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Come to our Lunar New Year party! Some and any for party plans

This A1 ESL lesson plan teaches some and any with plural nouns, for planning a Lunar New Year party and answering an invitation.

Grammar
Some in positive sentences and requests (We have some lanterns.), any in negatives and questions (Do we have any red envelopes?), both with plural nouns, and a or an for one thing.
Topic
Lunar New Year, from San Francisco's night parade to a party at home, with words such as lantern, dumpling, red envelope and dragon.
Activities
A parade poster, a dialogue and a voicemail, self-checking drills, a chat that answers an invitation, open boxes for inviting a partner and an invitation to write.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Happy Lunar New Year!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the words: a Lunar New Year partyVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: a parade at night

    • Look at the photo: the Golden DragonPictureUnlock
    • Read the poster: a parade at nightReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: party plans

    • Listen to Mia and KofiListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to a voicemail from IreneListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: some lanterns, any balloons?

    • Study the scheme: some and anyGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: party plansFill in the gapsTry it
    • Fill in the table: yes, no and questionsFill in the tableUnlock
    • Choose the right sentenceQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: come to my party!

    • Choose the right replies: Mia's invitationChatTry it
    • Open a box and answer: invite your partnerOpen the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Drag the words into the gaps: some, any, a, anDrag and dropUnlock
    • Match the words and their meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Write an invitation to your partyWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record a voice message: answer an invitationSpeaking, 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

  • dumpling
  • red envelope
  • dragon
  • drum
  • lion dancer
  • balloon
  • neighbor

Grammar: some and any with plural nouns

A party needs a list, and a list needs some and any: what we have, what we don't have and what we still have to ask about. Learners use some for yes and any for no and questions, ask for things with Can I have some…?, and keep a and an for one thing.

We have some lanterns. Do we have any balloons?

Use some and any with two or more things: lanterns, dumplings, balloons.

Some for yes, any for no and questions

In a positive sentence, use some: We have some lanterns. After don't or doesn't and in a Do…? question, use any: We don't have any balloons. Do we have any red envelopes? Requests are the exception and keep some: Can I have some dumplings, please?

Sentencesome / anyExample
✓ yessomeWe have some lanterns.
✗ no: don't / doesn'tanyWe don't have any balloons.
? question: Do…?anyDo we have any red envelopes?
asking for things: Can I…? / Can you…?someCan I have some dumplings, please?

Do we have any? Yes, we have some.

A short answer can end on some or any alone: Do we have any lanterns? Yes, we do. We have some. The noun drops out once everyone knows it: Red envelopes? Let's buy some! Drums? Sorry, I don't have any.

Questions and short answers

QuestionAnswer
Do we have any lanterns?Yes, we do. We have some.
Do you have any drums?No, I don't. I don't have any.
Do they need any chairs?No, they don't. They don't need any.

some and any alone

We know the thing? Say only some or any: Red envelopes? Let's buy some! Drums? Sorry, I don't have any.

A lantern, some lanterns

Some and any go with two or more, so the noun takes -s: some lanterns, any drums. One thing takes a or an: a drum, an invitation. A dumplings mixes the two, and any red envelope loses the plural.

one thing: a / an

  • a lantern
  • a drum
  • an invitation

two or more: some / any

  • some lanterns
  • some drums
  • any invitations

Common mistakes

  • We have any lanterns.

    We have some lanterns.

    ✓ sentences: some

  • We don't have some balloons.

    We don't have any balloons.

    don't + any

  • Do we have any red envelope?

    Do we have any red envelopes?

    some, any + two or more (-s)

  • Can I have a dumplings?

    Can I have some dumplings?

    a + one thing, some + -s

More lessons on this grammar: Quantifiers lessons and exercises

Try the some and any 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:

  • say what they have with some: We have some lanterns.
  • use any after don't and in questions: We don't have any balloons. Do you have any drums?
  • ask for things politely with some: Can I have some dumplings, please?
  • write and answer a party invitation: Come to our party on Saturday! Yes, I can come!

Lesson 15 is the third lesson of Celebrations, the fourth unit of English A1.2 · Out and About. It builds on lesson 10 of English A1.1 · Hello, World, which taught a, an and plural nouns, and on Can I have…? from the coffee shop of lesson 19; lesson 23 later brings any back in Are there any horses? A party plan lists what you have, what you don't have and what to buy, so nearly every line needs some or any.

A spin wheel of party questions opens the lesson, then come ten words, from invite and hang to lion dancer, with pictures and audio. Students read a poster for San Francisco's Chinese New Year Parade, a parade at night with the Golden Dragon as its star, and answer true-or-false and multiple-choice questions. Mia and Kofi then plan a party in their kitchen (an AI-voiced dialogue), and a neighbor answers in a voicemail. The grammar chapter has the scheme and four exercises, each checked as students answer, from a gap-fill of party plans to a table of yes, no and question forms. In the speaking chapter, students answer Mia's invitation in a chat, then open boxes to invite a partner.

