Places in Town
Places in your town.
Places in a town. Use 'there is / there are' to describe them.
Look & say · Step 1
5 minGet ready
Name 5 places near your home.
Where do you like to go on weekends?
Close your eyes. What can you 'see' on your street?
Words to learn · Step 2
8 minNew words today
bank
Where you keep money
"I'm going to the bank."
hospital
For sick people
"The hospital is big."
school
Where children learn
"My school is small."
supermarket
Big food shop
"We buy food at the supermarket."
café
Coffee & cakes
"Let's go to the café."
restaurant
Place to eat
"A nice restaurant."
hotel
Place to sleep
"A small hotel."
museum
Art & history
"The museum is free."
park
Green open space
"Kids play in the park."
cinema
Watch films
"A new cinema."
pharmacy
Buy medicine
"The pharmacy is open."
post office
Send letters
"I'm at the post office."
Activate · Personalise · Recycle
Use these words now
Make each sentence true for you. Say it aloud to a partner.
school
"For me, school is …"
Finish the sentence with your own idea.
supermarket
"For me, supermarket is …"
Finish the sentence with your own idea.
cinema
"For me, cinema is …"
Finish the sentence with your own idea.
You'll meet these words again in Reading, Listening, Speaking and Homework.
Sounds & saying · Step 3
5 min'th' in 'there'
Put your tongue lightly behind your top teeth and say a soft 'd'-like sound. 'There' rhymes with 'where'.
- • there
- • there is
- • there are
- • there's
- • they
Language focus · Step 4
10 minThere is / There are
Quick rule
There is / There are
there is = 1 thing. there are = 2 or more.
- Short form: there's = there is.
Pattern
There is a bank near my house.
There's a café on the corner.
There are two supermarkets in my town.
Is there a pharmacy nearby?
There aren't any cinemas.
Question 1.___ a park in my town.
Question 2.___ three banks on this street.
Question 3.___ a hospital near here?
Quick check 1.There ___ two cafés.
Quick check 2.___ a post office?
Reading · Step 5
7 minAnna's neighbourhood
I live in a small town. 🏙️ There's a park near my house 🌳 and a café on the corner. ☕ There are two supermarkets and three banks. There isn't a cinema, but there's one in the next town. My favourite place is the library — it's quiet and warm. 📚
Question 1.How many supermarkets are there?
Question 2.Is there a cinema in her town?
Question 3.What's her favourite place?
Q1.There's a park near her house.
Q2.There are four banks.
Listening · Step 6
10 minIs there a pharmacy?
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Tom
Excuse me, is there a pharmacy near here?
Anna
Yes, there's one on Park Street. It's next to the bank.
Tom
Great. And is there a café too?
Anna
There are two — a small one and a big one.
Tom
Thank you very much!
Anna
You're welcome.
Question 1.Where is the pharmacy?
Question 2.How many cafés are there?
Practice · Step 7
8 minChoose the word
Question 1.There ___ a bank on the corner.
Question 2.There ___ two hospitals.
Question 3.___ there a café near here?
Q1.There ___ five shops. (plural)
Q2.There ___ a museum. (singular)
Survival English · Step 8
4 minSpeaking — describe your town
Task
Tell a partner about your town in 5 sentences using 'there is / there are'.
Strategy
Mix singular and plural. Add one negative ('There isn't…').
Example
There's a big park near my house. There are three cafés and two banks. There isn't a cinema.
Writing · Step 9
5 minWrite a little
Your task
Write 5 sentences about your street or neighbourhood using 'there is / there are'.
Show model answer
There is a small park near my flat. There are two cafés on my street. There isn't a supermarket, but there's a shop.
Speaking · Step 10
12 minTalk together
Tourist + local. The tourist asks about 4 places. The local answers.
Useful phrases
- • Excuse me, is there a ___ near here?
- • Yes, there's one on ___ Street.
- • Are there any ___?
- • No, there aren't.
- TouristExcuse me, is there a bank near here?
- Local_______________
- TouristAre there any cafés?
- Local_______________
Homework · Step 11
Take-homePractice at home
Draw a simple map of your street and label 5 places in English.
Record 30 seconds describing your town with 'there is / there are'.
Recap · Step 12
3 minWhat you learned
- 🏙️ You can name common places in a town.
- ✅ You use 'there is' for one thing, 'there are' for many.
- ❓ You can ask 'Is there…?' and 'Are there…?'
- 🗺️ You can describe your neighbourhood.