Shopping in English

  

Learn English vocabulary – Shopping in English!

When was the last time you went shopping?

What did you buy?

Did you go to an ordinary shop, or did you do some online shopping?

In this lesson, you’re going to learn some useful shopping vocabulary.

Then, you’re going to watch a video conversation with these words so you can learn them more easily! By the way, conversations are a GREAT way to learn a language. Why? Because the language in conversations is the type of language that you can use when you’re speaking English too! So, are you ready? Let’s go!

Level: Intermediate (B1) to Upper Intermediate (B2)

Vocabulary

Here are some useful words that appear in the video.

To get

If you “get something”, you buy or receive it: “I got a new phone.”

To go shopping

If you go shopping, you go to a shop to buy things: “I went shopping last week.”

Trousers / (“pants” in US English)

Clothing you wear to cover your legs: “I got a pair of black trousers.”

To refund / a refund

If you “get a refund”, the shop returns your money because you don’t want the product: “They gave me a refund because the computer was broken.”

To take back / to return

If you “take something back” to a shop, you take this thing to the shop so you can leave it there because you don’t want it. When you do this, the shop gives you a refund: “I took the trousers back because they were too small for me.”

X% off

If a product in a shop has “10% off” (for example), the price is 10% cheaper: “I got 10% off the shoes.”

The sales

During the “sales”, products in shops are much cheaper (50% off, for example). There are often sales in January or during the summer: “I bought a new shirt in the sales.”

Brand-new

Something “brand-new” is completely new and no one has used it: “This bike is brand new!”

To get a good deal

If you “get a good deal”, you buy something for a very good price: “I got a great deal on the new computer.”

Video conversation

You’re going to watch two people talking in a conversation. Which the video and answer these questions. [answers below] Remember, it’s important to watch the video once without stopping. Don’t worry if you don’t understand everything – just try to get the general meaning. Later, you can watch it again and again, pausing or stopping where you like.

1. What did Josh take back to the shop?

2. What did he buy with the money?

3. What else did he buy?

4. What did Stacy get for the novel she’s writing?

5. What two items of clothing did she buy?

Watching & reading!

Now watch the video and read the script (see below) at the same time. This is great for your listening skills!

Speaking

Now talk about this shops or shopping with a friend or classmate. Explain what you bought. Invent if necessary. Make notes and try to use as much of the new language as you can.

Video script

Stacy = US English / Josh = British English

Stacy: So, did you get anything good in the sales?

Josh: I did. Well, first of all what I did, I took back some trousers that I got for my

birthday. They refunded me the money and I took that money to buy a new phone

because one of the phone shops has 40% off.

S: Perfect.

J: Yeah, so I got a new phone which I’ve been after for a while. And then erm I also got

a brand-new washing machine.

S: A washing machine! [A great deal on a washing machine.] That’s awesome. Is it a

big one?

J: Yeah, it’s a big one and it’s got the place to put the clothes in and the place to put the

detergent in… [uh-huh, that’s awesome] Classic washing machine.

S: Perfect.

J: Got a good one.

S: A good deal it sounds like!

J: Yeah, what about you?

S: I got 30% off a new printer, which I’ve really been needing because I have to print a

lot of things.

J: For your novel, right?

S: For my novel, that I’ve been writing. And I also got a new shirt and a matching pair

of pants to go with it, so yeah.

J: Good stuff.

S: There were some really good sales.

J: Yeah. I saw a lot of people were shopping. [Mm-hmm] A lot.

Answers

1. What did Josh take back to the shop? A pair of trousers

2. What did he buy with the money? A new phone

3. What else did he buy? A washing machine

4. What did Stacy get for the novel she’s writing? A new printer

   5. What two items of clothing did she buy? A new shirt and a pair of pants (“trousers” in British English)