Existential construction verbs

Verbs other than “to be” that work

Most important “existential verbs”

Verb	Example
be	There is a problem.
appear	There appears to be an error.
seem	There seems to be a solution.
remain	There remains one question.
exist	There exists an alternative.
occur	There occurred an accident.
arise	There arose a difficulty.
continue	There continues to be confusion.
happen	There happened to be a spare seat.
emerge	There emerged a clear pattern.

Continued existence or state

These verbs function almost identically to be, describing a static state of affairs where an entity exists or remains in a particular situation.

There exist several alternative explanations for this economic phenomenon

There remained two major obstacles to the signing of the treaty.

Once upon a time, there lived an old king in a remote castle.

Emergence, occurrence, or appearance

These verbs introduce a new entity or event onto the discourse stage, happening dynamically rather than statically.

There arose a fierce debate regarding the new security policy.

There occurred a highly unfortunate incident during the demonstration.”

Suddenly, there appeared a glitch in the software tracking the data.”

There ensued a period of absolute chaos on the trading floor.

3. Verbs of Motion or Arrival

Trace the physical movement

Of an entity into the perceptual field of the discourse.

There comes a time in every administration when promises must meet reality.

Through the side door, there entered three plainclothes police officers.

Comprehensive list of verbs attested in ex.

Verb	Example existential clause
arise	There arose a problem during testing.
appear	There appeared a stranger at the door.
be	There is a solution.
bloom	There bloomed a rose beside the wall.
come	There came a loud knock at the door.
continue	There continues to be uncertainty.
develop	There developed a conflict between the groups.
emerge	There emerged a new consensus.
ensue	There ensued a lengthy discussion.
exist	There exists a better method.
follow	There followed an awkward silence.
grow	There grew a sense of unease.
happen	There happened to be a doctor nearby.
live	There lived an old woman in the village.
loom	There loomed a mountain in the distance.
occur	There occurred several delays.
remain	There remains one issue.
result	There resulted a number of complications.
rise	There rose a cheer from the crowd.
seem	There seems to be a mistake.
stand	There stood a castle on the hill.
survive	There survives only one manuscript.
transpire	There transpired an unexpected event.