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Which frog sings its name? There is and there are in the rainforest

An A1 ESL lesson plan on there is and there are, for saying what's in a rainforest, a park or a room.

Grammar
There's with a or an for one thing, there are with two, some or many for more, and a place to finish: There are some frogs under the leaves.
Topic
El Yunque in Puerto Rico, the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest System, where tiny coquí frogs sing at night, with words such as leaf, fern and river.
Activities
A rainforest poster, a dialogue and a ranger's audio guide, self-checking drills, a chat about a park near home, open-box questions and a post to write.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Hello, rainforest!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the words: in the rainforestVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: El Yunque

    • Look at the photo: El YunquePictureUnlock
    • Read the poster: what's in the rainforest?Real-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: ko-KEE!

    • Listen to Priya and KofiListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to the ranger's audio guideListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen to the ranger and choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: there's a frog on the leaf!

    • Study the scheme: there is, there areGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: what's there?Fill in the gapsTry it
    • Drag the words into the gaps: is, are, a, an, someDrag and dropUnlock
    • Choose the right sentenceQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: what's in your park?

    • Choose the right replies: the park near your homeChatTry it
    • Open a box and answer: what's there?Open the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Fill in the table: one thing or two?Fill in the tableUnlock
    • Unscramble the words: natureAnagramUnlock
    • Write a post: a park or a garden near youWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record a voice message: a nature place you loveSpeaking, 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.

Nature 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

  • leaf
  • rainforest
  • river
  • parrot
  • lizard
  • fern
  • orchid

Grammar: there is and there are for what's in a place

There is and there are tell someone what's in a place, and a rainforest has plenty to tell: tall trees, big ferns, rivers and a tiny frog on a leaf. Learners choose is or are by counting, put a, an, some or many before the noun, and end with where the thing is.

There's a frog on the leaf!

Say what's in a place: there is + one thing, there are + two or more things.

One thing: there's a, there's an

For one thing, use there's (short for there is) and a or an: There's a frog on the leaf. There is an orchid near the river. Both forms are right, and there's is the one we often say.

One thing: There's (There is) + a / an

There's / There isa / an + one thingwhere?

There's a frog on the leaf.

There is an orchid near the river.

There's = There is

We often say There's: There's a frog. With two or more, say There are: There are frogs. (Not: There's frogs.)

Two or more: there are

With two or more, the verb is are, often followed by two, some or many: There are two birds in the tree. There are many frogs in the forest. Most nouns just add -s, but a leaf becomes two leaves.

Two or more: There are

There are(two / some / many) + thingswhere?

There are two birds in the tree.

There are some frogs under the leaves.

There are many frogs in the forest.

One leaf, two leaves

a frog → two frogs, a parrot → two parrots, but a leaf → two leaves.

Where? In, on, under, next to, behind

The place usually comes last: There's a parrot in the tree. There are three lizards under the leaves. It can also come first, as in Under the rock, there are two little lizards, and the verb still agrees with the noun after it.

Where?One thingTwo or more
inThere's a parrot in the tree.There are two parrots in the tree.
onThere's a frog on the rock.There are some frogs on the rock.
underThere's a lizard under the leaf.There are three lizards under the leaves.
next to, nearThere's a fern next to the river.There are many ferns near the river.
behind, in front ofThere's a river behind the trees.There are orchids in front of the house.

Common mistakes

  • There is two frogs on the leaf.

    There are two frogs on the leaf.

    two or more: there are

  • There are a frog on the leaf.

    There's a frog on the leaf.

    one thing: there's + a / an

  • It has a frog in the tree.

    There's a frog in the tree.

    what's in a place? Start with There's / There are

  • Have many frogs in the forest.

    There are many frogs in the forest.

    not Have…: start with There are

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

Try the there is and there are exercises

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

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 11 auto-checked exercises
  • 3 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's in a place with there's and a or an: There's a frog on the leaf. There's an orchid near the river.
  • use there are with two, some or many for more than one: There are many birds in the trees.
  • add where with in, on, under, next to or behind, and spell plurals such as leaves
  • describe a park near home: There's a bench next to the lake. There are some ducks on the lake.

Lesson 21 opens Animals and nature, the sixth unit of English A1.2 · Out and About. It builds on lesson 11, which added behind and in front of for where things are, and on some with plural nouns from lesson 15; lesson 23 turns these sentences into questions and negatives. The El Yunque poster puts the grammar to work, listing what to see by day (There are tall trees and big ferns) and what to listen for at night.

