English vocabulary - Martin Hunt 2016
15 Shopping
In this unit you will learn
✵ the names of many shops
✵ words for measures/ numbers in a shop (pint, a half...)
✵ how to ask for what you want in a shop
Basics
Note: In British English, you buy something at a shop; in American English you buy something at a store.
Do you know these words? Check in a dictionary and write the word in your language.
Test your basics
Write the English words below. Don’t look at page 189!
Extension
Some common [shops/stores]
✵ A bank is somewhere you go to save or take out your money.
✵ A [chemist/pharmacy] is somewhere that sells medicines, health products and personal cleaning goods (soap, shampoo, etc.).
✵ In Britain, you buy newspapers from a newsagent’s which also sells [sweets/candy]. In America, you buy newspapers from a news stand and you go to a candy store for [sweets/candy].
✵ An [off-licence/liquor store] sells alcoholic drinks.
✵ A supermarket sells many things, like food, soap, washing powder, etc.
✵ At a post office you can buy stamps, and often pens, envelopes, etc.
✵ A [petrol station/gas station] sells [petrol/gas] for cars, motorbikes, etc.
✵ A travel agent’s is somewhere you go when you want to buy a holiday, plane tickets, etc.
✵ An [estate agent’s/realtor] is somewhere that sells houses and property.
Measures and numbers
Measures
✵ To measure liquids, for example milk, we use [litres/liters]. In Britain we sometimes use pints for things you can drink, for example beer and milk, but [petrol/gas] is sold in [litres/liters] (1 UK pint = 0.56 [litres/liters]; 1 US pint = 0.47 [litres/ liters]).
✵ For things we sell in weight, like meat or fruit and vegetables, we use kilos (kg); in Britain and America we also use pounds (lb) (1kg = 2.2 pounds).
Numbers
✵1/2 is a half; 1/4 is a quarter; 3/4 is three quarters. We can use these with liquid or weight measures, for example: Half a [litre/liter] of milk.
A quarter of a pound of butter.
✵ Some things are sold in boxes: for example, a box of [washing powder/soap powder].
✵ You can also buy things in tubes: for example, a tube of toothpaste.
✵ [Shops/stores] also sell products in [packets/packages], for example, a [packet/package] of biscuits.
Verbs
✵ [Shops/stores] sell things to their customers; customers buy things from a [shop/store].
✵ To buy something you will need to pay for it, that is give money for it.
✵ We use the verb cost to say how much money is needed to buy it, for example, this table costs $50.
✵ Past tenses: be careful, many of these verbs have irregular past tenses:
buy - bought pay - paid
cost - cost sell - sold
Phrases
✵ To ask for the times when a [shop/store] is open, we can say What time does... open/close?, for example:
What time does the bank open? At ten o’clock.
✵ To ask about opening times: What time do you open/close?
✵ To ask for something: I’d like... = I would like... or May I have...?
✵ To ask if a [shop/store] has something: Have you got a...? (singular) or Have you got any...? (plural and uncountables) or Do you sell...?
✵ To ask for a price: How much does... cost? or What’s the price of...?
You might hear a [shop assistant/sales person] use the following phrases:
✵ Giving opening times: We open or close at...
✵ Offering help: Can I help you? Anything else?
✵ Agreeing: Certainly. Of course.
✵ Saying no: Sorry, no. I’m afraid not.
✵ Asking about quantity: How much/many would you like?
Examples:
Practice
Exercise 1 Can you do this crossword?
Down
1 (And 2 across) We come here to buy stamps
3 ’How much does this ...?’
4 In British English we say ’shop’, in American English we say ... .
5 In American English we say ’news stand’, in British English we say ... .
6 A ..., a half, three quarters...
8 The person who runs a shop is the ... .
11 A ... is about 2 pounds
Across
2 (See 1 down)
7 A ... buys things in a [shop/store]
9 A ... is about half a [litre/liter]
10 You carry things in a [shop/store] in a ...
12 [Shops/stores] things to you ...
Exercise 2 Match a word on the left with one on the right.
Exercise 3 Put the conversation between a shop assistant and a customer below into the correct order.
a Certainly, sir. How much would you like? 3
b Two [litres/liters].
c £7.63 please, sir.
d Can I help you? 1
e I’m sorry, I’m afraid we don’t.
f Here you are.
g Thank you, goodbye.
h Yes, I’d like some milk, please. 2
i Of course, sir. How much cheese would you like?
j Thank you, sir. Here’s your change.
к Goodbye.
l Half a pound, please. Do you sell newspapers?
m Oh well, never mind. How much is that?
n Right then, two [litres/liters]. Anything else?
