Is/There Is

Question

Which example is the correct one?1) In the park is a small lake.2) In the park there is a small lake.Even though I know that in English you need 'there + Be' to indicate existance, I find both examples right. Besides, the 1st one is from a short story so it should be right.What's the real deal, then?

Cool Breeze · Accepted Answer

Hi ESY

Both are right. If you don't want to underline in the park, you can put it at the end:

There is a small lake in the park.

CB

EyeSeeYou · Answer

So, what would the theoretical explanation be? Could it be that as long as long as you have aspecific place reference (in the park, in this case) you needn't 'there'?

And that if you want to use just the verb 'to be', first you have to write the place?

CalifJim · Answer

So, what would the theoretical explanation be?

Verbs of spatial configuration¹ (stand, lie, rest, sit, hang, kneel, ...) may optionally trigger "locative inversion". In such cases, the phrase that tells the location is moved to the front of the sentence, triggering the inversion of subject and verb. And they may further optionally trigger "there insertion", thus:

George Johnson [stood / sat / knelt / lay] near that tree.
Near that tree [stood / sat / knelt / lay] George Johnson. (Locative Inversion)
Near that tree there [stood / sat / knelt / lay] George Johnson. (There Insertion)

But be (is, are, etc.) isn't often used in the first pattern; only the last two of the three patterns above are regularly used with be.

[?A small lake is in the park.]
In the park is a small lake.
In the park there is a small lake.

CJ
¹to name just one group of verbs with this property. There are other groups. See English Verb Classes and Alternations by Beth Levin.

Cool Breeze · Answer

CalifJim Verbs of spatial configuration¹ (stand, lie, rest, sit, hang, kneel, ...) may optionally trigger "locative inversion". In such cases, the phrase that tells the location is moved to the front of the sentence, triggering the inversion of subject and verb. And they may further optionally trigger "there insertion", thus:

George Johnson [stood / sat / knelt / lay] near that tree.
Near that tree [stood / sat / knelt / lay] George Johnson. (Locative Inversion)
Near that tree there [stood / sat / knelt / lay] George Johnson. (There Insertion)

Hi Jim

It may interest you and other speakers of English to hear that this inversion is always used in other Germanic languages when an adverb of place, time or manner starts a clause. It seems to be another English peculiarity not to always have it. If Swedish grammar were applied to English, these sentences would be correct:

Yesterday saw I him.
Slowly began he to understand the problem.
In Casablanca met she an old friend of hers.

English is inconsistent, which is in keeping with the British tendency to love anything irregular and impractical.

CB

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