There Have Been or There Has Been? Which Is Correct?

The keyword 🔥 There Have Been or There Has Been? often leaves learners wondering which phrases are correct. The answer depends on the real subject of the sentence, not there. The phrases look nearly identical, but strict grammar rules control their use. Subject-verb agreement tells you to use have been with plural nouns and has been with singular nouns. This distinction can confuse new learners and fluent speakers when they try to learn the rules.

“There have been several changes” is correct because “changes” is plural. “There has been a change” is correct because “change” is singular. The word “there” does not decide the form or the verb. The noun does. Choosing the correct form becomes easier when you identify the noun first. This guide gives you a simple way to understand the existence of something without guessing, overthinking, or second-guessing every time you write. In my editing work, checking the noun first has proved the simplest method, and the rule usually sticks.

The phrases may look identical, but their structure follows a clear pattern. Has been, have been, has, and have have different grammatical roles, depending on what comes next. The same pattern works across different sentences and situations, helping learners and speakers avoid confusion.

Table of Contents

There Have Been or There Has Been: Quick Answer

Both “there has been” and “there have been” are correct. The choice depends on the noun that follows been.

There has been → use with a singular noun or uncountable noun.
There have been → use with a plural noun.

Form	Use it with	Example
There has been	Singular noun	There has been a problem.
There has been	Uncountable noun	There has been some confusion.
There have been	Plural noun	There have been several problems.

Compare these sentences:

There has been a mistake.

There have been several mistakes.

In the first sentence, mistake is singular. In the second, mistakes is plural. That difference determines has versus have.

The present perfect uses has/have + been and commonly connects a past event or situation with the present.

What Does “There Has Been” Mean?

There has been is the singular form of this present perfect construction.

You use it when you’re introducing one thing, one event, or an uncountable situation.

For example:

There has been a delay.
There has been an accident.
There has been one complaint.
There has been some confusion.
There has been significant progress.

The noun doesn’t need to describe something small. It simply needs to be grammatically singular or uncountable.

For example, progress can represent a substantial amount of improvement. Yet progress remains an uncountable noun, so the sentence takes has:

There has been significant progress.

“There Has Been” With Singular Nouns

A singular countable noun refers to one person, thing, event, or idea.

Consider these examples:

There has been a change in the schedule.
There has been a mistake in the report.
There has been an increase in demand.
There has been one complaint from a customer.
There has been a delay at the airport.

The easiest test is to replace the construction with an ordinary subject.

There has been a delay.

becomes:

A delay has occurred.

Because a delay is singular, has fits naturally.

“There Has Been” With Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns can cause another kind of confusion.

Words such as information, advice, traffic, progress, confusion, damage, evidence, and research don’t normally take a plural -s when used in their ordinary uncountable sense.

Therefore, they take has in this construction.

Examples:

There has been some confusion about the instructions.
There has been a lot of traffic today.
There has been considerable progress.
There has been new information about the project.
There has been significant damage to the building.
There has been little evidence to support the claim.

Notice the difference between information and reports:

There has been new information.

There have been several reports.

The first noun is uncountable. The second is plural.

What Does “There Have Been” Mean?

There have been is the plural form.

Use it when the noun that follows been refers to two or more people, things, events, or situations.

For example:

There have been several complaints.
There have been many changes.
There have been three meetings.
There have been numerous delays.
There have been several improvements.

Here, each noun is plural. That’s why have is required.

“There Have Been” With Plural Nouns

Plural nouns make the rule particularly easy to see.

There have been two accidents this month.

There have been many changes since January.

Try changing one noun to singular:

There has been one accident this month.

There has been a change since January.

The verb changes because the noun changes.

There Has Been vs. There Have Been: Main Difference

The central difference is the number.

Noun after “been”	Correct form	Example
One problem	There has been	There has been a problem.
One change	There has been	There has been a change.
Uncountable progress	There has been	There has been progress.
Several problems	There have been	There have been several problems.
Many changes	There have been	There have been many changes.
Three delays	There have been	There have been three delays.

