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Are there any horses on the beach? Questions with is there and are there any

Students ask is there and are there questions in this A1 ESL lesson plan, set on an island where wild horses walk on the beach.

Grammar
Is there a…? for one thing and Are there any…? for more, short answers (Yes, there is. No, there aren't.), there isn't a and there aren't any, and How many… are there?
Topic
Parks and camping on Assateague Island in Maryland and Virginia, where wild horses walk on the beach, with words such as campground, dune and marsh.
Activities
A visitor guide, a camping dialogue and a ranger's rules, self-checking drills, a chat with the visitor center, and a mini guide poster for a park.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Hello, wild horses!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the words: a wild islandVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: Assateague Island

    • Look at the photo: wild horses in a marshPictureUnlock
    • Read the visitor guideReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: a camping trip

    • Listen to Olivia and LiamListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to a park rangerListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: Are there any horses?

    • Study the scheme: Is there…? Are there any…?Grammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: questions and answersFill in the gapsTry it
    • Fill in the table: yes, no and questionsFill in the tableUnlock
    • Choose the right sentenceQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: a park guide

    • Choose the right replies: message the visitor centerChatTry it
    • Open a box and answer: make a park guideOpen the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Drag the words into the gaps: a park guideDrag and dropUnlock
    • Match the words and the meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Write a mini guide poster for a parkWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record a park guideSpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

25 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Vocabulary

10 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+7 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • visitor center
  • marsh
  • dune
  • pony
  • mosquito
  • fence
  • bay

Grammar: questions with is there and are there any

Planning a trip means asking what a place has: a campground, trails, horses near the tents? Learners turn there is and there are around to ask, put any before plurals, answer with Yes, there is or No, there aren't, and say what's missing with there isn't a and there aren't any.

Is there a campground? Are there any horses?

Ask about a place, answer with short answers and say what isn't there.

Is there a…? Are there any…?

For one thing, ask Is there a…? or Is there an…?, as in Is there a campground? For two or more, ask Are there any…? with a plural: Are there any trails? Short answers repeat is or are, and a yes answer never shortens to there's: Yes, there is.

Questions and short answers

One or more?Question ?Yes ✓No ✗
one: a / anIs there a campground?Yes, there is.No, there isn't.
one: a / anIs there an ocean beach?Yes, there is.No, there isn't.
two or more: -sAre there any horses?Yes, there are.No, there aren't.
two or more: -sAre there any trails?Yes, there are.No, there aren't.

Short answers: no 's

Say Yes, there is. (Not: Yes, there's.) Use there's only with more words after it: There's a visitor center.

There isn't a…, there aren't any…

To say what's missing, add not: There isn't a campground. There aren't any stores. With plurals, some goes in yes sentences and any in the rest: There are some mosquitoes, but There aren't any stores and Are there any horses?

Sentences: yes and no

One or more?Yes ✓No ✗
one: a / anThere's a beach. (there's = there is)There isn't a campground. (isn't = is not)
two or more: -sThere are some ponies.There aren't any stores. (aren't = are not)

some or any? (two or more)

✓ yes sentences: some

  • There are some trails.
  • There are some mosquitoes.

✗ no and ? questions: any

  • There aren't any stores.
  • Are there any horses?

How many… are there?

To ask for a number, use How many, a plural noun and are there: How many campgrounds are there? The answer can be just the number or a sentence: Two. There are two. The question ends with are there, not there are.

How many… are there?

Ask for a number with How many + -s + are there? How many campgrounds are there? – Two. / There are two.

Common mistakes

  • Is there any horses?

    Are there any horses?

    two or more: Are there any + -s

  • Are there a campground?

    Is there a campground?

    one: Is there a / an

  • Yes, there's.

    Yes, there is.

    short answers: there is, no 's

  • There aren't some stores.

    There aren't any stores.

    aren't + any

More lessons on this grammar: There is and there are lessons and exercises

Try the is there and are there exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 12 auto-checked exercises
  • 2 games
  • 2 teacher-checked tasks
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 2 audio clips
  • 2 pictures
  • 2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • ask about one thing with Is there a…? and answer Yes, there is or No, there isn't: Is there a campground on the island?
  • ask about two or more with Are there any…?: Are there any horses near the tents? Yes, there are.
  • say what a place doesn't have: There isn't a campground. There aren't any stores.
  • ask for a number with How many… are there? and make a mini guide poster for a park

Lesson 23 is the third lesson of Animals and nature, the sixth unit of English A1.2 · Out and About. It turns the there is and there are statements of lesson 21 into questions and negatives, and brings back some and any with plural nouns from lesson 15. A camping trip gives every question a purpose, from Is there a campground? to Are there any mosquitoes?

