English: Shopping & Prices

Level: A2. Shopping needs just a few reliable phrases: ask the price, understand the answer, and pay. The tricky part for learners is not the words but saying money amounts aloud — this page drills exactly that.

By the end of this page you can…

…ask the price of one or several things, say money amounts naturally, use this/that and these/those, and pay by cash or card.

Asking the price

The core question is How much …? Match the verb to the number of things:

• One item: How much is this? · How much is this shirt?
• More than one: How much are these? · How much are these shoes?

You will also hear How much does it cost? and What’s the price? — they all ask the same thing.

This, that, these, those

Shopping is full of pointing, so these four words matter. Use this/these for things near you, and that/those for things further away. The plurals are these and those.

• How much is this? (one thing, near you)
• How much are these? (several things, near you)
• I like that. (one thing, across the shop)
• Can I see those, please? (several things, across the shop)

Saying prices aloud

Here is the part worth practising out loud. In everyday speech you say the big unit, then the small number, with no ‘and’ and no ‘cents’:

• $5.50 → five dollars fifty (or just five fifty)
• $12.99 → twelve ninety-nine
• £3.20 → three pounds twenty (or three twenty)
• €0.80 → eighty cents

For a round amount, just say the unit: $10 → ten dollars; £1 → one pound.

Paying

When you are ready, say I’ll take it (for one thing) or I’ll take these (for several). To choose a payment method, ask Can I pay by card? or Can I pay in cash?

The assistant may ask Cash or card? and, at the end, give you your change and a receipt. Finish with Thank you.

A short conversation

You: Excuse me, how much is this jacket? Assistant: It’s thirty-five ninety-nine. (illustrative price) You: And how much are these gloves? Assistant: Those are nine fifty. You: OK, I’ll take the jacket. Can I pay by card? Assistant: Of course. Here’s your receipt. Thank you!

Example sentences

Play each line and say the prices aloud — that is the skill that makes shopping easy.

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

How to say it

Money and shopping words have a few sounds English learners slip on. Copy the audio.

• expensive has the stress in the middle: “ik-SPEN-siv”, with a ‘z’ sound for the ‘s’.
• receipt has a silent ‘p’: say “ri-SEET”.
• cheap has a long ‘ee’ and starts with the ‘ch’ of “church”: “cheep”.
• change has a soft ‘ch’ at both ends: “chaynj”.
• dollars and pounds keep a soft, almost silent final ‘s’ — don’t over-stress it.

Quiz

Next

• Next lesson: English: Clothing & Sizes
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