Shopping Is a Necessity

Shopping is an activity that is enjoyed by many people around the world. There are also people who hate shopping and say that it is a waste of time. But whether people like shopping or not, they have to go to a shop to buy what they need because shopping is a necessity.

Level A2

Word List

self-service – самообслуговування
Supermarkets use self-service system which means you walk round the shop and choose what you want. It’s a self-service store. The cafe provides quick self-service at low prices.

trolley – візок
You can use a basket or a trolley in a supermarket. The waitress rolled the dessert trolley over to our table. There was a supermarket trolley in the middle of the road.

cash – готівка
Our main problem is lack of cash. Will you be paying in cash or by credit card? How much cash do you have on you? Could you cash this traveler’s check for me?

cash machine (automatic teller machine, ATM) – банкомат
Where can I find a cash machine? Why does my card work in one cash machine and not in another? ATM stands for automatic teller machine.

cashier – касир
At the exit you pay for all your goods at the cashier. She is a cashier in a bank. I work at a bookstore as a cashier once a week.

goods – товар
This shop has a large selection of goods. The boy delivered the goods to the right house. The goods were transported by train. Advertisement helps us to sell goods.

pay (paid, paid) – платити
You can pay at the cash register. The cashier asked me to pay in cash. Can I pay in cash or by credit card? People used to pay in gold. You pay less for the supermarket’s own brand.

payment – оплата
They give 10 % discount for cash payment. You can make a payment in any bank. There will be a penalty for late payment of bills.

contactless payment – безконтактна оплата
Google Pay is a form of contactless payment. She likes contactless payment with her smartphone.

currency – валюта
The bank can supply you with foreign currency. You can convert sterling into the local currency.

currency exchange – обмін валюти
We have a currency exchange desk next to Reception on the first floor. Her boss asked her to make the currency exchange.

change money – міняти гроші
If you need to change money, you can do it at Barclays, Lloyds TSB or some other British banks. Almost everywhere banks are the best places to change money.

department store – універмаг
There are famous department stores like Harrods and Selfridges in London. She bought the sofa at the department store. They went past the department store.

well-stocked – добре укомплектований
There are well-stocked bookshops in this street. There’s a new well-stocked supermarket in our town. Different kinds of cheese are sold in markets or the well-stocked supermarkets near the centre of town.

disappointing – розчаровує, невтішний
I wasn’t surprised to see many people at Harrods but the prices were disappointing. The wine was excellent, but the food was disappointing. The film was terribly disappointing.

stall – ларьок, прилавок
He has a flower stall in Portobello Road market. She sells fruits at a market stall. The stall sells drinks and snacks. He runs a fruit and vegetable stall in the market.

item – річ, товар
If the item is bad, you will get your money back. Can I pay for each item separately?

selection – підбір
There’s a great selection of jeans. There’s always a wide selection of delicious meals to choose from. The menu includes a wide selection of vegetarian dishes. The shop offers a wide selection of wines.

size – розмір
Do you know your size? I guess it’s your size, you should take this coat, it fits you well. Take bigger size, it will fit you more

paradise – рай
London is a paradise for shoppers. His idea of paradise is to spend the day lying on the beach. Hawaii is a paradise for surfers.

customer – клієнт, покупець
As a customer, he wants to see greater selelction of goods in stalls. The customer is always right. There were a few customers in the shop.

cost (cost, cost) – коштувати
How much does it cost? Kind words are worth much and cost little.

try on – приміряти
I’d like to try on that blue wool coat. You can try on the new coat. You can try on the dress in the fitting room.

advertisement – реклама
Did you hear the advertisement? They wanted to buy the towels they saw in the TV advertisement.

sale – продаж, розпродаж
Tomorrow there will be a big sale of the ready-made clothes there. That silk dress was on sale yesterday.

British Money

The UK currency is the pound sterling (£/GBP). There are 100 pence (p) to the pound (£). UK banknotes come in denominations of £5, £10, £20 and £50. Coins come in 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2.

You will usually hear British people say “pee” rather than pence, as in 50p (50 pee). More colloquially, £1 is known as a “quid”, a £5 note is a “fiver” and a £10 note a “tenner”.

The name “pound” for currency has roots in Europe and the ancient Romans. The name comes from the Latin words libra pondo, which means pound weight. The £ symbol derives from the letter “L” in libra.

You can change your money at one of London’s many bureaux de change points. The term “bureau de change” is borrowed from French and means “office of exchange”. There are plenty of bureaux de change in London, and many are located at popular transit points, including airports, major train stations, Tube stations, Post Office branches, travel agents and banks.

Most credit cards are widely accepted in restaurants, bars, cafes and shops in London. Contactless payment cards are widely used in the UK. Most cash machines accept international cards.

cheap – дешевий
They sell goods at cheaper prices. The watch was cheap, but it goes quite well. Cheap shoes soon wear out. Cycling is a cheap way to get around.

expensive – дорогий
It is expensive to travel by plane. It is too expensive for me to buy. Petrol is becoming more and more expensive. Houses are very expensive in this area.

price – ціна
The price of the this wool blanket is 30 pounds. It’s a a bargain! The car was a bargain at that price. Love can neither be bought or sold; its only price is love.

ready-made – готовий
Ready-made clothes departments in London usually use both British and European sizes on the tags.

How much – Скільки
How much is the dress? How much are the trainers? That’s a lovely T-shirt. How much is it? Those are wonderful shoes. How much are they?

bargain – вигідна покупка
The car was a bargain at that price. Fresh salmon is a bargain at the supermarket this week.

Answer the questions

Do you like shopping?
Do you like window-shopping?
Do you like shopping?
Where do you usually buy food, clothes or shoes?
What are shopping malls?
What can you buy at the grocer’s/ baker’s/ butcher’s/ chemist’s?
How can we pay for goods or services?
Who does shopping in your family?
Does advertising influence you when shopping?
What are the most common closing or open hours of shops?
Does it help to shop with a shopping list?
Do you know any famous British shops?
Do you like shopping via the internet?
What do boutiques sell?

Shopping in the Past and Today

Shopping was different in the past. There were no department stores and trolleys, no cashiers and no credit cards. People had to get up early and walk several miles from their home to a small market for their shopping. There was no selection of goods in the market. People had to carry money with them and pay in cash.

Nowadays if we want to buy a wool blanket, for example, we can buy it in the Internet using a credit card. Can you feel the difference?