Nobody seems to like the first one, do they? It isn't wrong, but it is different in use from the second: A: What are you looking at right now? B: It is an apple on the table. The A question introduces a specific but unknown object, the B statement describes it. C: Is there anything I can eat? D: There is an apple on the table. C asks about an unspecified object, D introduces and describes it.

The second answer is correct. The first one is understandable but is an awkward way of telling where the apple is. You could change it around a bit to read: An apple is on the table. I hope this helps. Luisa

The first one is indeed wrong. "There is/ are" implies the existence or presence of something. There is an apple on the table. Яблоко на столе. And when you use "it" in this case, you are introducing something or someone to the conversation.

The first sentence is wrong. This sentence uses the verb 'to be' to indicate existence and the construction for that is always "there is/are...". It's just a standard expression and all of the languages I know have some equivalent (although not all languages use the verb 'to be'). German use 'es gibt..." (using the verb geben which means to give) , French uses 'il y a' (using the verb avoir which means to have). Chinese uses '有‘ (using the verb 有 which means to have)。 In short, to express existence in sentences like the one in this question, always use "There is/are....".