English Phrases With “There’s No” and “It’s No”

“There’s no” and “it’s no” are useful English phrases, but they work in different sentence patterns: one says something does not exist or is unavailable, while the other commonly means something is not a particular thing or is not difficult. This quick language guide pairs clear explanations with examples and practice so you can choose the natural phrase.

Ingredients

1 learner (1 person)
5 minutes of focused practice (5 min)
1 notebook or notes app (1 item)
1 pen or pencil (1 item)
6 sample sentence prompts (6 prompts)

Instructions

Learn the basic form of “there’s no.” “There’s” is a contraction of “there is.” Use “there’s no” before a noun to say that something does not exist, is absent, or is not available. For example: “There’s no milk in the fridge,” “There’s no time to lose,” and “There’s no reason to worry.” The phrase is followed by a noun or noun phrase, not usually a bare verb.
Notice how “there’s no” works with an -ing form. A gerund—an -ing verb acting like a noun—can follow “no”: “There’s no parking on this street” or “There’s no point arguing.” In “There’s no point arguing,” the meaning is that arguing is not useful. You can also say “There’s no point in arguing”; both forms are common.
Learn the main patterns for “it’s no.” “It’s” means “it is” or, in some contexts, “it has,” but in these examples it means “it is.” A frequent pattern is “It’s no + adjective + noun”: “It’s no big deal,” “It’s no easy task,” or “It’s no surprise.” Here, “no” emphasizes that the noun does not fit the description in a simple or ordinary way; the expression’s meaning depends on the words around it.
Use “it’s no” in common set phrases. “It’s no use” means an action will not help: “It’s no use calling; the office is closed.” “It’s no good” can express the same idea: “It’s no good waiting outside in the rain.” Another useful structure is “It’s no wonder (that)…” meaning something is unsurprising: “It’s no wonder she’s tired after the long trip.”
Compare the sentence subjects. Choose “there’s no” to talk about the presence or availability of something: “There’s no answer.” Choose “it’s no” when “it” refers to a situation or when forming a familiar expression: “It’s no answer to the problem” is possible, but it means the thing being discussed is not an adequate answer. The small change in wording changes the grammar and meaning.
Make six original examples. Write three sentences about absence or lack using “there’s no,” then three using “it’s no” in phrases such as “no problem,” “no use,” or “no wonder.” Read each aloud and check that “there’s no” is followed by a noun, noun phrase, or gerund. For instance: “There’s no bus after 10 p.m.” and “It’s no problem to reschedule.”

Tips

Keep the contractions straight. “There’s” means “there is”; “it’s” means “it is” or “it has.” The possessive pronoun “its,” without an apostrophe, is different: “The dog wagged its tail.”
Use “there are no” with plural nouns in careful standard English. Say “There are no clean cups,” not “There’s no clean cups,” in formal writing. In casual speech, some speakers use “there’s” with plural nouns, but it may be marked as nonstandard in school or professional writing.
Don’t put “to” directly after “there’s no” before an ordinary verb. “There’s no to park here” is incorrect. Say “There’s no place to park” or “There’s no parking here.”
Learn complete expressions rather than translating word by word. “It’s no use” is a set phrase, while “there’s no use” is also possible in many contexts. The surrounding sentence and intended meaning help determine which sounds natural.

Serving Suggestions

Use “there’s no” in everyday notices and conversation about what is missing, unavailable, or absent: “There’s no sugar left,” “There’s no signal in the basement,” or “There’s no need to bring anything.” In more formal writing, spell out “there is no” if you want a less conversational tone.

Use “it’s no” for reactions and evaluations: “It’s no problem,” “It’s no secret,” or “It’s no wonder the shop is busy.” For practice, place each phrase in a short exchange: “Is there a restroom nearby?” “There’s no restroom in this building.” “That’s inconvenient.” “It’s no big deal; there’s one across the street.”

Variations

More formal: Replace contractions with full forms: “There is no evidence of a delay” and “It is no easy matter.” The grammar stays the same, while the tone becomes more formal.

Questions and negatives: Ask “Is there no coffee left?” for a slightly surprised or formal-sounding question. A more conversational version is “Isn’t there any coffee left?” Avoid combining negatives in a way that reverses your intended meaning; for example, “There isn’t no coffee” is generally nonstandard when you mean that no coffee remains.

Past and future: Change the tense of the verb: “There was no parking yesterday,” “There will be no class tomorrow,” and “It was no surprise that the train was late.” Remember that “there” introduces what exists or is available; “it” points to the situation being described.

Alternative expressions: “There isn’t any” often has the same basic meaning as “there’s no”: “There isn’t any bread” and “There’s no bread.” “It’s not a big deal” is a conversational alternative to “It’s no big deal.” These alternatives can sound more natural depending on emphasis and context.

Storage and Reheating

This is a language practice guide, so it does not need food storage or reheating. Save your example sentences in a notebook or notes app and revisit them when useful. A practical review is to cover the examples, try to recall each phrase’s pattern, then check your answers; add a new sentence whenever you encounter one in reading or conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is “there’s no” singular or plural?
“There’s” expands to “there is,” so standard formal English uses it with singular or uncountable nouns: “There’s no chair” and “There’s no water.” Use “there are no” with plural nouns: “There are no chairs.” Plural “there’s” occurs in informal speech, but it is better avoided in edited writing.

What is the difference between “there’s no” and “it’s no”?
“There’s no” says that something is absent, unavailable, or nonexistent: “There’s no parking.” “It’s no” appears in expressions describing a situation or evaluating something: “It’s no problem” or “It’s no use.” They are not interchangeable in every sentence.

Is “there’s no point to” correct?
It can be used before a noun phrase, as in “There’s no point to the exercise if nobody participates.” Before an action, say “There’s no point arguing” or “There’s no point in arguing.” The version with “in” is also widely used.

Can I say “it’s no problem”?
Yes. “It’s no problem” is a common, friendly way to say that something is not troublesome or that you are happy to help. “No problem” on its own is also natural as a short reply.

Does “it’s no wonder” mean there is no wonder?
No. “It’s no wonder” means that something is unsurprising. For example, “It’s no wonder he missed the call; his phone was switched off.” The phrase is an idiom, so its meaning is not simply the literal sum of its words.

How do I remember whether to write “its” or “it’s”?
Use “it’s” when you can replace it with “it is” or “it has”: “It’s no surprise.” Use “its” to show possession: “The company changed its schedule.” The apostrophe marks the contraction, not ownership.

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