There are many ways to ask a question. Often, interrogative sentences begin with “do,” “how many,” or “when.” But, “is there” and “are there” are commonplace as well.
Simply, sentences containing “is there” and “are there” are used to inquire if something exists. For example, you may hear a native English speaker saying “Is there any rice left?” By saying this, the speaker is asking the listener if there is rice remaining in the bowl.
As usual, “are” is used for plural Nouns, typically Nouns that end with an s. Here’s an example, “Are there any chopsticks in the dish dryer?” By saying this, the speaker is asking the listener if there are clean chopsticks on the drying rack.
