There are vs are

Question

Can we use this sentence:

'Some apples are in the fridge.'

Instead of this:

'There are some apples in the fridge.'

Shouldn't we use adjectives after to be verbs if both are correct which one is more common ? thanks in advance.

Answer 1

You can use adjectives, nouns, prepositional phrases and more after linking verbs like "be"

In this case, the two expressions are very similar in meaning.

The first tells you the location of the apples.

The second asserts the existence of the apples in a particular place.

Normally you would want to use the second, since you would normally be telling someone about the existence of apples.

Do we have any apples?

Yes, there are some apples in the fridge.

The second could be used when the existance is already understood:

We have so many apples from our tree this year! We don't know what to do! There are apples everywhere! Some apples are in the fridge; some apples are on the table, some are even under the bed. Please come, visit, and take some apples with you.

Answer 2

You need to use only:

There are some apples in the fridge.

because you can say:

Some apples are green.

but not:

Some apples are in the fridge. (not correct form)

but I think it is possible to use the Passive Voice:

Some apples are placed in the fridge.