EnglishShopping quantities and choices
Quick quiz: Countable or uncountable?
Say C or U for each noun. Then make one shopping sentence with two of the nouns. 🛍️
Noun | C / U? |
|---|---|
money | |
advice | |
furniture | |
luggage | |
information | |
news | |
receipt | |
product | |
change | |
clothing |
Useful unit phrases:
- a piece of advice
- an item of furniture
- a piece of luggage
- a piece of information
- an item of clothing
Quantities and choices at the shop
Put the return conversation in order
Arrange the lines to make a natural conversation at the customer-service desk.
Put the conversation in a natural order
- Hi. I’d like to return this blender.
- Could I see the receipt, please?
- Of course. Here it is.
- Sure. It stopped working after two days.
- Would you prefer a refund or an exchange?
Build the comparison
Arrange the chunks to make a correct sentence.
Put the chunks in the correct order
- Both
- the market
- and
- the supermarket
- sell fruit
- more cheaply
Choose the best quantity
There are [___] customers in the queue, so we can pay quickly.
Choose the best pair
We can buy [___] the blue jacket and the black one; they are both in your size.
Read the label carefully
There is [___] information about the return policy on this label.
Complete the sentence
I have [___] cash, but I can pay by card.
Complete the sentence
This supermarket has [___] fresh vegetables, so we have lots of choice.
Complete the comparison
[___] the trainers nor the boots are comfortable enough for walking.
Returning a faulty product
Listen for the problem, the proof of purchase, and the solution.
- What was wrong with the headphones?
- What did Maya try before returning them?
- What solutions did Daniel offer?
- Which colour did Maya choose, and why?
Market and supermarket
Compare the two places using full sentences.
- There are a few __________ in Photo A.
- There are plenty of __________ in Photo B.
- There is hardly any __________ in Photo A / Photo B.
- Both places have __________.
- Either place is good for __________.
- Neither place has __________.
Clothes shop complaint
Round 1
Teacher: shop assistant
Learner: customer
You bought two items yesterday. Try on a jacket, ask about sizes and prices, then complain about one faulty item. Ask for a refund or an exchange.
Customer | Shop assistant |
|---|---|
Do you have this in a larger size? | We have a few left. |
How much is it? | It is on sale today. |
There is hardly any room in the sleeves. | Would you like to try another size? |
Either a refund or an exchange is fine. | I can offer both options. |
Neither item matches the description. | Do you have the receipt? |
Round 2
Swap roles.
Include:
- one comparison between two products;
- one sentence about your budget;
- one sentence with both, either, or neither.
Product comparison review
Write 60–120 words for a shopping website. Compare two similar items you bought or imagined: two bags, phones, jackets, or kitchen products.
Include:
- price and value for money;
- at least two quantity expressions;
- both ... and, either ... or, or neither ... nor;
- a final recommendation.
Useful phrases:
- I compared __________ and __________.
- Both products __________.
- There is / are __________.
- One product has plenty of __________.
- The other product has hardly any __________.
- Either __________ or __________ is a good choice for __________.
- However, neither __________ nor __________.
- I recommend __________ because __________.
Check before you finish:
Area | Check |
|---|---|
Grammar | Do your quantifiers match the noun type? |
Vocabulary | Did you use shopping or product language? |
Task achievement | Did you compare, recommend, and explain why? |
Key language for smart shopping
Use | Pattern | Shopping example |
|---|---|---|
Countable plural nouns | a few / many | a few receipts; many products |
Uncountable nouns | a little / much | a little cash; much information |
Both noun types | plenty of / a lot of | plenty of bargains; a lot of furniture |
Almost zero | hardly any | hardly any staff; hardly any money |
Two together | both ... and | both the market and the supermarket |
One of two choices | either ... or | either a refund or an exchange |
Not this and not that | neither ... nor | neither jacket nor coat |
Check the statements
For next time
Write a short shopping list for a budget of your choice. Explain:
- what you will buy;
- what you will not buy;
- why you made these choices.
Use at least five target expressions from today. 💷
