When the subject comes after the verb: SAT inverted sentences
"There ___ several reasons for the delay." Nothing before the verb is the subject — "there" is a placeholder, not a noun.
Why it happens
Every rule you learned assumes subject-then-verb order. Inverted sentences break that, so the habit of "look left for the subject" quietly returns the wrong word — or no word at all.
See the trap
"There ___ several reasons for the delay, and among them ___ a supply shortage."
✗ The trap: "There is several reasons" — matching the verb to "there".
✓ The fix: "There are several reasons ... among them was a supply shortage." The subjects are "reasons" and "shortage".
How to actually fix it
- Flip the sentence back to normal order: "Several reasons are there."
- The noun that survives the flip is your subject.
- Watch for sentences opening with a location or a prepositional phrase — they invert the same way.
Made this mistake on a real question?
Practice Standard English Conventions questions here. Miss one and it is logged with the exact error, then brought back until you beat it.
Practice Standard English Conventions →FAQ
Can 'there' ever be the subject?
No — in these sentences it is an expletive placeholder with no meaning of its own. The verb must agree with the real noun that follows it.
How do I stop repeating this mistake?
Reading the explanation isn't enough — your brain needs to beat the trap on a fresh question. Practice the skill in the kaoshen.co question bank: miss one and it is logged with the exact error, then brought back to you three days later and again after fourteen.