This lesson uses a sophisticated journalistic feature about the EU's Entry-Exit System to develop C1 reading comprehension, analytical discussion skills, and precise vocabulary related to border control and institutional policy.
Learning objectives:
• Analyse and articulate cause-and-effect relationships in a policy context using advanced connectors and nominalization ('the operational reality', 'the scale of disruption')
• Deploy target vocabulary — including 'overhaul', 'biometric data', 'queue chaos', 'peak traffic', and 'discretion' — accurately in spontaneous discussion
• Evaluate competing institutional positions (industry vs EU authorities) using hedging and reporting structures ('it is widely argued that', 'critics contend that')
• Recognise and produce fronted participial phrases and appositive noun phrases as tools of journalistic economy and emphasis
🎙️ Listening
Listen to the pre-listening briefing, then the article, then the vocabulary debrief. Hands-free — perfect for commuting, walking, or the gym.
▶ Click here to listen
📝 Grammar Focus
Investigate and practice some grammar points from the article.
Access a wide range of integrated practice for this unit —
from Vocabulary and Grammar activities
to AI-curated Writing tasks and
Thematic Chat practice.
These writing tasks help you prepare your ideas and language for the Talking Points Fluency Workshop.
The workshop trainer reads your writing in advance to gauge your preparation and guide the session.
Access to booking is only available once at least one task has been completed.
No writing submitted? No problem — simply skip the workshop this week.
Pattern:There is + singular noun | There are + plural noun
✓ There is a meeting room on the second floor.
✗ There aren't any free desks in the open-plan office.
? Is there a printer near the reception desk?
Uses & Functions
Use 'there is / there are' to say that something exists or is present in a place. Reach for this structure whenever you want to introduce something new into the conversation — describing a room, a city, or a workplace. The most important caution: match the verb to the noun that follows — 'there is' for one thing, 'there are' for more than one — and never replace this structure with 'have' or 'it is'.
📝 “There are three conference rooms on this floor.”
Examples from the Text
There is a new policy document on the shared drive.
There are several coffee shops near the train station.
There is a quiet park behind the office building.
✏️ Practice: There Is / There Are — basic existence
Choose the correct option in each question.
_____ a new sales report on your desk.
💡 Use 'There is' to introduce a single item that exists somewhere; 'It is' describes something already known, and 'There are' requires a plural noun.
_____ twelve employees in the marketing department.
💡 Use 'There are' before a plural noun; 'There is' is for singular nouns only, and 'It is' cannot express existence.
Which sentence is correct?
💡 Only 'There is' correctly introduces an existing place; 'It is' describes something already identified, and 'Their' is a possessive adjective, not the existential word.
_____ any spare chairs in the boardroom.
💡 Use 'There aren't' with a plural noun ('chairs'); 'There isn't' is for singular nouns, making it grammatically incorrect here.
Which sentence is correct?
💡 Questions require inversion — 'Is there' comes before the noun; using statement word order ('There is … ?') is a common error, and 'Are there' does not match the singular noun 'a problem'.
Which sentence is correct?
💡 Only 'There are' correctly expresses existence with a plural noun; 'have' cannot be used to express existence in English, and 'There is' requires a singular noun.
_____ a pharmacy near the hotel?
💡 Questions about a single item use 'Is there'; 'There is' is statement word order, and 'Are there' does not match the singular noun 'a pharmacy'.
Which sentence is correct?
💡 A singular countable noun needs an article ('a café'); omitting the article is a common error, and 'They're' means 'they are', not the existential 'there'.
_____ any messages for me this morning?
💡 Questions about plural items use 'Are there'; 'Is there' is for singular nouns, and 'There are' is statement word order, not a question.
Which sentence is correct?
💡 Negative sentences with plural nouns use 'There aren't any'; 'There isn't' is for singular nouns, and omitting 'any' in a negative plural sentence is a catalogued error.
_____ a supermarket near your apartment?
💡 A question about one place uses 'Is there'; 'Are there' is for plural nouns, and 'There is' is the affirmative statement form, not a question.
Which sentence is correct?
💡 A plural noun ('five new clients') requires 'There are'; 'There is' is only for singular nouns, and 'Their' is a possessive adjective with no role in expressing existence.
_____ a comfortable waiting area in the clinic.
💡 A singular noun ('a comfortable waiting area') requires 'There is'; 'There are' is for plural nouns, and 'They're' means 'they are' and cannot introduce existence.
Which sentence is correct?
💡 A singular negative uses 'There isn't a'; 'It isn't' cannot express the absence of something in a location, and 'any' is used with plural or uncountable nouns, not with a singular countable noun.
Which sentence is correct?
💡 Only 'There is' correctly introduces the existence of a single place; 'Their' is a possessive adjective, and 'have' cannot be used to express existence in English.
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