Unit 8A

In Units 8A, 8B and 8C you will learn:

• how to talk about where people and things are situated
• new prepositions for location and movement
• what is necessary to ask for directions
• the imperative for directions
• more telephone dialogs

Lesson 1:    There + Be

There's a post office on the corner.

There are some apples on the counter.	There are some taxis in the parking lot.	There are some slippers in the corner.

We use There + Be to talk about where people and things are located. There is is used for singular, and There are is used for plural.

There's a book on the table. There are some people in the corridor.

The sentence There is a book on the table means that a book is on the table. The phrase There is is used to begin the sentence. Notice how some is used with plurals. This is quite common with There + Be, so it is necessary to try to use some as often as possible. It sounds more natural.

There are some taxis in the parking lot.    

There are some children in the yard.

Exercise 1  Use the plural form with the sentences below.

Lesson 2:    Short Answers

Is there a telephone in the lobby?

Yes, there is.

Again notice how short answers are used in English.

	Is there a supermarket in this neighborhood?  Yes, there is.
	Are there any shops around here?  No, there aren't.

You see that Is there is used for singular, and Are there  is used for plural. Notice how a and any are used. We use a for singular.

Is there a laundromat around here? Is there a school nearby?

We use any for plural (and uncountable nouns).

Are there any apples in the kitchen? Are there any children in the swimming pool?

Exercise 2    Make the questions below sound more natural.

Exercise 3    Answer the questions with the short answer.

Lesson 3:    One and Some

There's one around the corner.

Let's explore one and some in more detail. We use  one with singular nouns.

Is there a post office around here?  Yes, there's one around the corner.

It's possible to say Yes, there's a post office around the corner.
But it's more natural to say Yes, there's one around the corner. 
As you know some is used with plural nouns. Remember that short answers aren't always necessary if the speaker wants to add more information.

Are there any shops around here? Yes, there are some across the street.

Exercise 4    Answer the questions with the answers given.

Lesson 4:    How many?

How many students are there in the class?

We use How many for quantity. Remember to always say How many are there? and not How many is there?

	How many people are there in your family?   There are three of us.
	How many shopping malls are there in the city?  There is one.

Exercise 5    Reading

Middleton

Middleton is a small town in America. It is a very interesting town. And it is very old. It is in the northern part of America about 200 kilometers from New York.

There are many interesting places in Middleton. There are parks. There are museums. There is a very large shopping mall. And there is a river. It is called the Benson River.

In the town center there are many shops. There is a bakery. There is a florist's. There is a hardware store. There is a drug store. And there is a grocery store.

Many people like Middleton because it is a very friendly place. There are many interesting places to visit. And there are many 
interesting people.

Questions:

1. Is Middleton a small town?
2. Where is it?
3. How many shopping malls are there in Middleton?
4. How many rivers are there in Middleton?
5. Why do many people like Middleton?

Answers

1. Yes, it is. 2. It's in the northern part of America about 200 kilometers 
from New York. 3. There is one. 4. There is one. 
5. Because it is a very friendly place.

Lesson 5:    The Neighborhood

Excuse me. Is there a drug store nearby?

Practice the following questions.

	Excuse me. Is there a post office in this neighborhood?
	Excuse me. Is there a restaurant in this neighborhood?
	Excuse me. Is there a gas station nearby?

Exercise 6    Use the map below to answer the questions.

1. Excuse me. Is there a restaurant in this neighborhood?

Yes. There's one on the corner of Patterson Street and First Avenue.

2. Excuse me. Is there a bank in this neighborhood?

3. Excuse me. Is there a drug store in this neighborhood?

4. Excuse me. Is there a library nearby?

5. Excuse me. Is there a hospital in this neighborhood?

6. Excuse me. Is there a gas station in this neighborhood?

7. Excuse me. Is there a post office nearby?

8. Excuse me. Is there a clinic in this neighborhood?

9. Excuse me. Is there a supermarket nearby?

           

Answers

1. Yes. There's one on the corner of Patterson Street and First Avenue.
2. Yes. There's one on Lakeland Street.
3. Yes. There's one on Second Avenue.
4. Yes. There's one on the corner of Lakeland Street and Second Avenue.
5. Yes. There's one on Patterson Street.
6. Yes. There's one on the corner of Patterson Street and Second Avenue.
7. Yes. There's one on Lakeland Street.
8. Yes. There's one on First Avenue.
9. Yes. There's one on Patterson Street.