Countable and

uncountable nouns
USING THERE IS – THERE ARE
COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

COUNTABLE NOUNS UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

• We can count them. • We cannot count them.

• They can be plural and singular. • They can be only singular.

• We can use the indefinite article a/an • We cannot use the indefinite article
with singular countable nouns. with uncountable nouns.
 COUNTABLE UNCOUNTABLE
Milk
Dress

Apple
Rice

Wood
Bike Time
Cup Hair
SPECIAL RULE OF UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
• Uncountable nouns can act like countable nouns when we define their limits. For
example, the word “rice” is an uncountable noun, but when we define a limit for
this word, like “two kilograms”, we can apply the rules for countable nouns.

MILK A GLASS OF MILK

(uncountable) (countable)
 Identify countable and uncountable nouns

Tomato water bread newspaper

Information loaf of bread money

THERE (BE) – IS/ARE
• We use there is/there are to talk about the existence of something for the first time.
We can use “there (be)” in all tenses. After we already know about the existence of a
thing, we can use the pronoun “it”. Also, we use them with indefinite words, such as
the indefinite article “a/an”, never the definite article “the” or proper names.

• THERE IS THERE ARE

• THERE WILL BE
• THERE WAS THERE WERE
• THERE HAS BEEN THERE HAVE BEEN
HOW TO USE THERE IS – THERE ARE
THERE IS
• We can use it with uncountable and
singular countable nouns.
• The short form is “there’s”.
• For questions, we use the form: is
there...?
• The negative form is “there isn’t”
THERE ARE
• We can only use it with plural
countable nouns.
• There is no short form.
• For questions, we use the form: are
there...?
• The negative form is “there aren’t”
Some exercises for THERE (BE)
• many / aren’t / this / pages / there / in
• THERE ARE 5 apples in this bowl.
There aren’t many pages in this.
• THERE IS a problem with the phone.
• is / nearby / restaurant / nice / there / a
• IS THERE something you want?
There is a nice restaurant nearby.
• THERE ARE 2 supermarkets in the city.
• dining / are / chairs / in / room / there / three /
• THERE IS a cat in the garden.
the
• IS THERE a supermarket near here?
There are three chairs in the dining room.
• hospital / there / this / isn't / a / in / town
There isn’t a hospital in this town.
• here / is / bank / there / a / near / ?
Is there a bank near here?