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ESL Lesson Plan · CEFR A1

Countable and Uncountable Nouns with A / An ESL Lesson Plan (A1, 60 Minutes)

A complete 60-minute A1 lesson on Countable and Uncountable Nouns with A / An, built round the theme "Going Shopping at the Market".

  • CEFR A1
  • 60 minutes
  • Teenagers and adults
  • Grammar
  • Quantifiers and Uncountable Nouns
  • Countable and Uncountable Nouns with A / An

About this lesson

Who it is for. Beginners who know basic food words and there is / there are. They add -s to every noun (rices, breads, milks), use a with uncountable nouns (a water, a rice) and use some in questions and negatives (I don't have some eggs).

Everything the lesson needs is on this page: the language analysis, the timed stages with the teacher's own words and instruction-checking questions, the differentiation, the printable handouts and the answer key.

At a glance

Level
CEFR A1 (Beginner)
Learners
Teenagers and adults
Length
60 minutes. For 45 minutes, run only "Make a list" of the two tasks in "Freer practice" and cut "Feedback and wrap-up" to board-based error correction.
Skills
Speaking
Language focus
Grammar: Countable and Uncountable Nouns with A / An, Some and Any
Framework
PPP (presentation, practice, production)
Materials
Food picture cards, Handout 1 (Nimali's kitchen), Handout 2 (practice), Handout 3 (shopping role-play cards).
Preparation
About 10 minutes: print Handouts 1 to 3, one per learner, and read the language analysis. The answer key is for you, not the class.

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Google Docs · 60 minutes · PPP (presentation, practice, production)

Download the PDFWordMake a copy

The PDF prints as it stands. The Word file and Make a copy are for adapting it: your copy is yours to change, and the original stays as it is.

Aims

Main aim. To present and practise countable and uncountable nouns with a / an, some and any in positive sentences, negatives and questions.

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can make and check a shopping list, e.g. We need some rice and an onion. We don't have any eggs. Do we have any milk?

  • Subsidiary aim. To learn food vocabulary.
  • Subsidiary aim. To practise the weak form of some /səm/.
  • Subsidiary aim. To develop speaking in a shopping role-play.

Language analysis

What to know before the lesson: the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language, and the problems learners usually have with it.

Form and meaning

Countable (you can count them)Uncountable (you can't count them)
Singulara banana, an egg, an onionrice, milk, water, bread, sugar (no a / an)
Pluralbananas, eggs, onions(no plural: not rices)
PositiveThere are some eggs.There is some milk.
NegativeThere aren't any eggs.There isn't any milk.
QuestionAre there any eggs?Is there any milk?

Form and meaning: notes

  • a before a consonant sound (a banana); an before a vowel sound (an egg, an apple, an onion).
  • some in positive sentences; any in negatives and questions.
  • Uncountable nouns take a singular verb: There is some rice.
  • To count uncountable nouns: a bottle of water, a bag of rice, a loaf of bread, a packet of tea.

Pronunciation

  • some is weak in sentences: /səm/: I need some rice /aɪ niːd səm raɪs/.
  • Linking: an egg /ənˈeg/, an onion /ənˈʌnjən/.

Concept-checking questions

  • There is some rice. Can I count rice: one rice, two rices? (No.) So is it countable or uncountable? (Uncountable.) · Can I say a rice? (No.) · Are there any eggs? · Is this a question? (Yes.) So some or any? (Any.)

Anticipated problems and solutions

ProblemSolution
-s on uncountable nouns (rices, breads)."Can you count it?" test with real objects; two board columns.
a with uncountable nouns (a water).Teach containers: a bottle of water.
some in negatives and questions.Board symbols: + some, – any, ? any.
a before vowels (a egg).Drill an egg, an apple, an onion with linking.
Plural verb with uncountable nouns (There are some milk).Highlight is in the uncountable column.

