Shopping can be much easier when you are shopping for yourself, but what if you are shopping for someone else, children or a spouse? Below are a list of phrases that one can use as a guide.
Phrases/Expressions:
When Shopping for Yourself:
"Excuse me? Can you help me?"
"I am looking for a suit/pants/shirt/sweater/skirt/dress..."
"I am a size 3/7/9/11. Do you have this in my size?"
"Do you have this/that in another color?"
"Is this on sale?"
"There isn't a price tag on this. Could you do a price check for me?"
"What is the price for this?"
"Could you tell me the price for this?"
"Do you have a bag/pair of shoes/earrings/hat/... to go with this?"
When Shopping for Someone else:
"I am looking for a shirt/dress/pants/sweater/shoes/... for a 7 year old/for my nephew/for my spouse..."
"I am shopping for my spouse/friend/.... Could you help me decide?"
"I am shopping for my spouse/friend/niece/sister/... Could you suggest/recommend something?"
When Shopping for an Occasion:
"What do you think would make a good birthday gift for a 40 year old man?/a 4 year old child?/a friend?"
"What would be a good Christmas gift/Mother's Day/Wedding gift/....?
"Do you think that this would make a good house-warming/Father's Day/birthday/... gift?"
"Could you suggest something for a house-warming/wedding/Father's Day/birthday/... gift?
Dialog:
Now let's take a look at how to apply the phrases above in a natural English conversation.
Molly has decided to join a gym and is now shopping for a new pair of workout shoes.
Molly walks into the shoes store...
Sales Agent: Welcome to the Shoe Lockers. Can I help you?
Molly: As a matter of fact, yes. I am looking for a comfortable pair of workout shoes.
Sales Agent: What size are you?
Molly: I am a size 7.
Sales Agent: What kind of exercise will you be doing?
Molly: Well, I will be doing some high impact aerobics, jogging outdoors and on the treadmill.
Sales Agent: In that case, you need something with good traction and fit. More so, something that absorbs shock is good. Here, try this on.
Molly: This fits comfortably, but it doesn't quite fit. It's a little big for my feet. Do you have something in probably a 6 and a 1/2 ?
Sales Agent: We do carry half sizes in that brand. Give me a minute...
Molly: No problem.
Sales Agent: Here you go... This should do the trick.
Molly: These fit perfectly. Sometimes I wear a half size bigger or smaller depending on the make of the shoes.
Sales Agent: That's pretty common, because every brand of shoes is made differently.
Molly: I like this pair; however, do you have it in another color? I would prefer anything but pink and grey.
Sales Agent: As a matter of fact, we do carry that pair in a dark blue with white trimmings.
Molly: Great! That's actually my favorite color. I will take that.
Sales Agent: Great! I will ring that up for you.
Molly: Thank you very much.
Now your turn!
Create your own dialog using the expressions above and the outline below as a guide.
You: Excuse me? Can you help me?
Your friend: What are you looking for?
You: I am looking for a ____________ (describe what you are shopping for).
Your friend: We have that in red/pink/white/blue/...and a size 5/6/7/... (use the expressions above).
Keep the dialog going for as long as you can and then change roles.
Great Job Today!
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