Grammar Focus - There is / There are
Views #1571 | High-Beginner (A2)

My Hometown

Sarah talks about her hometown in America.

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John: So Sarah, what can you tell me about your hometown?

Sarah: My hometown. Well, my hometown is called Eau Claire, Wisconsin. And it's a really great city.

There are about 80,000 people. There are lots of things to do. There are three movie theatres. I love to watch movies.

John: Me too.

Sarah: There's lots of shopping. You can find anything you want there. There are a lot of malls and stores.

John: Are there many restaurants?

Sarah: Yes. The thing I like is you can eat any type of food. There are Chinese restaurants and Korean restaurants, Italian restaurants. There is a big variety of restaurants, and they're all good.

John: That sounds great. What about parks? Are there many places to see nature in your town?

Sarah: Yes. We have a lot of rivers, and lakes and hills. My hometown has four seasons. So in summer, it's great because there are lots of lakes to swim in, lots of forests to play in. In winter, there is a lot of snow. So you can go ice skating or ice fishing or even skiing.

John: Wow. That sounds really fun.

Sarah: Yeah. It's a really nice city. It's also really safe. There are lots of nice people there.

John: Good. Is there much to do at night?

Sarah: Well, maybe, maybe not. There's not many things to do at night. There aren't any nightclubs. There aren't many bars. So actually, maybe there isn't much night life.

John: That's okay. It sounds like a nice place to have a family.

Sarah: Yeah. It is. It's a great place to have a family. There's lots of good schools and libraries.

There is / There are - Grammar Notes

Point 1: Use 'there is' with singular countable nouns .
  1. There is a department store in town.
  2. There is a big mall in this city.
  3. There is not a place to sit.
  4. There is no park near my house.
Point 2: Use 'there are' with plural countable nouns.
  1. There are two cars parked outside my house.
  2. There are some books on the table.
  3. There are not many tall buildings in my town.
  4. There are no new students this year.
Point 3: Use 'there is' with non-countable nouns.
  1. There is crime in the city.
  2. There is money on the table.
  3. There is not any cheese in the fridge.
  4. There is no ice-cream in the freezer.
Point 4: We usually use 'some' in positive statements with plural count nouns or uncountable nouns.
  1. There are some stores on Cane Street.
  2. There are some trees outside.
  3. There is some food in the kitchen.
  4. Three is some snow on the mountains.
Point 5: We usually use 'any' in questions and negative statements with plural count nouns or uncountable nouns.
  1. Are there any students in class?
  2. No, there aren't any students. They left.
  3. Is there any snow on the mountain?
  4. No, there isn't any snow. It melted.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

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