Cutubka 03 · Bogagga 27–41

Guriga iyo Qolalka ku JiraMy Home and the Rooms in It

Sheeg waxa guriga ku jira adigoo isticmaalaya "there is / there are", oo magacaw qolalka.

Yoolalka cutubkan

3.1“There is” and “there are”Key Language227
3.2Affirmative, negative and question form of “there is / are”How to Form28
3.3Complete each sentence with “there is”, “there are”, “there isn’t” or “there aren’t”Exercise28
3.4Listen and match each person to their homeListening29
3.5Use the chart to make 12 sentences about a homeSpeaking29
3.6A living room, labelledVocabulary30
3.7Rooms in a homeVocabulary30
3.8Maryam’s homeKey Language31
3.9Word stress in home vocabularyPronunciation31
3.10Listen and write the missing wordsListening32
3.11Ask and answer questions about a homeSpeaking33
3.12Describing a roomVocabulary33
3.13Prepositions of placeKey Language34
3.14Where is the cat?Key Language34
3.15Abdi’s roomKey Language34
3.16Look at the room and answer the questionsExercise35
3.17Describe your own homeSpeaking36
3.18Rooms word boxVocabulary36
3.19Match the room to its descriptionExercise37
3.20Choose the correct form: “there is” or “there are”Exercise37
3.21Describe your neighbour’s homeSpeaking38
3.22Write the negative or the question formWriting38
3.23Listen and answer: true or false?Listening39
3.24Where is it? Ask and answerSpeaking39
3.25My bedroom, labelledVocabulary39
3.26Cultural bridge: home and hospitalityReading40
3.27Mini-story: “A new home, a new friend”Reading40
3.28Think and discuss these three questionsSpeaking41
3.29Unit 3 completeUnit Conclusion41

AhmedCome in, Fatima! There’s a big sofa in the living room.

FatimaOh, it’s lovely! Is there a TV?

AhmedYes, there is. And there are two chairs near the window.

FatimaThere are so many nice things here!

We use “there is” when we talk about one thing. We use “there are” when we talk about more than one thing.
“There’s” is the short form (contraction) of “there is”. We use it in speaking and informal writing.
Ahmed uses “there is” (or “there’s”) for one object — a sofa — and “there are” for two chairs (more than one).
Notice the question form: “Is there a TV?” The verb comes before “there” in questions.
More examples: “There’s a big window in the bedroom.” (Hodan) · “There are three chairs in the kitchen.” (Ali) · “There’s a small garden at the back of the house.” (Mia) · “There are two lamps on the table in the living room.” (Maryam)
“Is there a TV?” — “Yes, there is.”

Singular (1 thing) — There is / There’s: “There is a bed in the bedroom.”
Plural (2+ things) — There are: “There are two windows.”
Negative (singular) — There isn’t: “There isn’t a TV in my room.”
Negative (plural) — There aren’t: “There aren’t any chairs.”
Question (singular) — Is there…?: “Is there a bathroom upstairs?”
Question (plural) — Are there…?: “Are there any cupboards?”
Use “any” in negative sentences and in questions with plural nouns: “There aren’t any windows.” / “Are there any cupboards?”
In questions, the verb comes before “there”: “Is there a bathroom?” / “Are there any chairs?”

YasminHow many rooms are in your house, Maryam?

MaryamThere are five rooms. There’s a kitchen, a living room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom.

YasminIs there a garden?

MaryamYes, there is. It’s small, but it’s very nice.

YasminIs there a study?

MaryamNo, there isn’t. I study in my bedroom.

Maryam uses “there are” to give the total number of rooms: “There are five rooms.”
She uses the contraction “there’s” for each room: “There’s a kitchen…” This sounds natural in conversation.

In English, one syllable in each word is stressed — said louder and longer. For most two-syllable and compound home words, the stress falls on the first syllable.
BED-room · LIV-ing room · KIT-chen · BATH-room · BAL-co-ny · GAR-den · HALL-way · DI-ning room · WIN-dow · CUP-board
“Cupboard” sounds like “CUB-berd” — the letter p is silent. Say it as one smooth word.
“Balcony” has three syllables: BAL-co-ny. The stress is on the first syllable.

We use prepositions of place to say where something is. Statement: “The lamp is on the table.” Question: “Is the lamp on the table?”
on — “The book is on the shelf.” · in — “The keys are in the drawer.” · under — “The cat is under the chair.” · next to — “The sofa is next to the window.”
opposite — “The mirror is opposite the door.” · between — “The lamp is between the two chairs.” · in front of — “The table is in front of the sofa.” · behind — “The coat is behind the door.”

AbdiCome in, Hassan. My room is small, but it’s comfortable.

HassanWhere is your desk?

AbdiThe desk is next to the window. And my bed is in front of the wardrobe.

HassanIs the lamp on the desk?

AbdiYes, it is! And there are some books under the bed!

HassanHa! I keep my books under my bed too!

Further examples: “The plant is next to the window in Fatima’s living room.” · “Ahmed’s books are on the shelf above the desk.” · “Sophie’s bag is under the chair in the hallway.” · “The mirror is opposite the door in Hodan’s bedroom.”
Prepositions of place always come before the noun: on the desk, under the bed, next to the window.
To ask about location, use “Where is…?” (one thing) or “Where are…?” (more than one thing): “Where is the lamp?”

SophieHi Asha! Do you want to see the rest of the house?

AshaYes, please! Is there a living room?

SophieYes, there is. It’s downstairs, next to the kitchen. There are two sofas and a big table. We can all sit together there.

AshaThat’s lovely. In my family’s home, the living room is very important. It is where we welcome guests.

SophieI love that idea. There is a lot of space here — you can invite your family whenever you like.

Asha arrived at Accord University at the start of the new semester. She moved into a shared student house with three other students, including Sophie, who was from France. On the first evening, Sophie knocked on Asha’s door.
The house was smaller than her family’s home in Mogadishu, with only four bedrooms and one bathroom. But it was warm, and her new housemates were kind. There isn’t a lot of space here, she thought, but there is a new beginning.