Lesson Plan: Going to the Store

Master Shopping English with ESL Gold! 🛒

Struggling to speak at a store? This quick guide builds your confidence!

What you’ll learn:

Clerk Greetings: Respond to “May I help you?”
Finding Items: Ask for what you need easily.
Checking Out: End conversations smoothly with “That’s all for today.”

Perfect for beginners or a quick review!

At the Store

Look at the picture.

Read the questions.

Think about the topic.

Warm Up

What do you say when you go to a store?
How do you talk to the clerk / assistant?
What might he / she say to you?
How do you ask for what you need?
What do you say when you check out?
How do you say thank you?

When you enter the store/start a conversation with the clerk :

What a clerk might say:	What a customer might say:
May I help you?	Excuse me. Do you work here?
Can I help you?	(Can you help me?)
Can I help you find something?	Can I ask you something?
What can I do for you?

Master Real-Life Shopping Conversations

Learn essential phrases to communicate confidently with store clerks, from politely asking for specific items to navigating a smooth checkout process. Practice these real-life expressions and role-play dialogues to improve your everyday English speaking skills and handle any shopping situation with ease.

Phrases for Conversation

Here are some sample phrases and expressions you might use at a store. Practice them with your tutor or partner.

What a customer might respond:

When you check out / leave the store: Clerk:

Did you find everything you needed?
Did you find what you were looking for?
Did you find everything okay?
Will that be all (for today)?
Is that everything?
(Will there be) anything else?

Customer:

That’s all for today. That’s it. Thanks.

Talk with your tutor about this topic.

Use the expressions and vocabulary you learned.

Use the related resources below to learn more.

Speaking Instructions

Review and use these words.

Food

Clothing

Personal Items

Practice shopping for these items.

Role play with your partner or tutor.

Take turns being the customer or clerk.

Conversation Practice

1. Pretend you are buying something from a store. Role play a conversation between a clerk (A) and a customer (B). Ask for help in finding the item you want to buy. Find out price and any other information you need. Pay for the item at the checkout counter. For Example,

clerk

May I help you?

Customer

Yes, do you have any brooms?

clerk

Yes, they’re over there by the wall.

Customer

Thank you.

Customer

How much is this sweater? / are these sandals?

clerk

It’s $___________. / They’re $__________.

clerk

Is that all for today?

Customer

Yes, I think so.

clerk

That comes to $____________.

Customer

Here you are.

clerk

Thanks.