6.8 There and it contrasted

In general there is, etc., corresponds to Spanish hay, etc., e.g.:

There's a good Chinese restaurant in the next street. (Hay un buen restaurante chino en la próxima calle.)

Is there any reason why they should refuse? (No hay ninguna razón para que dijeran que no.)

We use it for light and weather conditions, e.g.:

It's very dark in that church. (Está muy oscuro dentro de aquella iglesia.)

Look! It's started to rain. (¡Mira! Ha comenzado a llover.)

But notice the contrast between the following: There was a lot of cloud/fog/ice. (Había muchas nubes/mucha niebla/mucho hielo.) It was very cloudy/foggy/icy. (Estaba muy nublado/neblinoso/helado.)

We also use it to refer to a noun phrase, e.g.:

There is a lot of rubbish. It's all over the floor. (Hay mucha porquería. La hay por todo el suelo.)

	See also there is, etc., personal pronouns.