Lesson 4 – Shopping

Let’s begin today’s lesson by learning some expressions with the word
“shopping” itself. There’s a difference between go shopping and do the
shopping:

 do the shopping = buy the regular things needed for everyday life –
usually food, personal care items, and things for the house
 go shopping = more general; can refer to buying things for everyday life
OR buying “extra” things like clothes, toys, electronics, etc.

Some people like to window shop – this means looking at many items in
various shops, but without planning to buy anything.

Window shopping

People who want to save money like to shop around – this means going to
many different stores to compare the prices and items, so that you can get the
one that’s best for you. And a shopping spree is when you buy a LOT of things
(and spend a lot of money) in a short time.

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Different Types of Stores
The English language has some specific words for different types of stores:

 At a supermarket or grocery store, you can buy food, as well as things

for your house, like cleaning supplies.

 At a bakery, you can buy bread, cakes, pies, pastries, muffins, and
cupcakes.

 At a delicatessen or deli, you can buy cheese, sliced meat for

sandwiches, salads, and other prepared food that is ready to eat.

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 At a pharmacy or drugstore, you can buy medicine, band-aids, eye
drops, and other personal care items.

 At a jewelry store or jeweler, you can buy necklaces, bracelets,

earrings, and rings.

Jewelry

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  At a pet shop, you can buy animals to keep in your house, food for the
animals, and accessories and toys for them.
 At a hardware store, you can buy things for construction or fixing
things around the house – like tools, paint, plumbing supplies, and
electrical supplies.

Tools

 A department store is a large store with many different areas – for

example, clothes, electronics, food, toys, items for the house, etc.
 A mall or shopping center is a large building that contains many
different stores, usually including a food court with many different
restaurants.
 A convenience store or corner store is a small store that contains
some basic snacks, drinks, and supplies. Many gas stations have a
convenience store, for example.
 Other types of stores are often identified by the items they sell – a toy
store sells toys, a shoe store sells shoes, etc.

Shopping Step by Step

When you go into the store, you
can take a shopping cart or
basket to carry the items you
want to buy.

The items in a store are organized

into aisles – this word refers to

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the corridors in the supermarket – and placed on different levels called
shelves. In clothing stores, they can also be hung on racks.

If you want to see if a piece of clothing fits you (is the correct size), you can
put it on in the try-on room or fitting room. If the clothing is too big, we say
it’s loose – and if it is too small, we say it’s tight.

Fitting room

If an item is on sale, that means there is a discount – the price is lower than
normal. In stores, you’ll often see the amount of the discount expressed with
the word “off” – for example, 20% off or $10 off. You can also use a coupon –
a special piece of paper from a magazine, newspaper, or internet that will give
you a discount.

Coupon

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To pay for the items, you go to the checkout; the person who works there is
called the cashier.

Let’s imagine your purchase costs $15 and you give the cashier $20. The
cashier will give you back $5 – this is called your change – along with a
receipt, a piece of paper that lists the items you bought.

receipt

You can put your items into a plastic

bag – but if you’re buying an item as a
gift for someone else, you can ask the
cashier if it’s possible to gift-wrap the
item with special decorative paper,
called wrapping paper.

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Later, if you discover a problem with the item you bought, you can return it to
the store, where you can get a refund (receive your money back) or exchange
it for another item of the same type. Some items – especially electronics and
other machines – come with a guarantee (an agreement that the store or
manufacturer will repair the item if it breaks).

Pronunciation Practice
go shopping, do the shopping, window shop, shop around, shopping spree,
supermarket, grocery store, bakery, delicatessen, deli, pharmacy, drugstore,
jewelry store, jeweler, pet shop, hardware store, department store, mall,
shopping center, convenience store, corner store, shopping cart, basket, aisles,
shelves, racks, fits, try-on room, fitting room, loose, tight, on sale, discount,
coupon, checkout, cashier, change, receipt, plastic bag, gift-wrap, wrapping
paper, return, refund, exchange, guarantee

Quiz – Lesson 4 – Shopping

Question 1

Before you come home, could you stop by the _________ and get some aspirin? I
have a headache.

A. hardware store
B. pet shop
C. pharmacy

Question 2

The __________ on the Christmas gifts was red, green, and silver.

A. plastic bag
B. shopping cart
C. wrapping paper

Question 3

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I bought milk, eggs, and fruit at the ___________.

A. drugstore
B. supermarket
C. toy store

Question 4

I need some help - I can't reach that box of cereal on the top ________.

A. rack
B. sale
C. shelf

Question 5

If you want to buy a TV, I definitely recommend shopping _______ for the best
deal and not buying the first one you see.

A. above
B. around
C. along

Question 6

I've gained weight and now my clothes are all too ________.

A. fit
B. loose
C. tight

Question 7

My cousins went on a shopping _______ while on vacation - they brought back

seven huge suitcases full of stuff.

A. run
B. spree
C. sprint

Question 8

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My first job was working as a _______ at a convenience store.

A. cashier
B. checkout
C. receipt

Question 9

My wife goes to the mall for hours to _________ shop, then comes home without
buying anything.

A. display
B. watch
C. window

Question 10

The shampoo is on ______ 4, and the paper towels are on aisle 6, with the
cleaning supplies.

A. aisle
B. basket
C. cart

Question 11

The shoes I bought for my brother were the wrong size, but luckily the store
let me __________ them for another pair.

A. exchange
B. guarantee
C. refund

Question 12

These packages of pasta are on ________ - you can buy two for the price of one.

A. coupon
B. discount
C. sale

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Question 13

We can get a nice birthday cake at the ___________.

A. bakery
B. jeweler
C. fitting room

Question 14

This jacket was a real bargain - it was 40% ______ the regular price!

A. down
B. off
C. out

Question 15

This __________ will cover repairs if your phone breaks, but it won't pay for a
replacement if the phone gets stolen.

A. change
B. guarantee
C. receipt

Quiz answers at the end of this document

Vocabulary Practice
Send me your answers at help@espressoenglish.net !

1. How many times per month do you do the shopping?

2. When was the last time you went shopping?

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3. What was the last thing you bought?

4. What's one thing you're planning to buy?

5. Have you ever shopped around for an item?

6. Have you ever gone on a shopping spree?

7. What types of stores do you go to frequently?

8. What was the last thing you bought on sale?

9. What was the last gift you bought for someone else? Did you gift-wrap it?

10. Have you ever returned something to a store? Did you exchange it, or get a
refund?

Quiz Answers:
1.C 2.C 3.B 4.C 5.B 6.C 7.B 8.A 9.C 10.A 11.A 12.C 13.A 14.B 15.B

Image Sources

 Alexander Z., Zivya, Linsensuppe, Thennekmay, Rept0n1x, Erik Strandberg,

w:nl:Gebruiker:Michiel1972, Paul Robinson, Bidgee, Julie & Heidi, Young in Panama, Audrius
Meskauskas (Audriusa), BlairSnow

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© Shayna Oliveira 2014