Topic 4
Shopping
English Phrases (Shopping): Definitions and Examples
If you want to be able to memorize these phrases, be sure to use this method.
1. To Go Shopping vs To Do the Shopping
To do the shopping is used to talk about shopping for food. To go to the grocery store. Whereas, to go shopping is used to talk about shopping in general.
We’re running out of food. When do you think you’ll be able to do the shopping?
Let’s go shopping this weekend.
When was the last time you went downtown to go shopping?
2. Can I Help You Find Anything?
This is what the shop assistant will ask you when you walk into a shop. Here are some common answers to this question:
No thank you, I’m just browsing (looking around)
Yes, I’m looking for a new cotton sweater
Yes, I’m looking for the batteries
Yes, I’m looking for something for my wife’s birthday
3. Do have this in medium?
This is when you find something you like but you want a different size.
Do you have this blue?
Do you have these in size 12?
Do you have something like this but cotton?
4. Fit vs Suit
If something fits you, it means the size is correct. if something suits you, it means it looks good on you.
Does this fit?
It’s nice but it doesn’t quite fit
Do you think this suits me?
Orange really suits you.
Do you think this looks good?
It’s a little baggy around the shoulders
I think you would look better in the pink one
5. Can I try this on?
This is when you put the item of clothing on so you can see if it’s right for you. Here are more examples and alternatives:
I’m going to try this on
Where are the changing rooms?
I’ll just try it on here
6: I can’t afford that!
This means that it’s too expensive for you. Here are more phrases related to price:
I’m not sure I can afford this
It’s currently 50% off
Do you have anything on sale at the moment?
Do you offer a student discount?
7. Are you line? Are you in the queue?
This is what you can ask if you’re not sure if someone is waiting to buy something at the register.
There’s a long line – let’s come back later
I hate waiting in line
Let’s queue up now
8. I think I’m going to take this back
This means to return something that you don’t want.
I don’t think I like this – I’ll take it back tomorrow
It’s too late to take this back!
Can I return this if I don’t like it?
9. Supermarket (🇬🇧) and Grocery Stores (🇺🇸)
This is where most people buy food.
Which is your favorite grocery store in town?
The supermarket was packed today (very busy).
I’m going to do the big shop later
I’m just going to nip to grocery store to pick up a few things – do you want anything?
10. Excuse me, where can I find…?
This is what you can ask a shop assistant directly if you need to find something.
Excuse me, where can I find the cereal isle?
Excuse me, where can I find the soda?
11. Could I get….
Use this when you’re at the deli counter or meat counter.
Could I get fives steaks?
Could I get 3 lbs of ground beef?
Could I get two of those sandwiches?
12. Small talk at grocery stores
Certain stores have staff who engage in small talk. Here are some common phrases here.
How’s your day going so far?
How’s it going?
It’s going well, thanks.
Here’s a video on small talk:
13. Would you like paper or plastic?
This is specific to the U.S. They still have plastic bags in many stores.
I forgot my reusable bags!
Let’s get some reusable bags.
We’ve got so many plastic bags we don’t know what to do with them
14. Did you get…?
This is what you can ask if someone went to the store and asked what you wanted.
Did you get the coffee creamer I asked for?
Did you get potatoes?
Did you get anything for me?
No, I forgot, I’m sorry.
15. I bought this online
Online shopping is becoming more prevalent. Here are some phrases related to this:
I bought it online?
Did you get it online?
I got it online
Have you checked the price online?
Are you online shopping again?
English Idioms (Shopping): Definitions and Examples
Here are some common idioms on the topic of shopping:
1. This is the perfect fit for you
Before, we talked about how if something fits you (a sweater) then it’s the right size for you. But we can also use this idiom to talk about other things.
that job is the perfect fit for you
it sounds like the perfect fit for you
2. To be like a kid in a candy shop
Think about how excited children get when they go to a candy shop. This idiom means that someone is very excited!
you’re acting like a kid in a candy shop
he was like a kid in a candy shop when he got to the soccer game
3. To be all over the shop
This means to be disorganized.
that presentation was all over the shop
he’s all over the shop
Types of Shops in English
Other words that can be used for ‘shop’: store, superstore, outlet, retail outlet, retail park (a collection of large shops, usually away from a town centre).
Bakers – a shop selling bread and cakes.
Boutique – A shop selling fashionable items, usually clothes.
Butchers – a shop selling meat.
Cash and Carry – A shop like a supermarket, where items are cheaper, although the range will be less. You normally have to become a ‘member’ to use a cash and carry.
