There

Pronunciation

strong form, There's, There are
UK: /ðeə/, /ðeəz/, /ðeərə/
US: /ðɜr/, /ðɜrz/, /ðɜrə/

NB: identical to the pronunciation of there and they're. This is terribly inefficient and makes learning difficult, but what can you do? That's the way the language is!

Existential

In the following patterns: s indicates any plural noun. (i.e. including irregular ones like people, children, data, alumni, etc., ...

Present

• There is      an   . . .       in the fridge.
• There are      . . .s       in the soup.

• There isn't any       . . .       in the soup.
• There aren't any       . . . s       in the freezer.

Past

• There was       a problem       with the file.
• There were       mistakes       in the file.

• There wasn't any       . . .       left.
• There weren't any       . . . s      in the building.

Future

• There will be       an   . . .       next week.
• There will be       . . . s       later this week.

• There won't be       an   . . .       until next week.
• There won't be       . . . s       in the room.

Locative

A location a distance away from the speaker & listener. The opposite of here.

Idiomatic

Comfort

• There, there, don't cry.

Humorous add-on to demonstrative determiners

From dialectal (non-standard) English

• "That there" NOUN vs. "this here" NOUN
• "them there" NOUNs vs. "these here" NOUNs