In my house, "there were" or "there was" many toys

Which of the following is correct and why:

1) In my house, there were many toys.

2) In my house, there was many toys.

An answer with an explanation would be greatly appreciated.

Solution 1:

Answer #1 is correct; use the plural verb, were, because there are multiple toys.

In my house, there were many toys.

If you were talking about 1 pile of toys though, you would use "was," the singular verb, because there is 1, single pile. For example:

"There was a pile of toys on the living room floor!"

See this website for more help on the topic: https://writingexplained.org/was-vs-were-difference

Best wishes!