Opening page of Everyday English
|
English for Everyday Living |
| To order these lessons on a CD, floppy disk, audio cassette or in print, go to the Order Page. |
At the Store
"I'm going to the store." can have a variety of meanings in English because there are a wide variety of different stores. "Store" can be a Supermarket, a Convenience Store, a neighborhood grocery store, a shoe store, a clothing store, a hardware store, a paint store, a book and magazine store, a butcher shop, a candy store, an automotive parts store, a toy store or a pet store. A store can be a tiny 2 m. by 3 m. newspaper and magazine store or a huge "open 24 hours" Super Walmart as large as several football fields.
"I'm going to the store." can mean you are going to buy a pack of cigarettes, a week's worth of groceries, a pair of shoes or a new television set. Sometimes it means that you are bored and just plan to "window shop" - walk along the street or walk up and down the aisles of a large store or mall looking at the merchandise on display.
There are a few different ways to buy something from a store. You could pay for the items you want with cash - actual paper money and coins - or with a personal check. You could use a "charge card" issued by and only valid at specific stores - Sears, Penney's, Circuit City, Macy's, etc. - for which you receive a monthly bill showing all of your purchases during the previous month. You could pay for your items with a "debit card" - a plastic card that allows money in the amount of your purchase to be withdrawn from your checking account. Finally, you could use a "credit card" such a VISA, Master Card, Discover or American Express, which is like a loan allowing you to purchase something now and pay for it later. Of course, if you cannot pay for it later, the credit card companies add large amounts of "interest" to the amount you owe so that the longer you take to pay, the greater the amount is that you have to pay.
Expressions used in stores:
|
|
V
Exercise A: Write a meaning for each verb below that has something to do with stores or shopping, then use each verb in a sentence that you make up. Print out this lesson or order it free by e-mail.
| Verb | Meaning | Sentence |
| cost, -s, cost, costing, cost | ||
| purchase, -s, -d, purchasing, -d | ||
| buy, -s, bought, -ing, bought | ||
| shop, -s, shopped, shopping, shopped | ||
| charge, -s, -d, charging, -d | ||
| cash, -es, -ed, -ing, -ed | ||
| sell, -s, sold, -ing, sold | ||
| order, -s, -ed, -ing, -ed | ||
| accept, -s, -ed, -ing, -ed | ||
| choose, -s, chose, choosing, chose | ||
| select, -s, -ed, -ing, -ed | ||
| dry-clean, -s, -ed, -ing, -ed | ||
| enter, -s, -ed, -ing, -ed | ||
| borrow, -s, -ed, -ing, -ed | ||
| try, tries, tried, trying, tried |
Exercise B: Write a meaning for each of the nouns below that has something to do with stores or shopping.
| Noun | Meaning | Noun | Meaning |
| credit card | charge card | ||
| clerk | Visa | ||
| salesperson | Master Card | ||
| counter | Discover | ||
| display case | payment plan | ||
| cash register | rain-check | ||
| sale | shopping cart | ||
| lay-away | check-out | ||
| credit | special | ||
| teller | prescription | ||
| debit card | mall | ||
| I.D. | department store | ||
| aisle | discount store | ||
| specialty store | dry-cleaner | ||
| jewelry store | bank | ||
| parking deck | barber shop | ||
| floor model | toy store | ||
| cash | delivery | ||
| supermarket | convenience store | ||
| personal check | refund | ||
| receipt | discount |
Exercise C: Use nouns from the list above to fill the blanks in the sentences below.
1. Many people do not like to carry ____________ so they must use a ____________ or a _____________ to pay for their purchases.
2. Walmart is an example of a ________________ and The GAP is an example of a __________________.
3. It is less expensive to buy groceries at a _________________ than at a _______________________.
4. If a store has sold out of an advertised special, the ______________ may give you a ________________ so you can buy the item at the sale price at a later date.
5. Store clerks must learn how to operate a __________________ and how to process _________________ so they can complete sales for their customers.
6. In ________________ and large discount stores, you can put the items you want to buy in a ____________ as you walk up and down the ____________ of the store.
7. Examples of credit cards are ______________, _______________ and _________________.
8. If you want to buy an article but cannot pay for it all at once, you can put it on ______________ and the store will keep the article for you until it is paid in full.
9. If you change your mind about an item you bought, you can usually return it to the store with the ___________ that proves you bought it and the store will give you a _______________.
10. A large group of stores in the same area or building is called a _____________ and will usually include a ________________ or a _______________ and many smaller ____________________.
Answers to Exercise C:
1. cash, credit card, charge card (or debit card).
2. discount store (or department store), specialty store
3. supermarket, convenience store
4. clerk, rain check
5. cash register, credit cards (or debit or charge cards)
6. supermarkets, shopping cart, aisles
7. Visa, Master Card, Discover (American Express)
8. lay-away
9. receipt, refund
10. mall, department store, supermarket, specialty stores
© 2001 Mikie Metric Productions, P.O. Box 3216, Williamsport, PA 17701
To contact me, type the following address in an e-mail form