The usage of " there be"

Question

Actually I'm too woozy about what the difference between "there be" and "there is/there are"?
For example what is the difference of the meanings of the sentences below?

There be dragons.
Here be dragaons.
Here, there be dragons
There are dragons.
Here are dragons.

or

let there be light.
let there is ligt.

also

how we use "there being" phrase?

I doubt there being anything to shoot. If we say "I doubt there is nothging to shoot", does the meaning change?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

AnonymousThere be dragons.
Here be dragaons.
Here, there be dragons
There are dragons.
Here are dragons.

These are simply very, very old ways of saying, "There are dragons there" or "There are dragons here", that is, "Dragons can be found there/here". Those ways of speaking are not used in modern English except to imitate the old ways, mostly just for fun or to point up the oddity of older English.

Anonymouslet there be light.
let there is ligt.

The verb let takes the base form of another verb, and be is the base form of is, are, was, were, and so on. The meaning of "let" is "allow". So it's like this:

Let them eat cake.
Let us go with you.
Let me have some candy.
Let him be an engineer if that's what he wants to be.

So, with the word there in between it's the same pattern:

Let there be light.

The meaning changes a little, though, with there. It's like, "Let's have light!" -- a sort of command. This construction is also uncommon in modern English.

Let there be music and dancing. ~ Let's have music and dancing!

AnonymousI doubt there being anything to shoot.

This means "I doubt that there is anything to shoot" and it's also not a common construction in modern English. (And no, it's not the same as "I doubt there is nothing to shoot", which is the opposite.)

CJ

The usage of " there be"

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions