For Jalan Besar parents choosing weekday or weekend primary English exam preparation, there is and there are are useful expressions for checking singular and plural forms. Standard written English uses ‘there is a folder’ and ‘there are two folders’.
A pupil may begin every sentence with a familiar there is without checking what comes next. A focused lesson reads the complete expression.
Bring recent marked work and choose a slot with attention for explanation. The aim is an independent agreement choice rather than a copied substitution.
Find your next decision
Identify what the sentence introduces · An invented example: folders on a shelf · Check the sentence after the repair · When weekday grammar repair may fit · When weekend grammar repair may fit · What three-pax practice should test · Confirm diagnosis and practical arrangements · Review the full expression on new work
Identify what the sentence introduces
Ask whether the expression introduces one countable item or more than one.
Begin with simple noun phrases. A folder is singular; two folders is plural.
Do not select the verb from there alone. The noun phrase introduced by the construction matters.
An invented example: folders on a shelf
Compare these invented sentences: ‘There is a folder on the shelf’ and ‘There are two folders on the shelf.’
The first introduces one folder. The second explicitly gives two and uses are.
The location remains the same. Correcting agreement does not require inventing a different shelf or an owner.
Check the sentence after the repair
If a draft says ‘There is two folders’, the intended standard written expression needs ‘There are two folders’.
If it says ‘There are a folder’, the singular expression needs ‘There is a folder’.
Keep the first practice focused on these clear cases. Introduce more complex lists or uncountable nouns separately when needed.
When weekday grammar repair may fit
A weekday lesson can connect a recent error with the quantity the pupil intended.
Check concentration for reading beyond the opening words. A rushed child may use a memorised phrase automatically.
Keep follow-up short: one unfamiliar singular expression and one plural expression, each with an explanation.
When weekend grammar repair may fit
A weekend lesson may provide time to compare the forms carefully in complete sentences.
Use the interval to secure accurate choices rather than introduce many different agreement patterns at once.
Return to fresh work during the week. Can the pupil identify the noun phrase without an adult highlighting it?
What three-pax practice should test
In a three-pax lesson, each pupil can explain the introduced quantity before selecting the verb.
The tutor can compare complete-expression reasoning with a habitual there is.
Finish with separate unfamiliar examples. Every child should justify the next choice independently.
Confirm diagnosis and practical arrangements
Ask whether the difficulty is finding the noun phrase or relying on a fixed opening without checking number.
Confirm course suitability, group arrangements, venue and timing directly. This article supplies no Jalan Besar classroom confirmation, fee or available lesson slot.
Check examination-year guidance with the school and the official SEAB website. The invented sentences are teaching examples, not official questions.
Review the full expression on new work
Ask the pupil to identify what the sentence introduces and explain the matching form.
Look for fewer automatic openings and more accurate agreement. These are concrete improvements without guaranteeing a score.
Choose the day that leaves attention for focused correction and a manageable later attempt. Independent use is the practical check.
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