Learn how to use there is / there are with countable and uncountable nouns through clear grammar notes and interactive activities, including quizzes, sentence builders, and matching games.

Words are provided in the fill-in-the-blank activity to help students practice writing, as they are currently working at the A1–A2 level. The purpose of this activity is to introduce learners the use of ‘ There is/There are” and support their understanding through guided practice

Interactive Grammar Activities — There Is / There Are with Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Interactive Grammar — There Is / There Are (Countable & Uncountable Nouns)

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Grammar Notes: There Is / There Are

We use there is and there are to say that something exists or is present in a place. These structures are very common in everyday English, especially with countable and uncountable nouns.

1. Countable nouns

Use there is with a singular countable noun and there are with a plural countable noun.

There is a chair in the corner. (one chair)
There are three chairs in the corner. (three chairs)
There is an apple on the plate. (one apple)
There are four apples on the plate. (four apples)

2. Uncountable nouns

For uncountable nouns (water, rice, milk, sugar, traffic, etc.) we use the singular form there is.

There is some water in the glass.
There is a lot of traffic on this road.
There is enough rice for everyone.
There is very little sugar in the jar.

3. Positive and negative

We can make positive, negative, and question forms with there is / there are.

Positive: There is a book on the table.
Negative: There isn’t a book on the table.
Positive: There are some students in the library.
Negative: There aren’t any students in the library.

In this page we focus mainly on choosing there is or there are with the correct type of noun.

4. Words like some, any, a lot of

We often use some, any, a lot of, many, much with there is / there are. The noun type helps you choose:

There are many cars in the street. (plural countable)
There are some chairs in the hall. (plural countable)
There is much noise outside. (uncountable)
There is a lot of milk in the fridge. (uncountable)

First decide if the noun is countable or uncountable, then choose there is or there are.

Activity 1: Multiple Choice — There Is or There Are?

Choose the best option to complete each sentence with there is or there are. Think about whether the noun is countable or uncountable.

1. ______ a book on the teacher’s desk.

There is There are There

2. ______ some milk in the fridge.

There are There is There isn’t

3. ______ three chairs in the corner.

There is There are There

4. ______ a lot of traffic on this road today.

There are There is There be

5. ______ two new students in our class.

There is There are There

6. ______ a little rice left in the pot.

There is There are There aren’t

7. ______ many cars in the parking lot this morning.

There are There is There be

8. ______ a computer in the meeting room.

There are There is There isn’t

9. ______ some water on the floor near the door.

There are There is There

10. ______ four apples on the plate.

There is There are There

Activity 2: Fill in the Blanks — Complete with There Is / There Are

Complete each sentence with the full phrase using there is or there are. Use the clue in brackets to guide you.

1. ________________________ on the shelf above the TV.

(Write: There is a small radio.)

2. ________________________ in the basket near the door.

(Write: There are two umbrellas.)

3. ________________________ in the fridge for breakfast.

(Write: There is some orange juice.)

4. ________________________ on the whiteboard today.

(Write: There are many new words.)

5. ________________________ in the pot on the stove.

(Write: There is a little soup.)

6. ________________________ on the wall behind the sofa.

(Write: There are three pictures.)

7. ________________________ in the garden after the rain.

(Write: There is a lot of mud.)

8. ________________________ on the table for the meeting.

(Write: There are several reports.)

9. ________________________ in the bottle on the counter.

(Write: There is a little oil.)

10. ________________________ in the waiting area.

(Write: There are many people.)

Activity 3: Flashcards — There Is / There Are Patterns

Click each card to see how there is or there are works with countable and uncountable nouns.

Card 1 of 10

There is a chair in the corner.

Click to see why this sentence uses “there is”.

Singular countable noun “chair” → we use there is.

Click to go back.

Activity 4: Word Scramble — Key Words for There Is / There Are

Unscramble each word. These are important words used with there is and there are and with countable or uncountable nouns.

1. Unscramble this word from the phrase “there is”:

HREET

(First word in “there is / there are”.)

2. Unscramble this verb from “there is”:

(Used with singular or uncountable nouns after “there”.)