Students spin a wheel of warm-up questions and learn ten words, from camp and feed to dune, marsh and bay, with pictures and audio. The visitor guide compares the Maryland and Virginia sides of Assateague Island; Olivia and Liam then plan a camping trip there (an AI-voiced dialogue), and a park ranger explains the rules for the horses. The grammar chapter has the scheme and four exercises, each checked as students answer: choosing the right word, a gap-fill of questions and answers, a table that adds the no and the question to each sentence, and a choice of the right sentence. In the speaking chapter, students message the visitor center to plan a visit, then open boxes that lead pairs to a mini guide poster for a park.

Homework starts with a drag-and-drop park guide and a word-meaning match, both self-checking. Students then write their own mini guide poster for a park and record a park guide's message for visitors, two tasks the teacher reviews.

Grammar:
Is there…? / Are there any…? · short answers: Yes, there is. / No, there aren't. · there isn't a / there aren't any · How many… are there?
Topic:
Assateague Island · wild horses · national parks · camping · Maryland · Virginia

Teaching tips

  • Ask about your own town first: Is there a park? Are there any trails? Students reply with a short answer and one real detail, such as Yes, there is. It's near the school.
  • Split the visitor guide between two groups: one reads the Maryland side, the other the Virginia side, then pairs from both groups ask each other Is there a campground? and Are there any horses?
  • Cross out Yes, there's on the board before the drills, write Yes, there is beside it, and point there whenever the short form slips into an answer.
  • Hang the mini guide posters around the room: pairs walk from park to park and ask the makers of each poster three questions with Is there…?, Are there any…? and How many… are there?

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The whole course: English A1.2 · Out and About

32 lessons that pick up where English A1.1 ends, in simple American English, from the present simple with he and she to was and were. Eight units cover shopping, the weather, getting around, celebrations, health, animals and nature, jobs and weekends. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Shopping

    clothes and colors, he and she in the present simple, sizes and prices, paying in a store

    1. Lesson 1What does she wear on Aloha Friday?Present simple with he, she and it
    2. Lesson 2A basket on wheels?Present simple negatives with don't and doesn't
    3. Lesson 3What size are these boots?What questions and a pair of
    4. Lesson 4Can I try it on? The Santa Fe Indian MarketRequests and permission with Can I and Can you

  2. Unit 2 Weather and seasons

    the weather, seasons and months, the present continuous, how often it rains or snows

    1. Lesson 5Is the Windy City windy?Weather adjectives with It's
    2. Lesson 6Does it rain in the desert?Yes/no questions with does
    3. Lesson 7Baseball at midnight?The present continuous for now
    4. Lesson 8Is it always windy on Mount Washington?Adverbs of frequency and their place

  3. Unit 3 Getting around

    transport, timetables, where places are, tickets with want and need

    1. Lesson 9How do you get to work?By + transport, take the bus and on foot
    2. Lesson 10What time does the ferry leave?Wh- questions with does
    3. Lesson 11Where's the streetcar stop?Between, behind, in front of and across from
    4. Lesson 12Do you need a ticket?Want and need with a noun

  4. Unit 4 Celebrations

    dates and holidays, in and on, party invitations, object pronouns

    1. Lesson 13Why is it called Juneteenth?Ordinal numbers for saying dates
    2. Lesson 14Never on a Sunday? The Rose ParadeIn, on and at for dates and times
    3. Lesson 15Come to our Lunar New Year party!Some and any with plural nouns
    4. Lesson 16Thank you, teacher!Object pronouns me, you, him, her, it, us and them

  5. Unit 5 Healthy me

    the body, how often, at the pharmacy, steps with first and then

    1. Lesson 17Does your back hurt?Hurt and hurts with parts of the body
    2. Lesson 18How often do you walk?How often questions and expressions of frequency
    3. Lesson 19What's the matter?Have and has for health problems
    4. Lesson 20Clean hands in five stepsSequence words with imperatives

  6. Unit 6 Animals and nature

    there is and there are, what animals are doing, parks, a, an and the

    1. Lesson 21Which frog sings its name?There is and there are for what's in a place
    2. Lesson 22What's the bear doing now?Present continuous questions and negatives
    3. Lesson 23 · you're hereAre there any horses on the beach?Questions with is there and are there any
    4. Lesson 24Where do the baby turtles go?A, an and the for first and second mention

