Speaking Boost · A1 · Lesson 12 of 50
Speaking Boost A1 · Block 3: Home

What is the smallest house?

In Wales there is a house that people call the smallest house in Great Britain. How big is it? What is there inside? In this lesson you ask questions with there is and there are.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

A small house

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. Is your room big or small?
  2. Is there a bed in your room?
  3. How many windows are there in your room?
  4. Is there a TV in your home?
  5. Is there a garden near your home?
  6. Do you like small homes?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say one sentence with the word.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. Something very, very small is .
  2. You go to the first floor on the .
  3. You look through a to see the street.
  4. A is a place in a room where you can make a fire.
  5. A is one side of a room.
  6. A catches fish for a job.
  7. A is a length of 100 centimetres.
  8. A visits a place for a holiday.
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. tiny = very, very
  2. stairs go
  3. a fireplace is for a
  4. a fisherman catches
  5. a window is in a
  6. tall = with a lot of
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to ask about a place.

  • Is there a...?Чи є...?Is there a bed in the house?
  • Are there any...?Чи є...?Are there any windows?
  • Yes, there is.Так, є.Is there a kitchen? Yes, there is.
  • No, there isn't.Ні, немає.Is there a garden? No, there isn't.
  • Yes, there are.Так, є (кілька).Are there stairs? Yes, there are.
  • No, there aren't.Ні, немає (кількох).Are there any chairs? No, there aren't.
  • How many rooms are there?Скільки там кімнат?How many rooms are there?
  • It is very small.Він дуже маленький.The house is very small.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

The smallest house

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

What is the smallest house?

In the town of Conwy, in Wales, there is a very small house on the quay. People call it the smallest house in Great Britain. It is a tiny house: it is about three metres wide and less than two metres deep.

Is there a lot of space inside? No, there isn't. There are only two small rooms. Downstairs there is a kitchen with a small fireplace. Upstairs there is a bedroom with a very small bed. There are narrow stairs between the rooms.

People say that a fisherman lived in the house until 1900. He was a very tall man, and the house was too small for him. Now there isn't a person in the house, but there are a lot of tourists. They visit it every year.

A small house is easy to clean and cheap to heat, but there isn't space for a lot of things.

Is there enough space in your home?

3.2

True or false?

  1. The small house is in Wales.
  2. There are ten rooms inside.
  3. There is a kitchen downstairs.
  4. Now a fisherman lives in the house.
  5. There are a lot of tourists who visit it.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Could you live in a small house?
  2. What is good about a small house?
  3. What things do you need in a home?
  4. How much space do you need?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

Questions with there is and there are

To ask a question, put is or are before there. Short answers: Yes, there is. No, there isn't. Yes, there are. No, there aren't. Use any in questions with more than one thing.

Is there a bed? Yes, there is. Is there a garden? No, there isn't. Are there any windows? Yes, there are. Are there any chairs? No, there aren't.

How many...?

How many + plural noun + are there? asks about a number. Answer with there is one or there are two...

How many rooms are there? There are two. How many windows are there? There are three. How many beds are there? There is one.

Block 3 review

Use the grammar from this block.

there is and there are (L11)

Common mistakes: in questions, put is / are before there. ✗ There is a bed? → Is there a bed? ✗ Is there two rooms? → Are there two rooms? ✗ Yes, there are a bed → Yes, there is.

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. there a bed in the house?
  2. there any windows?
  3. Is there a garden? No, there
    .
  4. Are there any stairs? Yes, there
    .
  5. Is there a kitchen? Yes, there
    .
  6. How many rooms
    there?
  7. there any chairs?
  8. Are there any books? No, there
    .
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. There is a bed in the house? →
  2. Is there two rooms? →
  3. Yes, there are a bed. →
  4. Are there a garden? →
  5. How many rooms is there? →
  6. Is there any windows? →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer with full sentences. Ask and answer questions with there is and there are.

  1. Is there a garden near your home?
  2. How many rooms are there in your home?
  3. Is there a TV in your room?
  4. Are there any books in your room?
  5. How many windows are there in your room?
  6. Is there a big shop near your home?
5

Three people and a small house, and a short talk

8 min
5.1

Three people and a small house

Three people talk about a small house. Compare them. Who likes small houses? Who needs more space? What is there in your room?

Person 1

Gwen, 40

  • Is a guide in Wales
  • There is a kitchen downstairs
  • There are a lot of tourists
  • Her favourite thing is the fireplace
Person 2

Jim, 20

  • Is a student
  • There are two rooms in his flat
  • There isn't a garden
  • He likes small places
Person 3

Mr Tall, 50

  • Is a very tall man
  • There aren't any big rooms in the house
  • He can't stand in the bedroom
  • He needs a bigger house
5.2

Mini-talk: a small house

Your teacher will time you.

  1. Plan for one minute, then speak for one or two minutes.
  2. Part 1: ask your teacher three questions about a place (Is there...? Are there...?).
  3. Part 2: answer three questions about your room (Yes, there is. No, there isn't.).
  4. Part 3: say what there is in the best small house you can imagine.
2:00
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. Is your home big or small?
  2. Is there a bed in your room?
  3. How many windows are there in your room?
  4. Is there a TV in your home?
  5. Is there a garden near your home?
  6. Are there any pictures on your wall?
  7. Is there a fireplace in your home?
  8. Do you like small homes?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Who has got a very small flat?
  2. Who has got a big garden?
  3. Who has got a house with stairs?
  4. Who has got a fireplace?
  5. Who lives near a river?
  6. Who is tall in your family?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is a small house good?
  2. Is a big house better?
  3. Is it expensive to live in a big house?
  4. Is there a lot of space in cities?
  5. Do you want a tiny house?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

Asking about a house

You

Customer

You want to rent a small house (your teacher is the owner):
  • ask if there is a kitchen
  • ask how many rooms there are
  • ask if there is a garden
  • ask about the price
Speak for at least 1 minute. Use Is there...? Are there...?
Your teacher

Owner

Says things like:
  1. Yes, there is a kitchen.
  2. There are two rooms.
  3. No, there isn't a garden.
  4. It is cheap.
7.2

Visiting a museum house

You

Tourist

You visit a small house (your teacher is a guide):
  • ask what there is downstairs
  • ask what there is upstairs
  • ask if there are stairs
  • say thank you
You do most of the talking. Use: What is there...? · Is there...? · Are there...?
Your teacher

Guide

Says things like:
  1. Welcome!
  2. There is a kitchen.
  3. There is a bedroom.
  4. Yes, there are stairs.
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

tinystairswindowfireplacewallfishermanmetretourist
  1. Something very, very small is .
  2. You go to the first floor on the .
  3. You look through a to see the street.
  4. A is a place in a room where you can make a fire.
  5. A is one side of a room.
  6. A catches fish for a job.
  7. A is a length of 100 centimetres.
  8. A visits a place for a holiday.
H2

Choose the correct word

  1. there a kitchen?
  2. there any windows?
  3. Is there a garden? No, there .
  4. Are there any chairs? Yes, there .
  5. Is there a bed? Yes, there .
  6. How many rooms there?
  7. there a TV?
  8. Are there any books? No, there .
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. Is there a bed in the house?
  2. There is a bed in the house?
  3. Are there any windows?
  4. Is there any windows?
  5. Yes, there is.
  6. Yes, there are a bed.
  7. How many rooms are there?
H4

Match the two halves

  1. Is there
  2. Are there
  3. Yes,
  4. No,
  5. Yes, there
  6. How many
  7. It is

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.