Students answer a warm-up spin wheel and learn ten nature words, from hide and hop to fern and orchid, with pictures and audio. After the poster and its true-or-false and multiple-choice questions, they hear Priya and Kofi talk about the coquí (an AI-voiced dialogue) and a ranger's audio guide. The grammar chapter has the scheme and four exercises, checked as students answer: picking the right word, a gap-fill with there / be, a drag-and-drop of is, are, a, an and some, and a choice of the right sentence. In the speaking chapter, students tell Priya about the park near their home in a chat, then open boxes that ask what's in their bedroom, bag or town.

Homework starts with two self-checking tasks, a table that pairs one thing with two or more and an anagram of nature words. Then students write a post about a park or a garden near them and record a voice message about a nature place they love, both for the teacher to review.

Grammar:
there is / there's · there are · there's a / an, there are some / many · places: in, on, under, behind
Topic:
the coquí frog · El Yunque · Puerto Rico · rainforests · animals and nature

Teaching tips

  • Set up a scene on your desk: a pen under a book, two cups next to a bag. Students describe it with There's a… and There are two…, then close their eyes while you move one thing.
  • Before the poster, brainstorm a rainforest: students guess what's in one, you write each guess as a There are… sentence, and the poster shows who was right.
  • Pause the dialogue at Priya's question, What's in the rainforest?, and let pairs guess Kofi's answer with there's and there are before you play it.
  • Turn one open box into a drawing game: a student describes a dream garden (There's a pond. There are some orchids next to it.), and a partner draws what they hear.

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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 21 · you're hereWhich 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

How do you use there is and there are?
Use there is and there are to say that something is in a place, usually with the place at the end: There's a river in the forest. There are tall trees and big ferns. The order is there, then is or are, then the thing, then where: There's a frog on the leaf. There's is short for there is, and both mean the same.
What's the difference between there is and there are?
One thing takes there is, more take there are: There's a bench next to the lake. There are many birds in the trees. The noun right after it decides: a or an means is, while a plural with two, some or many means are. The El Yunque poster in Which frog sings its name?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, uses both, from There are tall trees to There's a tiny frog on a leaf.
Is it "there is two" or "there are two"?
It's there are two, because two or more needs are: There are two frogs on the leaf, not There is two frogs. Some and many work the same way: There are some ducks on the lake. It goes the other way with one thing: There's a frog on the leaf, never There are a frog.
Is it "It has a frog in the tree" or "There's a frog in the tree"?
Say There's a frog in the tree: to tell someone what's in a place, English starts with there, not it has or have. So it's There are many frogs in the forest, not Have many frogs in the forest or In the forest has many frogs. Has is fine when the place itself is the subject, though: The park has a lake.
Is it "two leafs" or "two leaves"?
Two leaves is right: leaf changes to leaves. Most nature words simply add -s (two frogs, three parrots, many ferns), so leaves is the one to watch: There are some frogs under the leaves. One drill in Which frog sings its name?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, puts leaves, leafs and leaf side by side for students to choose from.
What nature vocabulary do beginners need?
Beginners need words for the plants, animals and water around them: tree, leaf, fern, flower, river, waterfall, rock, frog, bird, parrot and lizard, plus verbs such as hop and hide. Learn each noun with a or an and its plural, so it fits straight into There's a… or There are…: an orchid, two orchids.
How do I teach there is and there are to beginners?
Start with things students can see and count, such as one book on the desk and two bags on a chair, so counting decides is or are. Then add a, an, some or many, and finally the place. The A1 lesson Which frog sings its name? on edio.ai builds up the same way, from a rainforest poster and a dialogue to a scheme, four drills and a chat about the student's own park.
What's a good game for practicing there is and there are?
Describe and draw is a good game: a student describes a place with There's a… and There are some…, a partner draws it, and then they compare. For quick turns, use question boxes such as What's in your bag today? or Your dream garden: what's in it? Both are open boxes in this lesson, next to Ask your partner: What's in your kitchen?
How do you practice there is and there are one-to-one?
Describe real places in turn, like the student's room, street or nearest park, and ask for one more detail each time: What's next to the bench? On edio.ai, the chat in Which frog sings its name? needs no partner: a friend asks about the park near the student's home, and the student picks There are some ducks on the lake over There is some ducks on the lake.
What's good homework for practicing there is and there are?
Good homework is a short post about a real park or garden, because every line needs there's or there are: There's a playground in the park, and there are some tall trees. A voice message about a favorite nature place adds speaking. In this lesson, both come after two self-checking tasks, a one-or-more table and an anagram of nature words.
Are there interactive exercises for there is and there are?
Yes: self-checking gap-fills and chats show at once whether is or are is right. This page plays four parts of Which frog sings its name?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, with no account: the El Yunque poster, a dialogue about the coquí, a gap-fill that turns there / be into there's or there are, and a chat about the park near your home. The drag-and-drop and the rest are locked.
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