A useful shortcut is:

One or uncountable → has been

More than one → have been

That shortcut works for most ordinary sentences.

Why Does “There” Not Control the Verb?

This is where the grammar gets slightly sneaky.

In a normal sentence, the subject usually appears before the verb:

The problem has disappeared.

The problems have disappeared.

With an existential there construction, the noun appears after the verb phrase:

There has been a problem.

There have been problems.

The word there introduces the existence or presence of something. It isn’t the noun that determines singular or plural agreement in these examples. Grammar references commonly explain the construction by identifying the noun phrase following the verb as the element that controls agreement.

Think of there as a doorway. It lets the sentence introduce something new.

The thing coming through the doorway determines whether you need has or have.

Compare the Structure

Singular:

There + has been + a problem

Plural:

There + have been + several problems

The important words are problem and problems.

That’s the grammatical switch.

There Has Been vs. There Have Been in the Present Perfect

Both phrases use the present perfect.

The present perfect is formed with has/have + past participle. With been, the pattern becomes:

has/have + been

English commonly uses the present perfect for past events that remain connected to the present. It can also describe experiences or situations within an unfinished time period.

For example:

There has been an accident.

The accident happened before now, but the situation may still matter now.

Similarly:

There have been several changes this year.

The changes occurred at different points during a period that continues into the present.

Recent Events

The present perfect works naturally when a recent event has current relevance.

There has been an accident on the highway.
There has been a delay at the station.
There have been several power outages today.
There have been many complaints this week.

The exact choice between has and have still depends on the noun.

Ongoing Developments

You can also use these constructions for developments that began earlier and remain relevant.

There has been steady growth in the business.
There have been major improvements in the system.
There has been increasing interest in the topic.
There have been repeated attempts to solve the problem.

The present perfect emphasizes the connection between earlier events and the current situation.

Experiences or Events Up to Now

The construction can describe things that have happened during a period leading up to the present.

For example:

There have been several attempts to repair the machine.

The sentence doesn’t necessarily identify exactly when each attempt occurred. The focus is on the accumulated experience up to now.

There Has Been or There Have Been in Questions

Questions use the same agreement rule.

The auxiliary verb moves before there:

Has there been a problem?

Have there been any problems?

The noun remains important. You still choose has for singular or uncountable nouns and have for plural nouns.

“Has There Been a Problem?”

Use has because a problem is singular.

Examples:

Has there been a mistake?
Has there been a change?
Has there been an update?
Has there been any progress?
Has there been a delay?

Notice that progress is uncountable, so it also takes has.

“Have There Been Any Problems?”

Use have because problems is plural.

Examples:

Have there been any problems?
Have there been any delays?
Have there been several complaints?
Have there been changes to the schedule?
Have there been any updates?

A simple question can therefore reveal the whole rule:

One thing? → Has there been…?

Multiple things? → Have there been…?

There Has Been or There Have Been in Negative Sentences

Negative sentences follow the same agreement pattern.

Use:

There has not been
There hasn’t been
There have not been
There haven’t been

Examples:

There hasn’t been a decision yet.

There haven’t been any decisions yet.

The first sentence refers to one decision. The second refers to multiple decisions.

Common Negative Examples

There hasn’t been a response yet.
There hasn’t been much progress.
There hasn’t been any improvement.
There haven’t been any responses yet.
There haven’t been many improvements.
There haven’t been enough opportunities.

Contractions such as hasn’t and haven’t are especially common in everyday speech and informal writing.

There Has Been or There Have Been With Numbers and Quantities

Numbers often make the agreement obvious.

There has been one complaint.

There have been twenty complaints.

The same principle applies to quantity expressions.

“A Lot Of”

The phrase a lot of can take either form. The noun after of determines the agreement.

There has been a lot of rain.

Here, rain is uncountable.

But:

There have been a lot of problems.

