Living in English

Shopping
Table of Contents
2 Shopping

3 At the Grocery Store

5 Pair Work

7 Shopping Opportunities

9 Garage Sales

11 Group Work

12 Review (Assessment)

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 Shopping
Living in English

Shopping
A. Discussion

Discuss the following questions in groups.

1. Do you enjoy shopping? 9. How often do you go to the grocery store?

2. How does shopping in this country differ from 10. Who usually does the grocery
shopping in your country? Discuss types of stores shopping in your family?
and merchandise, methods of payment, return
11. Where do you usually shop for groceries?
policies, salespeople, etc.
Why do you shop there?
3. Do you shop at convenience stores very often?
12. Are most stores in your country open
What kind of products do you buy there?
seven days a week? Are there many
4. Is it customary to “bargain” stores that are open 24 hours a day?
on prices in your country?
13. Do you think that credit cards
5. Is online shopping popular in your country? make people spend money too easily?
What do you usually buy on the Internet?
14. Do you buy “on impulse” very often
6. Do you receive any catalogs? Which ones? or do you usually plan your purchases?

7. Would you prefer to go to a store that 15. What is the best-known store in
has better service or cheaper prices? your country? What does it sell?

8. How do you usually pay for your purchases

(by credit card, debit card, gift card, in cash)?

B. Type of Stores

Work in groups. What kind of items can you

find at the different types of stores listed below?

1. Department store 5. Hardware store

2. Grocery store 6. Sporting goods store

3. Drugstore 7. Stationery store

4. Convenience store 8. Linen store

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 Shopping
Living in English

At the Grocery Store

A. Sorting

Look at the list of items below and place Did you know?
them in the correct sections of the grocery store. Most grocery stores are arranged in a similar way.
They are designed to make the customers spend
Word List: more money than they had planned.

• lettuce • strawberries Most stores place their fresh baked goods, fruit
• doughnuts • laundry detergent and vegetables, and deli sections near the entrances
of the stores. These goods are, of course, more
• shampoo • can of peas
appealing than canned or packaged goods, which
• sliced ham • whipping cream are found in the aisles in the middle of the store.
• ice cream • furniture polish
You will also notice that candies, chocolates,
• salmon • chicken wings
magazines, and other small, inexpensive items
• butter • popcorn
are placed very close to the checkout counters
• muffins • soup so people who are standing in line will likely
• fresh potato salad • napkins buy them on impulse.
• kitchen sponges • potato chips
• hair spray • yogurt
• bananas • fresh shrimp
• paper towels

fresh meat/
dairy produce bakery fish/seafood deli
poultry

beauty cleaning
frozen foods canned goods snack foods paper goods
& health supplies

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 Shopping
Living in English

At the Grocery Store cont.

B. Matching

We use different expressions of quantity for different products.

Match the quantities on the left with the correct products on the right.

1. a can of a)  bananas

2. a bottle of b)  ketchup

3. a loaf of c)  toothpaste

4. a box of d)  eggs

5. a bar of e)  yogurt

6. a tube of f)  bread

7. a bag of g)  toilet paper

8. a dozen h)  soap

9. a roll of i)  lettuce

10. a bunch of j)  potato chips

11. a head of k)  tuna

12. a container of l)  laundry detergent

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 Shopping
Living in English

Pair Work (Student A)

COMPAR ATIVE SHOPPING

You have the prices from a shopping flyer from Best Value
Foods and your partner has a flyer from Joe's Market.
Compare prices and decide where you would prefer to shop
this week. Don’t forget to compare unit prices for each item.

