Shopping Vocabulary

Maria is planning a weekend trip to the city centre, and she needs to buy a few things before she leaves. First, she goes to a clothing store to look for a new T‑shirt and a pair of jeans. She asks the shop assistant, "Do you have this in a larger size?" The assistant shows her a rack of medium and large shirts. Maria tries on a blue T‑shirt and likes the soft cotton material, so she decides to buy it. She also picks a pair of black jeans that fit perfectly. After paying with her debit card, she receives a receipt and a small plastic bag.

Next, Maria walks to a supermarket to buy groceries for her trip. She needs bread, milk, cheese, and some fruit. She reads the price tags carefully: the bread costs 1.20 euros, the milk is 0.80 euros per litre, and the cheese is on sale for 2.50 euros per 200 g. She also sees a special offer: "Buy one, get one free" on bananas. Maria puts two bananas in her basket and a bag of apples. At the checkout, the cashier scans the items and asks, "Would you like a loyalty card?" Maria says no and pays with cash. The cashier gives her change and a paper receipt.

Later, Maria visits a pharmacy to buy a small bottle of sunscreen and some painkillers. She looks at the shelf labels: "SPF 30 – 50 ml" and "Paracetamol – 500 mg tablets". She asks the pharmacist, "Which one is best for a sunny day?" The pharmacist recommends the SPF 30 sunscreen and tells her to take one tablet if she has a headache. Maria thanks the pharmacist, pays with her credit card, and receives a plastic bag with the items.

Finally, Maria stops at a souvenir shop to buy a postcard and a keychain for her friends. She sees a sign that says "10 % off all souvenirs". She picks a colourful postcard and a metal keychain with a small Eiffel‑tower charm. The shop assistant rings up the purchase, applies the discount, and hands her a receipt. Maria feels happy because she managed to buy everything she needed using simple English phrases and basic shopping vocabulary.

When you talk about shopping, you often use the simple present for habits and routines: "I usually buy milk in the morning." For actions that happen at the moment of speaking, use the present continuous: "I am looking for a new jacket." The verb "to buy" follows the pattern subject + buy + object + for + price (e.g., "She buys a shirt for 15 euros"). Use countable nouns with a/an or some: "I need a loaf of bread" or "I need some apples." Uncountable nouns like "milk" and "cheese" do not take a/an, but can be measured: "I need a litre of milk" or "200 g of cheese." When asking for help, use question forms with do/does: "Do you have this in a larger size?" and with would like for polite requests: "I would like a bag, please." For offers and suggestions, use would you like: "Would you like a receipt?" Remember to use prepositions of place in shops: "on the rack," "in the aisle," "at the checkout."