Charity Shop – A shop selling usually second-hand goods (ones that have been owned before) such as clothes, books, ornaments and toys, where the money raised goes to charity.
Chemist – a shop selling medicines and toiletries (such as soap and shampoo).
Corner shop – a small, local shop, that sells food and often a range of other useful goods.
Dairy – a shop selling milk products.
Deli – a shop that sells foods, often from other countries, that are often not found in supermarkets.
Department Store – A large shop, usually in a town or city centre, selling a wide range of goods, from electrical to clothing to toys.
Drycleaners – a shop to clean suits, dresses and items you cannot wash at home.
Grocers – a shop, usually small, selling food and household goods.
Greengrocers – a small shop selling fresh fruit and vegetables.
Hardware Shop – A shop selling goods we use in the home, such as washing up bowls, hammers and nails and often cleaning products.
Newsagents – A shop selling newspapers, cards and stationery goods such as pens and pencils.
Off Licence – A small store selling alcohol and soft drinks.
Supermarket – A large shop selling a wide range of goods. Mostly foodstuff and household goods; many larger stores also sell clothes and electrical goods.
Online Shopping
This is a useful service most larger shops now offer. There are many advantages to a person who is still learning to speak English. There is a picture of the product you want to buy, and the process of buying is usually simple to follow
How to ask for something in English, and the replies you might recieve
There is a traditional way to do this in Britain. In large shops, assistants will usually wear some kind of uniform.
Approach an assistant:
Excuse me, do you sell (washing up liquid)? or Excuse me, I am looking for (washing up liquid).
If the shop is large, such as a supermarket, and they do sell it, these are some of the words you may hear in response:
Aisle (pronounced ‘I-yull) – This is one of the long lines of shelving on which items are stacked. (Example: ‘It’s in Aisle 12.’).
Counter – The long shelf on which the till is based.
Department – a part of a larger shop which sells items of a particular kind, such as the television department.
Display – A collection of items shown in a way to make you want to buy them, such as a plastic model of a human (called a mannequin) wearing a suit, shirt and tie so that you can see what they look like when worn.
Window Display – A display in a window of a shop.
Phrases an Assistant or Sales Person Might Use
If you are browsing (looking at the goods in a shop) an assistant might approach you.
Can I help you? or Are you looking for something in particular? are the sort of phrases they will use. They are hoping to start a conversation that will lead to a sale.
If you would like help, then the sort of responses you can give are:
Yes please, I am looking for… or Yes please, how much are…? (if you wish to know the cost of an item).
If you do not want their help, then a polite way of sending them away is to say:
I’m fine thanks, just browsing. Some sales people find it hard to give up a chance of a sale.
Another phrase that can be used to send them away is:
I’m only looking today.
Conversation Endings
In most smaller shops, the shopkeeper will often make conversation as they deal with your purchase. Often, this will be about the goods you are buying.
We sell a lot of these.
A good choice.
Is this a present for someone?
This is called ‘small talk’ and is not usually that important. A smile and a nod are good responses to small talk.
Once your purchases are complete, there are a number of questions that you may be asked.
Would you like a bag? – Usually, a charge of five to ten pence (depending on the bag size) is made for this.
Would you like a receipt? – Unless it is just for a bar of chocolate or cup of coffee, it is best to take a receipt in case there is a problem with your purchases. The receipt (reeseet) is the piece of paper that comes with the purchase. See below for more details on this.
Most conversation endings, though, are just made up of a polite remark.
Take care.
Hope you have a good day.
See you later. Which doesn’t necessarily mean that they will!
Thanks, Thank you or Goodbye.
Your rights
In the case of new items, the goods you buy must be suitable for the task they are designed to do and be in good working order. If they are not, you are entitled to your money back or a replacement. With larger items, such as a car, you have to give the seller a chance to fix the problem.
These are called your statutory rights. Most electrical and mechanical items usually come with a guarantee as well. The receipt you receive is often the guarantee.
If you do have a problem with something you buy, you should take it back to the shop from which you purchased it. Bigger stores will have a return or customer service desk.
Excuse me, the kettle I purchased doesn’t work.
Excuse me, this shirt has a tear in it.
Excuse me, I bought these shoes a week ago and the bottom (or sole) is coming off.
Then hand over the goods and the receipt proving that you purchased them. The shop will then exchange or offer a refund. If you have a problem, and cannot find the words to take the argument further, then most towns have a ‘Citizens Advice Bureau’ who will help you out.