BEST VALUE FOODS JOE'S MARKET

Your Best Value in Town! Your Favorite Food Store!

green grapes $1.49 per lb green grapes

bananas $0.79 per lb bananas

locally grown lettuce $0.79 each locally grown lettuce

tea bags $0.99 for a box of 50 tea bags

grape juice $3.98 for 96 fl oz grape juice

sliced turkey breast $3.89 per lb sliced turkey breast

cheddar cheese $2.98 for 1-lb pkg cheddar cheese

frozen pizza (all varieties) $6.49 each frozen pizza (all varieties)

ground coffee $6.98 per lb ground coffee

ice cream $3.98 per gallon ice cream

Italian bread $0.99 for 1 loaf Italian bread

ground beef $2.69 per lb ground beef

boneless chicken breasts $2.99 per lb boneless chicken breasts

Coke (cans) $4.98 per 12-pack Coke (cans)

baby spinach $2.00 / 16-oz bag baby spinach

canned tuna 4 / $5.00 canned tuna

toothpaste $1.50 per 4.6-oz tube toothpaste

laundry detergent $6.48 for 5-lb box laundry detergent

olive oil $7.98 for 25 fl oz olive oil

toilet paper $0.89 for a 2-roll pkg toilet paper

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 Shopping
Living in English

Pair Work (Student B)

COMPAR ATIVE SHOPPING

You have the prices from a shopping flyer from Joe's Market 
and your partner has the prices from Best Value Foods.
Compare prices and decide where you would prefer to shop
this week. Don’t forget to compare unit prices for each item.

BEST VALUE FOODS JOE'S MARKET

Your Best Value in Town! Your Favorite Food Store!

green grapes green grapes $1.69 per lb

bananas bananas $0.85 per lb

locally grown lettuce locally grown lettuce $0.75 each

tea bags tea bags $1.98 for a box of 100

grape juice grape juice $2.98 for 64 fl oz

sliced turkey breast sliced turkey breast $3.50 per lb

cheddar cheese cheddar cheese $5.00 for 2-lb pkg

frozen pizza (all varieties) frozen pizza (all varieties) $6.49 each

ground coffee ground coffee $11.00 for 2-lb bag

ice cream ice cream $4.99 per gallon

Italian bread Italian bread $2.89 for 3 loaves

ground beef ground beef $2.99 per lb

boneless chicken breasts boneless chicken breasts $3.98 per lb

Coke (cans) Coke (cans) $4.98 per 12-pack

baby spinach baby spinach $2.75 / 16-oz bag

canned tuna canned tuna 3 / $5.00

toothpaste toothpaste $2.50 per 6-oz tube

laundry detergent laundry detergent $4.75 for a 5-lb box

olive oil olive oil $8.99 for 25 fl oz

toilet paper toilet paper $2.00 for 4-roll pkg

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 Shopping
Living in English

Shopping Opportunities
A. Vocabulary

Match the words on the left with the correct meaning on the right.

1. consumer a)  a place where people live

2. range b)  cheaper than usual
3. suburban c)  to look like
4. primarily d)  unwilling, not wanting to do something
5. utensils e)  user, buyer
6. residential area f)  things that are bought and sold
7. resemble g)  a variety
8. reluctant h)  mostly
9. merchandise i)  to buy
10. purchase j)  knives, forks, spoons, etc.
11. refund k)  being in a residential area away from the downtown
12. discount l)  money given back usually when a product is returned

B. Reading

1. Shopping practices have changed a great deal hardware items, etc. Grocery stores are primarily
from the old days of the barter system. In the located in residential areas. Convenience stores
past, if people needed an item, they would sell common food items, newspapers, magazines,
simply exchange something they already had for candy, etc. These kinds of stores are usually
the thing they wanted. Nowadays, our society open seven days a week and often twenty-four
is consumer‑oriented and the opportunities hours a day. Their prices are usually higher than
for shopping are endless. traditional grocery stores and they have much
less variety of goods, but they are very popular
2. Department stores are large stores that carry a
because of their convenient locations and hours
wide range of goods such as clothing, furniture,
of operation. Drugstores in North America may be
household items, cosmetics, toys, etc. These stores
very different from the pharmacies in your country.
usually consist of several floors and often occupy
Drugstores here sell many items besides medicine.
a large downtown city block or a large amount
You will usually find cosmetics, health and beauty
of space in a suburban shopping mall. They are
supplies, paper goods, books, magazines, sodas,
often part of a chain of stores that are located
and candy. Big box stores or wholesale clubs are
throughout the country. Grocery stores are
becoming increasingly popular nowadays. These
primarily food stores, but they also carry many
large discount stores resemble warehouses.
non-food items such as cleaning and bath supplies,
They carry a huge amount of merchandise
paper goods, small kitchen utensils, small
including groceries, household items, electronic

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 Shopping
Living in English

Shopping Opportunities cont.