  7. Unit 7 Jobs people do

    jobs and workplaces, the present simple and continuous, job interviews, possessive pronouns

    1. Lesson 25Who makes the sounds in movies?Present simple vs present continuous
    2. Lesson 26Nurses on horses?At, in and on with workplaces
    3. Lesson 27Can you be a lifeguard?Verbs with prepositions
    4. Lesson 28Whose hat is this?Possessive pronouns from mine to theirs

  8. Unit 8 Weekend stories and plans

    was and were, how long and how tall, and, but and or, camping food

    1. Lesson 29Why do we have two days off?Was and were, the past of be
    2. Lesson 30How long is a blue whale?How + adjective questions about size
    3. Lesson 31A cow made of butter?And, but and or for joining ideas
    4. Lesson 32What do you need for s'mores?Containers and quantities with of

Questions about this lesson

How do you use "Is there a…?" in English?
Use Is there a…? to ask if one thing is somewhere: Is there a campground on the island? Is there a visitor center in the park? Before a vowel sound, it's Is there an…?, as in Is there an ocean beach? Answer with Yes, there is or No, there isn't, and for two or more things, switch to Are there any…?
When do you use "Are there any…?"
Use Are there any…? to ask about two or more things, with a plural noun after any: Are there any horses on the beach? Are there any trails? The answers are Yes, there are and No, there aren't. Any stays in questions and negatives; a yes sentence takes some: There are some trails. On edio.ai, the A1 lesson Are there any horses on the beach? asks it about the wild horses of Assateague Island.
What's the difference between is there and are there?
Is there asks about one thing, are there about more: Is there a beach? Are there any ponies? The noun decides: a or an goes with is there, a plural with are there. Mixing them up gives two common mistakes, Is there any horses? and Are there a campground?, and the short answer follows the question: Yes, there is. Yes, there are.
Is it "Yes, there is" or "Yes, there's"?
Yes, there is: short answers never end in 's. There's needs more words after it, as in There's a visitor center. The no answers can be short: No, there isn't. No, there aren't. A quiz in Are there any horses on the beach?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, offers Yes, there's as a wrong answer to Is there a campground?
How do you use there isn't and there aren't?
Use there isn't and there aren't to say what a place doesn't have: there isn't a with one thing, there aren't any with two or more. There isn't a campground on the Virginia side. There aren't any stores. With plurals, aren't takes any, not some, so There aren't some stores is wrong. The long forms, there is not and there are not, mean the same.
What words do you need to talk about a park?
You need names for a park's places and things to do: trail, campground, visitor center, map, beach, dune, marsh, bay and fence, then verbs like camp, bike, fish, kayak and feed. Rules come as imperatives: Don't touch or feed the horses! Stay 40 feet away! A campground is a place where people sleep in tents.
How do I teach is there and are there to beginners?
Begin with a real place everyone knows, like the school or your town, and ask questions with true answers: Is there a library? Are there any parks? Short answers come next, then negatives for what's missing. Are there any horses on the beach?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, takes this into a park: a visitor guide and a camping dialogue first, then the scheme, four drills and a chat with the visitor center.
What's a good game for practicing is there and are there?
A spin wheel of real questions keeps it quick: each spin lands on a prompt such as Is there a park near your home? or Are there any wild animals near your town?, and the student answers, then asks a partner. For a longer game, the open boxes in this lesson lead pairs to a mini guide poster for a park: a name, three things and one rule.
How do you practice is there and are there one-to-one?
Let the student plan a trip by asking questions: the teacher answers as a park ranger or a hotel clerk, and the student finds out what's there with Is there…? and Are there any…? The chat in this lesson suits one learner: the student messages a park's visitor center and picks Are there any horses near the campgrounds? over Is there any horses near the campgrounds?
What's good homework for practicing is there and are there?
Good homework is a mini guide poster for a real park, with a question and its answer inside: Is there a campground? Yes, there is, by the lake. Are there any horses? No, there aren't. A recorded park guide adds speaking. In Are there any horses on the beach? on edio.ai, both come after a self-checking drag-and-drop park guide and a word match.
Are there interactive exercises for is there and are there?
Yes: gap-fills and chats that mark answers at once show whether a question needs is or are. Without an account, this page plays four parts of Are there any horses on the beach?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai: the Assateague visitor guide, a camping-trip dialogue, a gap-fill of questions and answers, and a chat with the visitor center. The table drill and the rest are locked.
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