о Yes, have you got any cheese?
Now check your answers.
► Exercise 4 (Recordings 15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5) Pronunciation practice. Listen and repeat the words on the recording. Use the transcript at the back of the book to help you if you need to.
In use
Reading
Before you start, check you know these words:
internet
website
maintain
deliver (noun: delivery)
Ferrari
free
Note: To register is to put your name and details down for something, for example a language course.
Many people now shop using the internet. This is called on-line shopping. You’re going to read a website from an American online store.
Reading 1 Look at the list of advantages of on-line shopping. Put a ✓ next to the ones in the text.
Free delivery □ Low prices □
Good choice □ No queues □
Welcome to www.buvithere.com, the web shopping experience!
Are you...
tired of high prices?
tired of long queues?
tired of poor choice?
Then this is the website for you! www.buyithere.com is the shopping experience that takes the hassle out and puts the fun back into shopping. We have...
✓ Low prices: With no stores to maintain and no sales people to pay, all our money goes into making our prices as low as they can possibly be! Like a box of Zip! washing powder, only $2.50.
✓ No lines: Wait no longer than the time it takes you to click your mouse. With www.buyithere.com, you can do all your shopping in little more than five minutes! And we’re open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you’ll never find us closed.
✓ Great choice: We shop around the world bringing you anything you could possibly think of, from a pound of cheese to a Ferrari, all delivered straight to your door.
Tired of ordinary stores? Try us. First take five minutes to register (it’s free) and then you’re away. Click here to enter!
Enter
Reading 2 Now answer the following questions.
1 What is the name of the company? The company's name is www.buyithere.com
2 How many stores does it have?
3 How much is a box of Zip!
washing powder
4 When is it open?
5 What can you buy?
6 How much does it cost to register?
► Listening
Before you start, check you know these words:
beef
wine
strawberries
peaches
deliver
The supermarket Coset has started doing telephone sales.
Listening 1 Look at the food and drinks below. Listen to the telephone conversation and put a ✓ next to the foods Mrs. Jones buys.
beef |
beer |
bread |
||
peaches |
strawberries |
wine |
Listening 2 Listen again and match the two parts of the questions below. Be careful, one of the questions is not heard.
Recap
Here are the words we learned in this unit. Do you know them all? Write down the translations if you need to.
In a [shop/store]
Common [shops/stores]
bank [chemist/pharmacy]
[newsagent’s/news stand] [off-licence/liquor store]
supermarket post office
travel agent’s [estate agent’s/realtor]
[petrol station/gas station]
Measures and numbers
[litre/liter] pint kilo
pound a quarter a half
three-quarters box tube
[packet/package]
Verbs
sell (sold) buy (bought) pay (paid)
cost (cost)
Phrases
What time do you/ does... open/close? I’d like... Can I have...?
Have you got... ? Do you sell... ? How much does... cost?
Can I help you? Anything else? Certainly.
Of course Sorry, no. I’m afraid not.
How much/many would you like?
What to do next
✵ If you can, try shopping in an English-speaking [shop/store]. If not, imagine yourself in an English-speaking [shop/store] - what do you say?
✵ If you have access to the internet, look for an on-line store in English.
Why not try these units next?
✵ Clothes (1) • Food (1)
Answer key for this unit
Test your basics
Check your answers on page 189 (Basics).
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
1 A tube of toothpaste
2 A [packet/package] of [sweets/candy]
3 Half a [litre/liter]
4 A pound of cheese
5 Three quarters of a kilo
6 A box of [washing powder/soap powder]
7 A [litre/liter] of milk
Exercise 3
d Can I help you?
h Yes, I’d like some milk, please.
a Certainly, sir. How much would you like?
b Two litres.
n Right then, two litres. Anything else?
о Yes, have you got any cheese?
i Of course, sir. How much cheese would you like?
1 Half a pound, please. Do you sell newspapers?
e I’m sorry, I’m afraid we don’t.
m Oh well, never mind. How much is that?
c £7.63 please, sir.
f Here you are.
j Thank you, sir. Here’s your change.
g Thank you, goodbye.
к Goodbye.
Reading
Reading 1
Reading 2
1 The company’s name is www.buyithere.com
2 It has no stores (it’s a website).
3 A box of Zip! washing powder costs $2.50.
4 It’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
5 You can buy anything you want (for example a pound of cheese or a Ferrari).
6 It costs nothing to register (it’s free).
Listening
Listening 1
(Note: They don’t have any strawberries.)
Listening 1