B. Reading cont.

equipment, etc. Most of the food items are sold 5. Wherever you shop, always be sure to ask
in large quantities. You often have to buy a yearly about the store’s return policy. Most large
membership to shop in these kinds of stores. department stores allow customers to exchange
or return items for a full refund if the product
3. Catalog shopping, Internet shopping, and shopping
is unsatisfactory or if you simply change your
channels on television are also popular. However,
mind about the purchase, as long as you have
some consumers are still reluctant to purchase
not used or worn the item. Some small stores
goods in this manner. Some people prefer to buy
allow exchanges only, but not refunds. Others
certain products such as clothing in person so they
may give credit notes for the returned item. They
can try it on to see that it fits. Other shoppers are
will give you a card or note that will allow you to
afraid to give their credit card numbers over the
make another purchase in their store for the same
Internet, so they still prefer to shop in traditional
amount as the returned item. Most small stores
stores. Books, music, and airline or concert tickets
do not allow returns or exchanges on sale items.
are very popular online purchases.
6. Credit cards and easy financing have made it
4. Boutiques are small stores that usually specialize
possible for shoppers to buy many items even
in particular goods such as clothing or giftware,
if they do not have the money available. Many
and they often carry more unusual and more
retailers advertise, “Buy now, Pay later” or “No
expensive products. Second-hand stores or
down payment and no payments for 12 months.”
consignment stores and garage sales sell used
Unfortunately, the ability to get easy financing
items and are very popular for those shoppers
often causes people to spend much more than
who are interested in finding good bargains.
they can really afford. Before you make your
next purchase, think about the following advice:
“You can always sleep better on an old bed that
is paid for than on a new one that isn’t."

C. Comprehension

Answer the following questions in your notebook or with a partner.

1. What was the barter system? 3. Why do many people not like to buy
clothing from a catalog or the Internet?
2. Give an example from your city of
each of the following kinds of stores: 4. What kind of goods are popular online purchases?

a) department store e) grocery store 5. Why should you be very careful before
b) convenience store f) drugstore you buy an item at a garage sale?
c) wholesale club g) boutique
6. Explain the last line in the reading.
d) second-hand store h) chain store

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 Shopping
Living in English

Garage Sales
A. Discussion

1. Have you ever been to a garage sale or had your own garage sale?

2. What kind of things do people typically buy at garage sales?

3. Do you think people who hold garage sales are more

interested in making money or cleaning out their houses?

B. Vocabulary

Match the words on the left with the correct meaning on the right.

1. popular a)  held together

2. convenient b)  to leave, start to go

3. get rid of c)  bug spray

4. bargain d)  to go back again the same way you came

5. hobby e)  easy, comfortable, suitable

6. treasure f)  a person who buys and sells

7. route g)  to buy

8. local h)  to finish

9. head out i)  liked by many people

10. backtrack j)  in, of the area

11. dealer k)  to look for, try to find

12. snatch up l)  to throw away, sell, not have anymore

13. purchase m)  to get or take something quickly

14. defect n)  something you do for enjoyment

15. refund o)  to test to see if it fits

16. insecticide p)  a good deal, a cheap purchase

17. try on q)  something you value

18. end up r)  money back

19. joint s)  a road, way

20. hunt t)  a problem, something wrong

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 Shopping
Living in English

Garage Sales cont.

C. Reading

1. Garage sales are very popular in Canada and the United States.
Many homeowners believe that garage sales are a convenient
way to get rid of old, unwanted items such as clothing, furniture,
toys, books, etc. and at the same time to make some extra cash.
Bargain hunters also love garage sales for the interesting items
and wonderful prices they may find.

