there was, there were

 This morning I heard the newsreader say ‘There was some reports of …’ and thought to myself that I was increasingly hearing this construction.  I checked and found that while the majority of writers are preserving the distinction between singular and plural (there is followed by a singular noun, there are followed by a plural noun), a small but significant group seem to feel that there is and there was are set phrases which can be followed by a singular or plural noun.

 It reminds me of the Asian English use of is it as an all-purpose interrogative at the end of the sentence.  You find this surprising, is it? You are full of beans, is it?

 I suppose there is a slight difficulty in having to think beyond there is or there was to see what is coming next. Singular or plural? Much easier to regard there is and there was as idiomatic expressions which can be followed by whatever you fancy.

 In particular when there is is abbreviated to there’s, it is obviously very tempting to regard it as completely fixed.  There’s some troubles ahead.