5 exercises — practise when 'there is/are' strengthens or weakens technical prose, and how to rewrite vague 'there' constructions for clarity.
0 / 12 completed
1 / 12
A developer is writing a bug report. Which version is most effective?
Option B is the strongest: the real subject ("A bug") is placed at the front of the sentence, the verb is active ("causes"), and the cause-effect relationship is immediate. "There is" constructions (Option A) delay the real subject and use a weak existential verb — acceptable but less direct. Option C ("there exists") is a stilted alternative to "there is" — rarely used in modern technical writing. Option D chains multiple auxiliary verbs ("has been", "is causing") unnecessarily. Rule for bug reports: lead with the subject and active verb — "A null pointer exception crashes the app on startup" beats "There is a null pointer exception that causes the app to crash."
2 / 12
Which sentence is preferred when introducing multiple options in technical documentation?
"There are two approaches" (Option A) is a natural and widely accepted structure for introducing a list or comparison — the existential "there" signals that something new is about to be enumerated. "The developer can use two approaches" (Option C) is equally valid and slightly more action-oriented. Both are good. Option B ("Two approaches exist") sounds formal and slightly unnatural. The key insight: "there are" constructions are entirely appropriate for introducing enumerations, sets, or alternatives. The context determines the best choice: if the previous sentence established "the developer", Option C flows more naturally; if starting a new topic, Option A is fine.
3 / 12
Which sentence avoids a weak and vague "there" construction in technical writing?
Option C replaces a vague existential construction with a precise, informative sentence. Compare Option D ("There are many factors that affect performance") with "Three factors affect database performance: X, Y, and Z" — the second tells the reader exactly what and how many. Option A ("there are some issues") is classic vague writing: "some issues" is undefined, "need to be addressed" is passive and unassigned. Option B ("there is a possibility that...") can be tightened to "The API rate limit may be exceeded under high load." Rule: when using "there", make sure the following noun is specific and informative, not vague ("some issues", "many factors", "a possibility").
4 / 12
Which is the most appropriate use of "there will be" in a team communication?
Option B is correct: "there will be" is appropriate for announcing a future event, and the sentence provides all key information — what (scheduled deployment), when (Friday 18:00 UTC), impact (10 minutes of downtime), and scope (payments service). The existential construction works well here because it introduces new information that the team does not yet know about. Option A is vague — "some downtime" gives no duration or scope. Option C is conversational but imprecise ("some downtime", "we are doing"). Option D chains vague phrases ("various changes", "occurring as a result of", "taking place") — avoid nominalisation and passive stacking in team announcements.
5 / 12
Which rewrite most effectively eliminates the weak "there" construction?
Option B is the best rewrite: "The team needs to implement rate limiting." — subject ("the team") + active verb ("needs to implement") + object ("rate limiting"). Clear, direct, 8 words instead of 12. Option A ("there exists... the implementation of... by the team") is even weaker — it adds nominalisation ("the implementation of") and a by-phrase passive. Option C is passive ("to be implemented by the team") — passive voice is less direct than active. Option D ("It is necessary that") substitutes one empty subject ("there") for another ("it") and is wordy. The pattern "There is a need for X to do Y" is always replaceable by "X needs to do Y" — a direct improvement.
6 / 12
Sarah is drafting a Slack message to her team about a new feature rollout. She writes: 'There will be an increased load on the database during peak hours.' Which of the following options best refines this statement for clarity and impact?
Sarah's original phrasing uses 'there will be' in a way that sounds speculative and lacks urgency. 'We anticipate' is more proactive and professional, indicating an expectation based on current data. Avoidance of passive constructions like 'there will be' strengthens the communication.
7 / 12
Ben is reviewing a colleague's code and finds the following line:
'The server will there be processing this request.' Which of these options represents the best revision?
A: 'The server will process this request.'
B: 'There will be processing on the server for this request.'
C: 'The server is handling this request.'
D: 'This request will be processed by the server.'
The original sentence is overly convoluted and uses 'there will be' unnecessarily. Option A provides a direct and clear statement of what the server does - it *processes* requests. Avoiding passive constructions improves readability and clarity.
8 / 12
Chloe is reviewing a code commit and sees this line: 'The user's data will there be stored in the new database.' Which of these revisions presents the most direct and clear description of what's happening?
'There will be' introduces unnecessary phrasing. Option 1 clearly states that the action – storing data – happens in the specified location. Options B and C are passive constructions, while Option D is overly verbose and less direct.
9 / 12
Maria needs to describe a bug in her code to a colleague. She drafts this message: 'There is a potential issue with the data validation process.' Which of the following options offers the most precise and helpful description?
This question focuses on replacing vague 'there' constructions with more direct statements. 'There is a potential issue…' is overly cautious and lacks specific information. Option 0 provides a clearer and more actionable description of the problem—highlighting that failure *may* occur.
10 / 12
David is writing a PR description for a change to the authentication module. He initially writes: 'There will be an increased security risk if this patch isn't applied.' Which revision best conveys the same information with stronger language?
The original sentence uses 'there will be' in a way that suggests inevitability and reduces responsibility. Option 1 directly states the consequence of inaction. This demonstrates how to replace passive constructions with active voice for greater clarity and accountability.
11 / 12
Emily is updating her team on a deployment. She says: 'There will be a temporary disruption to service.' Which of the following statements provides the most informative and professional update?
This question tests understanding of professional communication and replacing weak constructions. 'There will be…' again implies something unavoidable. Option 2 uses active voice and specifies the nature of the disruption (temporary/brief outage), offering a clearer picture to the team. It avoids using 'there' entirely.
12 / 12
Michael is reviewing a colleague's code and sees this line: 'The resource will there be allocated to the new task.' Which of these options best replaces this phrasing for a more concise and accurate description?
This question focuses on removing redundant 'there' constructions. The phrase 'will there be allocated' is completely unnecessary and obscures the core meaning. Option 0 provides a simple, direct statement of fact—the most effective way to describe resource allocation.
What will I practise in "Existential 'There' Constructions in Technical Writing — Grammar Exercise"?
Practise using 'there is/are/was/were' correctly in technical writing: bug reports, documentation, team announcements, and when to replace weak 'there'
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 12 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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How is this different from reading an article on the same topic?
Articles explain grammar rules in prose; this exercise tests and reinforces those rules through active recall with immediate feedback — the two work best together.
Who writes these exercises?
Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.