2. Sometimes several neighbors will get together and arrange a street or

block garage sale. Because there are so many things for sale in these
joint garage sales, they attract a lot of buyers. Most garage sales are
held on the weekends. In fact, some people make a hobby of going to
garage sales. They like to spend their Saturday and Sunday mornings
hunting for unusual and inexpensive treasures.

3. If you want to be a successful buyer at garage sales,

you may be interested in the following tips:

• Plan your route ahead of time. Read the garage • If you are buying used furniture, check for bugs.
sale ads in the local newspaper and decide If you are unsure about the condition of the item,
what kind of items you may want to see. Look spray it with an insecticide or disinfectant before
at a city map and decide where you are going you take it into your own house.
to go before you head out. This way you won’t
• If you are buying chairs or sofas, test them out
waste time backtracking.
to see if they are comfortable. If you are buying
• Arrive early in the day. Professional dealers an item of clothing, try it on.
always arrive first. These are people who
• The most important thing to remember is to
make their living by buying and selling goods.
learn to bargain. If the price says $5.00, why
The dealers always try to snatch up the best
not try for $3.00? Bargaining can be half the
buys, so if you arrive too late, you may not
fun of going to garage sales.
find much of value.
• If you buy too many things you don’t really need,
• Examine the items carefully before you
you may end up needing to have a garage sale of
decide to make a purchase. Check for flaws
your own very soon. Have fun the next time you
or defects. If you cannot repair an item
go to a garage sale. Happy shopping!
yourself, it probably is not worth buying.
Look for something else. Remember,
there are no refunds at garage sales.

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 Shopping
Living in English

Group Work
Each of you has one piece of information about Sam Walton, the founder
of Walmart. Walmart is the largest retailer in the world. Try to find all
the missing information by asking your classmates questions.

Sam Walton
A Retailing Giant

1. Sam Walton was born in                in                .

2. When Sam was a boy, he made money to help his family by                          .

3. He graduated from college in                .

4. In his first real job at a J.C. Penny store, he earned                a month.

5. In 1945, after World War II, he borrowed               to start his own small five-and-dime store.

6. By 1962, he had opened                stores.

7. Walton's idea was to create a new kind of store in small towns in America.
He wanted his stores to be known for                ,
               , and                .

8. In 1972, he had                stores and                employees.

9. Walton liked his employees to call him                .

10. Walton was a                ,                man.

11. Walton's hobby was                .

12. Walton contributed to his community by building a                ,

              ,                , and                .

13. Walton's store motto was                .

14. Walton died in                at the age of                .

15. By the time Sam Walton died, Walmart had grown to               
stores in the United States. Now Walmart has thousands of stores in many
different countries and it has become the largest retailer in the world.

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 Shopping
Living in English

Review
Your teacher will now assess your ability
to find information in grocery store flyers.

Task

COMPARE & CONTR AST

Your teacher will give you two different grocery store flyers. Answer the
questions. Your teacher will tell you whether to write or respond orally.

1. What are the names of the two stores?

2. F
 ind one product that is available in both stores. Identify the
product and the different prices. Which stores has the better deal?

3. Explain the term                in flyer #        .

4. Identify a product that is on sale. Which flyer has the discount?

What is the difference between the regular price and the sale price?

5. D
 o any of the ads have abbreviations? Which abbreviations
do you recognize? What do they mean?

6. I f you could only shop at one of these stores,

which would you choose? Why?

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 Shopping
Living in English

Reading Task Assessment

Student:                                                   

Date Level Assessed by Reading Task Skill

Finding information
Reading
in a formatted text

Criteria Rating Notes

reads in a timely manner and stays on task 5  4  3  2  1

finds information in a formatted text 5  4  3  2  1

locates and compares two similar products 5  4  3  2  1

shows an understanding
5  4  3  2  1
of vocabulary in context

understands abbreviations 5  4  3  2  1

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