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If I understand correctly, the main usages of `ことがある` seem to be the
following:

  * `Verb(plain)+ことがある`: There are times when (I)
  * `Verb(past)+ことがある`: (I) have experienced (something) before

But after [this
question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/3847/difference-
between-%E8%87%AA%E5%88%86-and-%E8%87%AA%E5%88%86%E8%87%AA%E8%BA%AB-and-how-
to-reflect-their-difference-in-english), I'm starting to wonder when `ことがある`
means "there is a thing/there are things" instead of "there are times when".

When looking through Space ALC and Google searches, I'm thinking `～たいことがある`
might mean "there's a thing I want to (do)" and `～たくなることがある` "there are times
when I want to (do)" based on the way they're used, but I can't be sure.

> 書きたくなることがあります  
> "there are times I want to write" (?)
>
> 書きたいことがあります  
> "there are things I want to write" (?)

What are the different usages of `ことがある`? When does `ことがある` mean "there are
things" rather than "there are times when" and how can they be told apart?
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question
grammar formal-nouns
The different usages of ことがある
The clause used in `...ことがある` is structurally ambiguous between an appositive
clause and a relative clause.

> 書きたくなることがあります  
>  1\. As appositive clause  
>  `書きたくなる` 'I become tempted to write something' is the content of the formal
> noun `こと` 'occasion'  
>  'There are occasions that I become tempted to write something.'  
>  2\. As relative clause  
>  The `こと` '(factual) thing' is the missing object of the relative clause
> `書きたくなる` 'I become tempted to write'  
>  'There are things that I become tempted to write.'

It is just as the same in English. Depending on whether you interpret the
English `write` in:

> There are occasions that I become tempted to write

as intransitive or transitive, you can interpret the clause as appositive or
relative, and will get the two meanings.
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answer
The following is only my understanding.

ことがある is not a fixed word/phrase. Though it can be often seen, it is formed as
(...ことが)ある.

こと here is a 形式名詞 (NOTE1), which is used to convert the previous sentence into
a noun phrase, and can have various meanings. According to
[goo](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/80340/m1u/%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8/),
there are only two usages of こと that often (only) appear in the form ことがある:

> （「…ことがある」などの形で）場合。「ときどき郵便物が返ってくる―がある」  
>  （「…ことがある」などの形で）経験。「アメリカなら行った―がある」

The first means "occasion", The second means "experience".

These are the two forms the OP first mentioned.

However, if the meaning of noun phrase permits, "がある" can also be attached to
other usages of こと to form "ことがある".

E.g. 書きたいこと means "something that (I) want to write about", and we can have

> 書きたいことがある have something that (I) want to write about  
>  書きたいことを書く Write what (I) want to write about

The formation of 書きたいこと is similar with 行きたいところ (place where (I) want to go).

> 面白いことがある have something fun

NOTE1:I've also seen some grammar books call it 形式体言. I don't know which is
official.
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answer