Article usage-there is a tablet, a cellphone, a ball pen on the table

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What is the correct usage of article if different objects are stated in a group in a sentence. Particularly:




There IS/ARE a tablet, a cellphone, a ball pen, a reading glass, a cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.




Or




There IS/ARE a tablet, cellphone, ball pen, reading glass, cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.




Do I have to repeat them again and again or not? Especially if they are all singular.






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  • 1




    There ARE a tablet, cellphone, ball pen, reading glass, cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.
    – Michael Harvey
    38 mins ago
















up vote
2
down vote

favorite












enter image description here



What is the correct usage of article if different objects are stated in a group in a sentence. Particularly:




There IS/ARE a tablet, a cellphone, a ball pen, a reading glass, a cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.




Or




There IS/ARE a tablet, cellphone, ball pen, reading glass, cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.




Do I have to repeat them again and again or not? Especially if they are all singular.






articles







share|improve this question

















  • 1




    There ARE a tablet, cellphone, ball pen, reading glass, cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.
    – Michael Harvey
    38 mins ago












up vote
2
down vote

favorite









up vote
2
down vote

favorite











enter image description here



What is the correct usage of article if different objects are stated in a group in a sentence. Particularly:




There IS/ARE a tablet, a cellphone, a ball pen, a reading glass, a cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.




Or




There IS/ARE a tablet, cellphone, ball pen, reading glass, cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.




Do I have to repeat them again and again or not? Especially if they are all singular.






articles







share|improve this question













enter image description here



What is the correct usage of article if different objects are stated in a group in a sentence. Particularly:




There IS/ARE a tablet, a cellphone, a ball pen, a reading glass, a cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.




Or




There IS/ARE a tablet, cellphone, ball pen, reading glass, cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.




Do I have to repeat them again and again or not? Especially if they are all singular.






articles




articles






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asked 58 mins ago









John Arvin

851726




851726







  • 1




    There ARE a tablet, cellphone, ball pen, reading glass, cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.
    – Michael Harvey
    38 mins ago












  • 1




    There ARE a tablet, cellphone, ball pen, reading glass, cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.
    – Michael Harvey
    38 mins ago







1




1




There ARE a tablet, cellphone, ball pen, reading glass, cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.
– Michael Harvey
38 mins ago




There ARE a tablet, cellphone, ball pen, reading glass, cup of coffee and a piece of paper on the table.
– Michael Harvey
38 mins ago










3 Answers
3






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Idiomatically, it's quite okay to use the relaxed / colloquial contracted form There's instead of There are (which many would find "awkward" to enunciate as contracted There're) in such contexts (with a plural referent). Usually (but not always), this can be partially excused by the fact that the plurality of np's that follows is often thought of as a "single interrelated collection of things".



But this usage isn't idiomatically acceptable if you explicitly articulate the full singular verb form is, because that would draw unwanted attention to the verb plurality clash.






share|improve this answer





























    up vote
    1
    down vote













    FumbleFingers addresses the question of whether to conjugate the verb as singular or plural (answer: either can be find) so I'll take the other part: It's fine to omit repeating articles in casual conversation.




    There is a cellphone, tablet, pen, coffee cup, and some other things on the table.




    I would include them in writing, unless I was transcribing dialogue.






    share|improve this answer



























      up vote
      1
      down vote













      If the items are a series of items in the singular, the verb is singular; there is.



      There is a cellphone, tablet and ball point pen on the table. [single items, listed separately, singular verb, no need to repeat the determiner a]



      If the items are a plural word, the verb is plural.



      There are three objects on the table. [three objects=plural, plural verb]



      For items listed separately, the verb is never plural:



      There is a boy, a girl and a dog in the garden. [here, a is needed as the people and the dog are different categories, in my opinion]



      There are three living beings in the garden.



      contractions would be: there's (singular) or there're (plural).






      share|improve this answer




















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        3 Answers
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        3 Answers
        3






        active

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        active

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        up vote
        2
        down vote













        Idiomatically, it's quite okay to use the relaxed / colloquial contracted form There's instead of There are (which many would find "awkward" to enunciate as contracted There're) in such contexts (with a plural referent). Usually (but not always), this can be partially excused by the fact that the plurality of np's that follows is often thought of as a "single interrelated collection of things".



        But this usage isn't idiomatically acceptable if you explicitly articulate the full singular verb form is, because that would draw unwanted attention to the verb plurality clash.






        share|improve this answer


























          up vote
          2
          down vote













          Idiomatically, it's quite okay to use the relaxed / colloquial contracted form There's instead of There are (which many would find "awkward" to enunciate as contracted There're) in such contexts (with a plural referent). Usually (but not always), this can be partially excused by the fact that the plurality of np's that follows is often thought of as a "single interrelated collection of things".



          But this usage isn't idiomatically acceptable if you explicitly articulate the full singular verb form is, because that would draw unwanted attention to the verb plurality clash.






          share|improve this answer
























            up vote
            2
            down vote










            up vote
            2
            down vote









            Idiomatically, it's quite okay to use the relaxed / colloquial contracted form There's instead of There are (which many would find "awkward" to enunciate as contracted There're) in such contexts (with a plural referent). Usually (but not always), this can be partially excused by the fact that the plurality of np's that follows is often thought of as a "single interrelated collection of things".



