heavy traffic this morning.
8. There have been many traffic accidents recently.
9. There has been a major improvement.
10. There have been several improvements.
11. There has been a change in the plan.
12. There have been many changes in the plan.
13. There has been a lot of discussion about the issue.
14. There have been several discussions about the issue.
15. There has been an unexpected development.
16. There have been several unexpected developments.

Common Mistakes

1. Using “There Has Been” With a Plural Noun

Incorrect:

There has been many problems.

Correct:

There have been many problems.

Because problems is plural, the correct verb is have.

2. Using “There Have Been” With a Singular Noun

Incorrect:

There have been a mistake.

Correct:

There has been a mistake.

Because mistake is singular, has been is correct.

3. Letting “There” Control the Verb

Some writers incorrectly choose the verb based on there.

Remember, there does not determine whether you use has or have. Look at the noun that follows.

4. Confusing Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Incorrect:

There have been a lot of traffic.

Correct:

There has been a lot of traffic.

Traffic is usually an uncountable noun, so it takes has been.

Memory Trick

A simple way to remember the difference is:

One = Has
More than one = Have

Ask yourself:

What is the sentence talking about?

If the answer is one thing, use there has been.

If the answer is multiple things, use there have been.

For example:

• One problem → There has been a problem.
• Many problems → There have been many problems.

American vs British English

Both there has been and there have been are used in American and British English.

The grammar rule remains the same in both varieties:

• There has been + singular or uncountable noun
• There have been + plural noun

For example, both American and British speakers may say:

There has been a change in the schedule.

There have been several changes in the schedule.

In informal conversation, some speakers may use contractions such as there’s been. However, in formal writing, choosing the full form can sometimes make the sentence clearer.

Similar Words and Grammar Patterns

Several English expressions follow similar subject-verb agreement rules.

There Is vs There Are

• There is a problem.
• There are several problems.

There Was vs There Were

• There was an accident.
• There were several accidents.

There Has Been vs There Have Been

• There has been a delay.
• There have been several delays.

There Will Be

Interestingly, there will be works with both singular and plural nouns:

• There will be a meeting.
• There will be several meetings.

This happens because will does not change according to singular or plural subjects.

FAQs:

Is “there has been” correct?

Yes. There has been is correct when followed by a singular or uncountable noun.

Example:

There has been a problem.

Is “there have been” correct?

Yes. There have been is correct when followed by a plural noun.

Example:

There have been several problems.

Which is correct: “there has been many” or “there have been many”?

The correct phrase is there have been many when many introduces a plural noun.

Example:

There have been many changes.

Can I use “there’s been” instead of “there has been”?

Yes. There’s been is a common contraction of there has been, especially in informal speech and writing.

Example:

There’s been a problem.

Why does the noun come after the verb?

This is a feature of the there + be sentence structure. The word there introduces the sentence, while the noun that follows identifies what exists or has occurred.

Is “there has been several problems” ever correct?

In standard English, there have been several problems is the preferred and grammatically correct form because problems is plural.

Can “there has been” be used with uncountable nouns?

Yes. Use there has been with uncountable nouns.

Examples:

• There has been a lot of rain.
• There has been too much confusion.
• There has been significant progress.

Final Verdict

Both there has been and there have been are correct, but they are used with different types of nouns.

Use there has been for singular and uncountable nouns:

There has been a mistake.

Use there have been for plural nouns:

There have been several mistakes.

The key is simple: always check the noun that follows been. That noun determines whether has or have is the correct choice.

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between there has been and there have been becomes easy once you focus on subject-verb agreement. The phrase may begin with there, but the important noun usually appears later in the sentence. A singular or uncountable noun requires has been, while a plural noun requires have been.

If you are writing an email, academic paper, blog post, or everyday message, using the correct form improves grammatical accuracy and clarity. Remember to identify the noun you are describing before choosing has or have. With this simple habit, you can avoid one of the most common English grammar mistakes.

Remember This

There has been = singular or uncountable noun.
There have been = plural noun.

One problem? Use “has been.”
Several problems? Use “have been.”