Board plan

Left: vocabularyCentre: grammarRight: pronunciation
COUNTABLE: banana · egg · onion · apple · tomato · potato · UNCOUNTABLE: rice · milk · water · bread · sugar · tea · a bottle of · a bag of · a loaf of · a packet of
COUNTABLE: a banana · an egg · some eggs · UNCOUNTABLE: rice (no a / no -s) · some rice · + There is some milk. There are some eggs. · – There isn't any milk. There aren't any eggs. · ? Is there any milk? Are there any eggs? · not: a rice ✗ rices ✗
some /səm/ · an egg /ənˈeg/ · Are there any eggs? ↗

CEFR A1 · 60 minutes · Teenagers and adults

Procedure: Countable and Uncountable Nouns with A / An, step by step

Warm-up5 minutes · Whole class, pairs

Aim: To activate food vocabulary.

Show food picture cards one by one. Students call out the word.

Pairs have 1 minute to list as many foods as they can. The pair with the longest list writes it on the board.

Presentation20 minutes · Whole class, individual, pairs

Aim: To present countable and uncountable nouns with a / an, some and any in context and clarify form, meaning and pronunciation.

Part A: Sorting (6 minutes)

Hold up a banana (or picture) and say: "One banana, two bananas." Then hold up a bag of rice: "One rice? Two rices? No!"

Students sort the words from Stage 1 into two columns on the board: Can count / Can't count. Label them countable and uncountable.

Part B: Context (6 minutes)

Give out Handout 1. Say: "Look at Nimali's kitchen. Read the text. Is there any milk? Three minutes."

ICQs: "Do you read or write first?" (Read.)

Students answer the questions. Pairs compare. Check as a class.

Part C: Clarification (8 minutes)

a / an. Board a banana, an egg, an onion. Elicit the rule (vowel sound → an).

some / any. Board three sentences from the text: There is some bread. There aren't any eggs. Is there any milk? Add + / – / ? symbols. Ask the CCQs.

Uncountable + is. Highlight There is some rice (not are).

Containers. Show a bottle, a bag, a packet. Board a bottle of water, a bag of rice, a packet of tea, a loaf of bread.

Pronunciation. Drill I need some rice. We don't have any eggs. Is there any milk? with weak some.

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Aim: To practise the form accurately.

Give out Handout 2. Say: "Exercise A: write a, an or some. Exercise B: write some or any. Six minutes."

ICQs: "Rice: a or some?" (Some.)

Pairs check. Check as a class; students read the sentences aloud.

Freer practice18 minutes · Pairs, then groups, then whole class

Aim: To use the language in a shopping role-play.

Make a list (5 minutes). Pairs plan a family dinner (rice and curry). They check Nimali's kitchen (Handout 1) and write a shopping list: We need some rice ... We don't have any eggs.

At the market (9 minutes). Give out Handout 3. Half the class are market sellers with picture cards; half are shoppers. Shoppers ask: "Do you have any tomatoes?" "Yes, I do. / Sorry, I don't have any." "Can I have a bag of rice, please?" Then swap roles.

ICQs: "What does the shopper ask?" (Do you have any ...?)

Report (4 minutes). Pairs tell the class what they bought and what they couldn't find: "We bought some rice and an onion, but there weren't any..." (Accept There wasn't any / There weren't any as a chunk.)

Monitor and note errors.

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Aim: To give feedback and consolidate.

Board four sentences from your notes (two with errors). Students correct them.

Quick game: say a word; students shout "A!", "An!" or "Some!"

Set the homework.

Homework Look in your kitchen at home. Write 8 sentences: 4 things you have (There is some rice. There are some bananas.) and 4 things you don't have (There isn't any cheese.).

PPP (presentation, practice, production). Stage times add up to 60 minutes.

Differentiation

Support
Give weaker students the two-column word list (countable / uncountable) to keep on the desk. In the role-play, give them the question frame Do you have any ...? on a card.
Stretch
Stronger students use more containers: a tin of fish, a kilo of potatoes, a cup of tea. They ask How much is it? / How much are they?