In the homework, students drag some, any, a and an into gaps and match words to their meanings, two tasks that check themselves. They then write an invitation to their own party and record a voice message that answers one, for the teacher to review.

Grammar:
some and any · plural nouns · Do we have any…? · Can I have some…?
Topic:
Lunar New Year · San Francisco · parades · parties · invitations

Teaching tips

  • Unpack a party bag in class: take things out with some (I have some cups), then look inside for what's missing with any (I don't have any balloons).
  • Put a shopping list on the board before the dialogue, with ticks and crosses, and have students turn each line into We have some… or We don't have any…
  • Run the yes-no-question table as a relay: one student reads a yes sentence, the next makes it negative, and the third asks the question with any.
  • Link the open boxes to the homework: students invite a partner aloud in class, then write the same invitation at home with some, any and Can you bring…?

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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 15 · you're hereCome 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 23Are 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

When do you use some and any?
Use some in positive sentences and any in negatives and questions, both with plural nouns. We have some lanterns. We don't have any balloons. Do we have any red envelopes? Polite requests keep some, even as questions: Can I have some dumplings, please? The A1 lesson Come to our Lunar New Year party! on edio.ai puts all four patterns into one party plan.
How do you use some and any in questions?
Ordinary questions take any, but requests take some: Do you have any red envelopes? but Can I have some dumplings, please? Offers work like requests: Can I bring some oranges? A voicemail in Come to our Lunar New Year party!, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, uses both: Do you need any chairs? I have some.
Is it "some" or "any" after don't?
After don't and doesn't, the word is any, not some: We don't have any balloons. She doesn't need any chairs. They don't want any balloons. They want lanterns! A quick check works for beginners: if the sentence has not or n't, pick any. So We don't have some balloons is the slip to watch for.
What's the difference between some and any?
Some means more than one, without an exact number, while any asks if there is at least one or, after don't, means none at all. We have some lanterns says there are lanterns, but not how many. Do we have any red envelopes? asks if there are one or more, and We don't have any balloons means zero. With nouns you can count, both need the plural: some lanterns, any drums.
Is it "a dumplings" or "some dumplings"?
It's some dumplings: a and an go with one thing only. So it's a dumpling or some dumplings, an invitation or some invitations, and never a lanterns. In questions and negatives the plural stays too: Do we have any red envelopes?, not any red envelope. The chat in Come to our Lunar New Year party! on edio.ai sets Can I bring some dumpling? as a wrong reply.
Can you say "some" or "any" without a noun?
Yes: some and any can stand alone once everyone knows the thing. Red envelopes? Let's buy some! Drums? Sorry, I don't have any. Do we have any lanterns? Yes, we have some. The rule doesn't change without the noun: some in yes sentences, any after don't, so No, I don't have some is wrong.
What words do you need for a Lunar New Year party?
For a Lunar New Year party, start with lantern, dumpling and red envelope, then add dragon, drum and lion dancer for the parade. A red envelope is a small paper bag with money inside, which older people give to children. The verbs invite and hang help with the plans: Let's invite the neighbors. I can hang the lanterns. A lion dancer is a person inside a big animal costume.
How do you write and answer a party invitation in English?
A party invitation says what, when and where, then asks guests to come: Come to our Lunar New Year party on Saturday at six! It's in our kitchen. Add what you have and what guests can bring: We have some lanterns. Can you bring some red envelopes? To answer, thank the host and say yes or no: Thank you for the invitation! Yes, I can come. or Sorry, I can't.
How do I teach some and any to beginners?
Give students a real list of things to check, like a party plan, so some and any answer real questions: Do we have any lanterns? Yes, we have some. Keep requests like Can I have some…? as a fixed phrase. Come to our Lunar New Year party!, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, follows a poster and a party-planning dialogue with the scheme, four drills and a chat that answers an invitation.
What's a good game for practicing some and any?
Try an open-the-box party game: each box asks students to invite a partner, say what their party has and doesn't have, or ask a question. One box says Your party: what don't you have? We don't have any…, another Help your partner with the party: Can I bring some…? This lesson's warm-up wheel adds Do you have any lanterns at home?
What's good homework for practicing some and any?
Good homework is an invitation to a party of your own, because it needs both words: We have some lanterns. We don't have any red envelopes. Can you bring some, please? In Come to our Lunar New Year party! on edio.ai, a drag-and-drop of some, any, a and an and a word match check themselves first; then students write the invitation and record a voice message that answers one.
Are there interactive exercises for some and any?
Yes: gap-fills that mark every some and any give students instant feedback. Four parts of Come to our Lunar New Year party!, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, play on this page without an account: the poster for San Francisco's night parade, Mia and Kofi's party-planning dialogue, a gap-fill of party plans (We don't have any balloons.) and Mia's invitation in a chat. The table and the other drills are locked.
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