Page 121 - English Vocabulary in Use (Pre & Intermediate)

57 Shops and Shopping

Shops and shopping
shop assistant: person who works in a shop; also called sales assistant
shop window: the window at the front of the shop
shopping centre: a place with many shops, outside or indoors
window shopping: to look round the shops but not buy anything
shopping list: a list of things to buy
{ went shopping yesterday (= I went to the shops to buy food or clothes, etc.)
I did the shopping yesterday (= I bought food and household goods)

Types of shop (and what they sell)
Name of shop What it sells
department store almost everything (furniture, clothes, electrical appliances, e.g. TV
and washing machine, toys, jewellery, etc. and sometimes food)
supermarket food and household goods, e.g. cleaning products
newsagent(’s) newspapers, cigarettes, sweets, stationery, e.g. writing paper, cards,
envelopes, etc.
butcher(’s) meat
greengrocer(’s) fruit and vegetables
boutique fashionable clothes
chemist(’s) medicine, baby products, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc.
Note: Most other shops are just ‘+ shop’, e.g. shoe shop, record shop, camera shop, etc.

Useful words and expressions

ASSISTANT: Can I help you? CUSTOMER: Yes, I’m looking for (= I want) a blue jumper.
ASSISTANT: Can I help you? CUSTOMER: No, I’m just looking, thanks. (= I don’t need help)
ASSISTANT: Can I help you? CUSTOMER: I’m being served, thanks. (= another assistant is
already serving/helping me)
ASSISTANT: What size are you looking for? (e.g. big? small? medium? 12? 14? 16?)
CUSTOMER: Where’s the changing room? (= the room where you try on clothes; also called
the fitting room)
ASSISTANT: It’s down there on the right.
CUSTOMER: Yes, I’Il take this one / these. (= Yes, I want
to buy this one / these)
CUSTOMER: No, I’ll leave it thanks. (= No, I don’t
want to buy it/them)
CUSTOMER: Excuse me. Where do I pay for
these?
ASSISTANT: Over at the cash desk/till.
CUSTOMER: And can I pay by cheque / credit
card?
ASSISTANT: Yes, of course.

118 English Vocabulary in Use (pre-intermediate & intermediate)