Here, problems is plural.

So don’t memorize “a lot of = has” or “a lot of = have.” That’s the wrong shortcut.

Look at the noun.

“A Number Of”

The phrase a number of + plural noun normally takes a plural verb.

There have been a number of complaints.

The noun complaints is plural, and the phrase means several or many.

Compare that with the number of, which refers to the number itself:

There has been an increase in the number of complaints.

Here, an increase is the grammatical subject of the construction.

That distinction matters because similar-looking phrases can behave differently.

Complex Subjects: Find the Real Noun

Long noun phrases can hide the agreement clue.

Consider:

There has been a long list of complaints.

At first glance, complaints appear close to the verb. However, list is the head noun of the phrase a long list of complaints.

Because the list is singular, has been is appropriate.

Now compare:

There have been many complaints about the service.

Here, complaints are directly plural.

“A Series of” Can Be Tricky

The phrase a series of often causes hesitation.

In American English, series has the same spelling in singular and plural forms. Context tells you which meaning applies.

For example:

There has been a series of meetings.

The subject is a series, which is singular.

By contrast:

There have been several series of meetings.

Here, series is plural because several indicates more than one series.

Don’t let the noun after or automatically dictate the verb. First identify the head noun.

There Has Been vs. There Have Been With Collective Nouns

Collective nouns can also require careful attention.

Words such as team, committee, group, family, class, and company can refer to a group as one unit.

In American English, they commonly take singular agreement when the group acts as one unit.

For example:

There has been a committee meeting today.

There has been a group discussion about the issue.

The noun phrase a committee meeting refers to one meeting. Likewise, a group discussion describes one discussion.

The important point is to examine the actual noun phrase rather than simply count the people involved.

Common Mistakes With “There Has Been” and “There Have Been”

“There Have Been a Problem”

❌ There have been a problem.

✅ There has been a problem.

Problem is singular, so use has.

“There Has Been Many Problems”

❌ There has been many problems.

✅ There have been many problems.

Problems is plural, so use have.

“There Has Been Several Changes”

❌ There has been several changes.

✅ There have been several changes.

The word several tells you that the noun is plural.

“There Have Been Some Confusion”

❌ There have been some confusion.

✅ There has been some confusion.

In this meaning, confusion is uncountable.

Using Present Perfect With a Finished Past Time

Another mistake involves tense rather than agreement.

❌ There have been several meetings yesterday.

If you’re talking about a completed time such as yesterday, simple past is normally appropriate:

✅ There were several meetings yesterday.

The present perfect generally works with periods connected to the present, such as today, this week, this year, recently, so far, and up to now. It generally doesn’t combine with finished past-time expressions such as yesterday, last year, or in 2020.

There Has Been vs. There Have Been Examples

Singular Noun Examples

There has been a change in the schedule.
There has been an error in the report.
There has been a delay at the airport.
There has been an increase in demand.
There has been one complaint.
There has been a misunderstanding.
There has been an unexpected problem.

Plural Noun Examples

There have been several changes.
There have been many complaints.
There have been three meetings.
There have been numerous delays.
There have been several updates.
There have been repeated attempts to fix it.
There have been major improvements.

Uncountable Noun Examples

There has been significant progress.
There has been some confusion.
There has been considerable damage.
There has been a lot of traffic.
There has been enough evidence.
There has been little interest.
There has been new information.

Question Examples

Has there been a problem?
Has there been any progress?
Has there been an update?
Have there been any problems?
Have there been several complaints?
Have there been changes to the policy?

Negative Examples

There hasn’t been a decision yet.
There hasn’t been much progress.
There haven’t been any updates.
There haven’t been many complaints.
There hasn’t been enough evidence.
There haven’t been enough opportunities.

There Has Been vs. There Have Been in Everyday English

You’ll encounter both forms in ordinary conversation, professional communication, news reporting, and academic writing.

Imagine a manager discussing a delayed project:

“There has been a delay in production.”

