There is a few candidates or There are a few candidates?

There are a few candidates.

Are = plural (you is always in the plural - you are on of the candidates).

Is = Singular (there is a candidate waiting)

Seasurfer, there is no reason to have any doubts:

(1) Just forget "there."

(2) ___ a few candidates.

(a) Now put the words in correct order: A few candidates ___.

(i) what word would you use for "candidateS"?

(a) You would, of course, use "are."

(3) So the sentence becomes: There ARE a few candidates.

seasurferWhich one is right, I always have doubts about this.

When the sentence starts with there and a form of be, the agreement is between the verb and the following noun. are | candidates. Don't let the 'a' in "a few" confuse you. a few is considered plural (even though a typically indicates a singular). The

I would go with are a few in this example, but I'm not sure it's always so clear.

"There is a group of candidates running in …" would be correct because the collective noun group is itself singular. You don't say "there are a school of fish over there". I would say "there are a group of candidates" would be incorrect.

OK then what about "there are/is a number of can