Looking to head to the supermarket? It is a great place to get some language practice in! Not only are there signs and advertisements written everywhere, but you can also talk to employees and get help if you need it.
Below, we've collected lots of phrases and example sentences that will be useful to you on your next shopping trip. Learn what questions to ask employees, what to say at check out, and much more. Let's get started improving your English!
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Below, we've collected lots of phrases and example sentences that will be useful to you on your next shopping trip. Learn what questions to ask employees, what to say at check out, and much more. Let's get started improving your English!
Questions From an Employee
Supermarket employees are usually friendly, polite, and there to help you. In the English-speaking world they will often offer you their help by using any of the questions we've gathered for you below.Can I help you?
This is probably the most common question you will hear from employees at a supermarket. There are a few other common ways to ask this, such as: How can I help you?, May I help you?, or How may I help you?. You could respond to any of these questions with either Yes or No, or a request such as, Could you show me where the organic vegetables are?.
Asking an Employee for Help
Sometimes we have trouble finding items in a grocery store, don't know the price of something, or just need somebody's opinion on what to buy. Using the questions below, you'll be able to talk to employees and ask for their help.Excuse me, do you work here?
If you are unsure whether somebody works at a store you are in, you could use this question to double check before asking them any further questions. If they do work there, then they might say something like: Yes, I do. You could then ask either Could I ask you something? or Could you help me? in order to get some help. Both of these sentences are also good ways to get an employee's attention.
Do you have any whole-grain cereals?
The sentence pattern, Do you have any + ITEM ?, can be used to find out if a store carries a specific item. For example: Do you have any potato chips?. Alternatively, you could also use the sentence pattern Do you carry + ITEM ?. An example of this is: Do you carry local made jams?. Some example responses to these questions are: Yes, in aisle three or No, unfortunately we ran out of that.
Where can I find the international food section?
Use the sentence pattern, Where can I find + ITEM ?, to create questions in order to find out where something is in a store. Another example of this is: Where can I find organic products?. You could also use the sentence pattern, What aisle are + ITEMS + in?, to ask the same thing. For example, you could ask What aisle are international foods in?. A response to this question or a question like Where can I find the international food section? might be something like In aisle four near the soup section.
At Checkout
Checkout is your last stop while grocery shopping. It's where you pay for and bag your items. Employees often have a few more questions for you, and we've gathered them as well as some other useful phrases for you below.Did you find everything you needed?
This is generally the first question a cashier will ask you at checkout. It's a polite way to ask if there is anything else that you need help with. Other ways to ask this question include: Did you find everything okay? or Did you find everything you were looking for?. You could answer this many different ways. For example, like this: Yes, the staff was very helpful.
Can I pay with a credit card?
You'll be able to pay for things with a credit card in most stores throughout the English-speaking world. However, it doesn't hurt to double check sometimes. If you can't pay with a credit card in a store, the cashier will most likely say Sorry, we only take cash. Other ways to find out if you can pay with a credit card are: Do you take credit? or Do you accept credit cards?.
Could you help me with the self-checkout please?
Self-checkout is different from normal checkout because you use a computer to add up the prices of your items and to pay for them. You do not have to talk to a cashier. Self-checkout is available in most grocery stores in the United States. Use this question to get the attention of a store employee if you need help. They might respond with something like: Sure, I'll be with you in one moment.
Relax while Listening to the Phrases
Keep calm and learn English! Listen to the phrases again with relaxing background music. This will help you improve your listening skills and remember the phrases. Choose your favorite style, then kick back and relax!
Relax with Meditative Music
Relax with the Sounds of Nature: River
Relax with the Sounds of Nature: Wind
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Practice & Record a Dialogue
Take the next step and use what you’ve learned! Check out this topic’s dialogue unit and practice the phrases in a variety of exercises. Test your knowledge and get ready for real life conversations!
Hey Ashlee, where is the shopping list?en
It's in my bag. What else do we need?en
We still need milk, flour, and sugar. Oh, and blueberries.en
