---
title: There + To Be
pubDate: 2026-08-17T09:53:44.266Z
antora:
  editUrl: https://github.com/couchbaselabs/docs-style-guide/edit/main/styleguide/modules/ROOT/pages/there-is.adoc
  xref: xref:styleguide::there-is.adoc[]
---

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# There + To Be

Do not start a sentence with `there` and a form of the verb `to be`:

* There is
* There are
* There were
* There was

These constructions hide the true subject and verb of the sentence, resulting in weaker writing.

## [](#how-to-avoid-there-is)How To Avoid There Is

To avoid the `there is` construction, try:

* To remove `there is.`
* To move the true subject and verb from the end of the sentence.
* To create a subject for the sentence.

For example:

There are multiple variables that store the result.

To remove the `there are,` you could do any of the following, depending on the context of your sentence:

Multiple variables store the result.

The `x` and `y` variables store the result.

You can store the result in multiple variables.

Store the result in multiple variables.

For more examples, see the [Google Tech Writing course](https://developers.google.com/tech-writing/one/clear-sentences#reduce%5Fthere%5Fis%5Fthere%5Fare).