3. Unscramble this verb from “there are”:

ERA

(Used with plural countable nouns after “there”.)

4. Unscramble this noun (countable):

KOBO

(As in “There is a ___ on the table.”)

5. Unscramble this noun (countable, plural):

SRACHCI

(As in “There are four ___ in the room.”)

6. Unscramble this uncountable noun:

EWTAR

(As in “There is some ___ in the glass.”)

7. Unscramble this quantifier:

MESO

(As in “There is ___ juice in the bottle.”)

8. Unscramble this quantifier:

YMAN

(As in “There are ___ chairs in the hall.”)

9. Unscramble this quantifier (often with uncountable nouns):

CHUM

(As in “There isn’t ___ time left.”)

10. Unscramble this plural noun:

TUDSNETS

(As in “There are many ___ in the library.”)

Activity 5: Sentence Builder — Use There Is / There Are

Write sentences using each prompt. Make sure you use there is or there are correctly. Click ‘Check Sentence’ for quick feedback. For more accuracy in writing and to find additional mistakes, use this Writing Assessment Tool .

Writing Analysis: Feedback uses symbols like cap (capitalization), p (punctuation), wm (word missing), frag (fragment).

Write a sentence using “there is a book“:

Write a sentence using “there are two chairs“:

Write a sentence using “there is some water“:

Write a sentence using “there are many cars“:

Write a sentence using “there is a lot of noise“:

Write a sentence using “there are some students“:

Write a sentence using “there is little time“:

Write a sentence using “there are many questions“:

Write a sentence using “there is enough food“:

Write a sentence using “there are few buses“:

Activity 6: Matching Game — Sentences & Explanations

Match each sentence with there is / there are to the best explanation. Click one sentence on the left, then its matching explanation on the right.

Sentences

There is a cat on the balcony.

There are three lamps in the living room.

There is some sugar in the bowl.

There are many books on that shelf.

There is a lot of rain today.

There are a few empty seats at the back.

There is enough bread for everyone.

There are some toys under the bed.

There is little light in this room.

There are several emails in your inbox.

Explanations

One animal, singular countable noun → use “there is”.

Three objects, plural countable noun → use “there are”.

Uncountable substance in a container → use “there is”.

Many items on one shelf, plural countable noun → use “there are”.

Weather word that is uncountable → use “there is a lot of…”.

A small number of seats, plural countable noun → use “there are a few…”.

Enough food for everyone, uncountable noun → use “there is enough…”.

Some play things, plural countable noun → use “there are some…”.

Very small amount of light, uncountable noun → use “there is little…”.

More than a few messages, plural countable noun → use “there are several…”.

Grammar Notes: There Is / There Are

1. Countable nouns

2. Uncountable nouns

3. Positive and negative

4. Words like some, any, a lot of

Activity 1: Multiple Choice — There Is or There Are?

1. ______ a book on the teacher’s desk.

2. ______ some milk in the fridge.

3. ______ three chairs in the corner.

4. ______ a lot of traffic on this road today.

5. ______ two new students in our class.

6. ______ a little rice left in the pot.

7. ______ many cars in the parking lot this morning.

8. ______ a computer in the meeting room.

9. ______ some water on the floor near the door.

10. ______ four apples on the plate.

Activity 2: Fill in the Blanks — Complete with There Is / There Are

Activity 3: Flashcards — There Is / There Are Patterns

Activity 4: Word Scramble — Key Words for There Is / There Are

1. Unscramble this word from the phrase “there is”:

2. Unscramble this verb from “there is”:

3. Unscramble this verb from “there are”:

4. Unscramble this noun (countable):

5. Unscramble this noun (countable, plural):

6. Unscramble this uncountable noun:

7. Unscramble this quantifier:

8. Unscramble this quantifier:

9. Unscramble this quantifier (often with uncountable nouns):

10. Unscramble this plural noun:

Activity 5: Sentence Builder — Use There Is / There Are

Activity 6: Matching Game — Sentences & Explanations

Sentences

Explanations

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