            But this usage isn't idiomatically acceptable if you explicitly articulate the full singular verb form is, because that would draw unwanted attention to the verb plurality clash.






            share|improve this answer














            Idiomatically, it's quite okay to use the relaxed / colloquial contracted form There's instead of There are (which many would find "awkward" to enunciate as contracted There're) in such contexts (with a plural referent). Usually (but not always), this can be partially excused by the fact that the plurality of np's that follows is often thought of as a "single interrelated collection of things".



            But this usage isn't idiomatically acceptable if you explicitly articulate the full singular verb form is, because that would draw unwanted attention to the verb plurality clash.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited 46 mins ago

























            answered 53 mins ago









            FumbleFingers

            42.9k150116




            42.9k150116






















                up vote
                1
                down vote













                FumbleFingers addresses the question of whether to conjugate the verb as singular or plural (answer: either can be find) so I'll take the other part: It's fine to omit repeating articles in casual conversation.




                There is a cellphone, tablet, pen, coffee cup, and some other things on the table.




                I would include them in writing, unless I was transcribing dialogue.






                share|improve this answer
























                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote













                  FumbleFingers addresses the question of whether to conjugate the verb as singular or plural (answer: either can be find) so I'll take the other part: It's fine to omit repeating articles in casual conversation.




                  There is a cellphone, tablet, pen, coffee cup, and some other things on the table.




                  I would include them in writing, unless I was transcribing dialogue.






                  share|improve this answer






















                    up vote
                    1
                    down vote










                    up vote
                    1
                    down vote









                    FumbleFingers addresses the question of whether to conjugate the verb as singular or plural (answer: either can be find) so I'll take the other part: It's fine to omit repeating articles in casual conversation.




                    There is a cellphone, tablet, pen, coffee cup, and some other things on the table.




                    I would include them in writing, unless I was transcribing dialogue.






                    share|improve this answer












                    FumbleFingers addresses the question of whether to conjugate the verb as singular or plural (answer: either can be find) so I'll take the other part: It's fine to omit repeating articles in casual conversation.




                    There is a cellphone, tablet, pen, coffee cup, and some other things on the table.




                    I would include them in writing, unless I was transcribing dialogue.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered 41 mins ago









                    Andrew

                    60.1k567134




                    60.1k567134




















                        up vote
                        1
                        down vote













                        If the items are a series of items in the singular, the verb is singular; there is.



                        There is a cellphone, tablet and ball point pen on the table. [single items, listed separately, singular verb, no need to repeat the determiner a]



                        If the items are a plural word, the verb is plural.



                        There are three objects on the table. [three objects=plural, plural verb]



                        For items listed separately, the verb is never plural:



                        There is a boy, a girl and a dog in the garden. [here, a is needed as the people and the dog are different categories, in my opinion]



                        There are three living beings in the garden.



                        contractions would be: there's (singular) or there're (plural).






                        share|improve this answer
























                          up vote
                          1
                          down vote













                          If the items are a series of items in the singular, the verb is singular; there is.



                          There is a cellphone, tablet and ball point pen on the table. [single items, listed separately, singular verb, no need to repeat the determiner a]



                          If the items are a plural word, the verb is plural.



                          There are three objects on the table. [three objects=plural, plural verb]



                          For items listed separately, the verb is never plural:



                          There is a boy, a girl and a dog in the garden. [here, a is needed as the people and the dog are different categories, in my opinion]



                          There are three living beings in the garden.



                          contractions would be: there's (singular) or there're (plural).






                          share|improve this answer






















                            up vote
                            1
                            down vote










                            up vote
                            1
                            down vote









                            If the items are a series of items in the singular, the verb is singular; there is.



                            There is a cellphone, tablet and ball point pen on the table. [single items, listed separately, singular verb, no need to repeat the determiner a]



                            If the items are a plural word, the verb is plural.



                            There are three objects on the table. [three objects=plural, plural verb]



                            For items listed separately, the verb is never plural:



                            There is a boy, a girl and a dog in the garden. [here, a is needed as the people and the dog are different categories, in my opinion]



                            There are three living beings in the garden.



                            contractions would be: there's (singular) or there're (plural).






                            share|improve this answer












                            If the items are a series of items in the singular, the verb is singular; there is.



                            There is a cellphone, tablet and ball point pen on the table. [single items, listed separately, singular verb, no need to repeat the determiner a]



                            If the items are a plural word, the verb is plural.



                            There are three objects on the table. [three objects=plural, plural verb]



                            For items listed separately, the verb is never plural:



                            There is a boy, a girl and a dog in the garden. [here, a is needed as the people and the dog are different categories, in my opinion]



                            There are three living beings in the garden.



                            contractions would be: there's (singular) or there're (plural).







                            share|improve this answer












                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer










                            answered 33 mins ago









                            Lambie

                            13.1k1331




                            13.1k1331



























                                 

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