That statement identifies one delay.

Now imagine the manager discussing several issues:

“There have been several delays this month.”

The grammatical difference is tiny, but the meaning changes noticeably.

The same pattern appears in emails:

There has been an update to the schedule.

versus:

There have been several updates to the schedule.

The first sentence announces one update. The second reports multiple updates.

In practical writing, this distinction helps you sound precise rather than hesitant.

A Simple Way to Choose Between “There Has Been” and “There Have Been”

When you’re unsure, don’t stare at there. Look farther into the sentence.

Use this four-step check:

Find the noun after “been.”
Decide whether it’s singular, plural, or uncountable.
Use “has” for singular or uncountable nouns.
Use “have” for plural nouns.

For example:

There ___ been several changes.

The noun is changed.

Is it plural? Yes.

Therefore:

There have been several changes.

Now try:

There ___ been a major change.

The noun is changed.

Is it singular? Yes.

Therefore:

There has been a major change.

This method works far better than trying to memorize dozens of separate examples.

Quick Comparison: Has Been vs. Have Been

Sentence	Correct?	Reason
There has been a problem.	✅	The problem is singular.
There have been problems.	✅	Problems are plural.
There has been confusion.	✅	Confusion is uncountable.
There have been several complaints.	✅	Complaints are plural.
There has been many complaints.	❌	Complaints are plural.
There have been complaints.	❌	Complaint is singular.
There has been a lot of rain.	✅	Rain is uncountable.
There have been a lot of delays.	✅	Delays is plural.

Case Study: One Problem vs. Several Problems

Consider a software company that discovers an issue.

At first, the manager says:

There has been a problem with the payment system.

Only one problem is being introduced.

Later, the manager identifies multiple issues:

There have been several problems with the payment system.

Nothing complicated happened to the grammar. The noun simply changed from singular to plural.

This is the core principle behind there has been vs. there have been.

Practice: There Has Been or There Have Been?

Choose has been or have been.

There ___ a delay.
There ___ several delays.
There ___ some confusion.
There ___ many complaints.
There ___ an improvement.
There ___ significant improvements.
___ there been a problem?
___ there been any problems?
There ___ a lot of traffic today.
There ___ a lot of accidents this year.

Answers

There has been a delay.
There have been several delays.
There has been some confusion.
There have been many complaints.
There has been an improvement.
There have been significant improvements.
Has there been a problem?
Have there been any problems?
There has been a lot of traffic today.
There have been a lot of accidents this year.

The final two examples show why you must examine the noun. Traffic is uncountable, while accidents are plural.

FAQs:

Is “there has been” grammatically correct?

Yes. There has been is correct with singular and uncountable nouns.

For example:

There has been a problem.

There has been some confusion.

Is “there have been” grammatically correct?

Yes. There have been is correct plural nouns.

For example:

There have been several problems.

There have been many changes.

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

There have been many is correct when many modifies a plural noun.

There have been many complaints.

The noun complaints is plural.

Is it “there has been a lot” or “there have been a lot”?

Both can be correct.

The noun after of determines the form:

There has been a lot of rain.

There have been a lot of problems.

Rain is uncountable. Problems is plural.

Is it “there has been problems” or “there have been problems”?

The standard form is:

There have been problems.

The noun problems is plural, so it requires have.

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

Yes. In fact, this is one of its important uses.

Examples include:

There has been progress.

There has been damage.

Why do we say “there have been” instead of “there has been”?

You use have when the noun being introduced is plural.

There have been three changes.

You use has when that noun is singular:

There has been one change.

What is the difference between “there has been” and “there have been”?

The difference is subject-verb agreement.

There has been goes with a singular or uncountable noun.

There have been goes with a plural noun.

Conclusion:

Choosing between there have been and there has been becomes simple when you identify the real subject. Use has been with a singular noun and have been with a plural noun. Once this subject-verb agreement rule becomes familiar, you can write these phrases with confidence and avoid common grammar confusion.