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Shopping in English: Stores, Prices & Paying
Shopping in English: ask about prices and sizes, try things on, pay, and handle returns — with the phrases you'll actually hear in a store.
A trip to a store follows the same few steps everywhere: you look around, ask about the price or size, maybe try something on, then pay — and sometimes bring it back. Each step has a set phrase, and once you know them, shopping in English stops being stressful.
Browsing and getting help
A salesperson will often ask "Can I help you?" — these are the normal replies.
Asking about the price
Two standard questions, plus the words you'll see on the tags.
Careful with intensifiers here: say too expensive, not "too much expensive" — too goes straight before an adjective.
Sizes and trying things on
Note the phrasal verb try on — with a pronoun, it splits: try it on.
Paying
At the register (or "checkout"), you'll hear and use these.
Returns and exchanges
Keep the receipt — most stores ask for it.
Common mistakes
"How much costs it?" The present simple question needs does + the base verb.
✓How much does it cost? / How much is it?
"try on it". A pronoun goes between the verb and the particle.
✓Can I try it on?
With a full noun both orders work: try on this jacket or try this jacket on. It's only the pronoun that must sit in the middle.
Mixing up receipt and recipe. A receipt proves you paid; a recipe tells you how to cook.
✓Can I have the receipt, please?
Quick exercise
Complete each line with one word.
- How much ___ it cost?
- Can I try it ___ ?
- Do you have this in a smaller ___ ?
- Can I pay ___ card?
- Could I have a ___ , please? (proof that you paid)
Answer key
- does (present simple question + base verb cost)
- on (try it on — pronoun in the middle)
- size (a smaller size)
- by (pay by card)
- receipt (not recipe)
Practice this in Recursio
Shopping runs on a short list of set phrases — asking the price, trying something on, paying, returning it. Save the ones you'd use to your word list in Recursio, and spaced review can bring "How much is it?" and "Can I try it on?" back so they're easier to recall in the moment.
Build your word list in Recursio → · Free to start, on iOS and Android.