Adapting the lesson

ForWhat to change
A large class (40 or more)Keep the pairwork in "Freer practice" in fixed pairs rather than a mingle, and take feedback from four or five pairs instead of the whole room. Run "Make a list" once, with two pairs reporting, rather than hearing every pair. Monitor one half of the room during "Controlled practice" and the other half during "Freer practice".
A class with no photocopierPut the exercises from Handout 2: Practice on the board for learners to copy into their notebooks, and read any text aloud twice instead of printing it. The board plan above is this lesson's minimum - with that on the board, it runs on no paper at all.
An online classSend Handouts 1 to 3 in the chat before the lesson and put the board plan on a shared slide. Use breakout rooms for "Make a list" and visit each room once. Have learners type the controlled answers in the chat, so you see every answer at once instead of nominating.
A different age groupWith young learners, cut the writing at the end and give that time to the speaking task; keep the drilling short, and let them draw or mime where the plan allows it. With adults, keep the writing and ask for a short spoken summary in place of anything drawn or mimed.

Checking learning

12 out of 14 or better on Handout 2. In the role-play, students use any in questions and negatives and no a with uncountable nouns. Students say an before vowel sounds.

Teacher's reflection

Did students stop adding -s to uncountable nouns? Was the market role-play lively and well organised?

Handout 1: Nimali's Kitchen

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

It's Saturday. Nimali wants to cook rice and curry for her family. She looks in her kitchen.

There is some rice in a big bag. There are some potatoes and there is an onion. There is some bread on the table. There is a banana, too.

But there aren't any eggs. There isn't any milk, and there aren't any tomatoes. There isn't any sugar for her tea!

"I need to go to the market," says Nimali.

Answer the questions. Write Yes, there is / Yes, there are / No, there isn't / No, there aren't.

What does Nimali need from the market? Write three things.

  • Is there any rice? ______________________________
  • Are there any eggs? ______________________________
  • Is there any milk? ______________________________
  • Are there any potatoes? ______________________________
  • ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ____________________

Handout 2: Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Write a, an or some.

B. Write some or any.

C. Match.

  • ______ apple
  • ______ water
  • ______ banana
  • ______ rice
  • ______ egg
  • There are ______ tomatoes in the fridge.
  • There isn't ______ milk.
  • Are there ______ onions?
  • I'd like ______ tea, please.
  • We don't have ______ bread.
1. a bottle ofa. bread
2. a bag ofb. tea
3. a loaf ofc. water
4. a packet ofd. rice

Handout 3: At the Market

Shopper's list

Seller A has: rice, eggs, onions, bananas, tea. (No milk, no tomatoes.)

Seller B has: milk, tomatoes, bread, sugar, potatoes. (No eggs, no tea.)

Useful language

  • Shopper: Good morning. Do you have any ...? · Can I have a bag of / some ..., please? · Thank you!
  • Seller: Yes, I do. Here you are. · Sorry, I don't have any ...
I needDid I buy it? ✓ / ✗
a bag of rice
some eggs
an onion
some milk
some tomatoes
a packet of tea

Answer Key

Handout 1

Handout 2, Exercise A

Handout 2, Exercise B

Handout 2, Exercise C

1 c · 2 d · 3 a · 4 b

Common errors to watch for

  • Yes, there is. · 2. No, there aren't. · 3. No, there isn't. · 4. Yes, there are.
  • Any three of: eggs, milk, tomatoes, sugar.
  • an · 2. some · 3. a · 4. some · 5. an
  • some · 2. any · 3. any · 4. some · 5. any
ErrorCorrection
I want a rice. / two ricesI want some rice. / two bags of rice
There are some milk.There is some milk.
We don't have some eggs.We don't have any eggs.
a eggan egg

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Google Docs · 60 minutes

Download the PDFWordMake a copy

The same document as the one at the top of the page.

Elsewhere in Global English

Pages that help with this lesson in particular, rather than everything we have.

How to Make an ESL Lesson Plan

How a plan like this is put together, including the PPP shape it uses.

How to Teach English Speaking

Getting a quiet class talking, and what to do about the pair that finishes early.

15 ESL Role-Play Activities With Role Cards

Fifteen role-plays with cards to cut up, if you want a longer production stage.

20 ESL Speaking Activities for Beginners

Twenty speaking activities that work with very little language, for the practice stages.

About this lesson plan

Written by RCF English to the RCF English international standard: levelled by the CEFR, original throughout, and suitable for classrooms in any country. Last reviewed 22 September 2026.

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