Shopping andPrices
Quantifiers · how much/many · everyday A2 Key skills
A2 Key parts in this lesson
Why this lesson now? Builds on the Writing 2 story introduced in Lesson 02.
Your level · You are here
Get ready · 01
5 minGet talking
In pairs, make a shopping list of six things. How much/how many of each do you need?
Which words go with 'how much' and which go with 'how many': money, apples, milk, people, sugar?
Guess the price of a coffee, a cinema ticket and a haircut in this city.
Grammar for the Exam · 02
8–10 minQuantifiers: much, many, a lot of, a few, a little
Countable nouns → many / a few / how many. Uncountable nouns → much / a little / how much. A lot of works with both.
- 1We use many and a few with countable nouns (things we can count: apples, people, shops).
- 2We use much and a little with uncountable nouns (things we don't count individually: money, time, sugar).
- 3A lot of and lots of can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns, especially in positive sentences.
- 4Much is mostly used in questions and negatives (How much does it cost? / I don't have much time), while many is common in both questions and statements.
- 5Use a few to mean a small but positive number of countable things, and a little to mean a small but positive amount of an uncountable thing.
How much does this jacket cost?
How many shops sell this brand?
I don't have much money left this month.
There are a few good shops on this street, but not many cheap ones.
Could I have a little more time to decide?
Question 1.How ____ does this cost?
Question 2.How ____ people are in the queue?
Question 3.I don't have ____ money with me today.
Question 4.There are only ____ apples left in the shop.
Question 5.Could I have ____ more sugar in my coffee?
Question 6.We bought ____ of nice things at the market.
Quick check 1.Which pair is correct: countable noun → ..., uncountable noun → ...?
Exam Vocabulary · 03
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
to pay money / to keep money for later
Do you prefer to spend or save your money?
What to do
Match each shopping word with its meaning.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
What to do
Sort each shopping word into the correct group.
Activation · Personalise · Recycle
Use the shopping vocabulary about your real habits.
Ask your partner
- What's the best bargain you've ever found?
- Do you like shopping in the sales?
- Have you got a discount card for any shop?
"Last month I spent a lot of money on _____, but I saved money by ___."spend / save
Write about the last big thing you bought — how much it cost and whether it was good value.
Tell your partner: do you prefer to spend money or save it? Why?
What to do
- 1.Five people want to buy something this week.
- 2.Match each person to the best of the eight shops.
- 3.There are THREE shops you don't need.
Tap a person, then tap the text that best matches their needs.
The 5 people
The 8 texts
Pronunciation for Speaking · 04
3–4 minSaying prices clearly
Say pounds and pence separately for clarity: £4.50 = four pounds fifty. Stress the number, not pounds.
- • £4.50 → four pounds fifty
- • £12 → twelve pounds
- • £9.99 → nine pounds ninety-nine
- • 50p → fifty p
Reading Skills · 05
8–10 minHow much do we really spend?
Read along — listen to the text
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Most of us have a rough idea of how much we spend each month, but a new study shows that many people spend much more than they think. Researchers asked 500 shoppers to guess their monthly spending, then compared it with their actual bank records.
On average, people guessed they spent about £20 a week on small things like coffee, snacks and bus tickets. In reality, the number was closer to £45 — more than double. The researchers think this happens because small purchases feel like 'nothing', so we don't count them as real spending.
The study also found that people who wrote down every purchase, even tiny ones, spent about 15% less over three months than people who didn't. Simply noticing how much you spend, without changing anything else, seems to help.
Experts suggest a simple habit: before buying something you don't need, ask 'How much have I already spent this week?' A little awareness, they say, can save a lot of money.
Question 1.What did the study compare?
Question 2.How much did people guess they spent on small things per week?
Question 3.Why do researchers think people underestimate small purchases?
Question 4.What did people who wrote down every purchase do?
Question 5.What do experts suggest before buying something unnecessary?
Listening Skills · 06
8–10 minIn a clothes shop
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Assistant:Hi, can I help you find anything?
Customer:Yes, please. How much is this jacket?
Assistant:That one's £65, but it's actually on sale — you get 20% off today.
Customer:Oh, that's a bargain! So how much would it be with the discount?
Assistant:Let me check... it would be £52.
Customer:Great. Do you have many colours in this style?
Assistant:Not many, I'm afraid — just black and grey. We had a lot more colours last week.
Customer:That's fine, I'll take the black one. Could I also get a few of those socks over there?
Assistant:Of course, how many would you like?
Customer:Three pairs, please. And could I have a receipt for everything?
Assistant:Of course — that's £52 for the jacket and £9 for the socks, so £61 in total.
Question 1.What is the original price of the jacket?
Question 2.What discount does the customer get?
Question 3.How many colours does the assistant say are available now?
Question 4.How many pairs of socks does the customer buy?
Question 5.What is the total price?
What to do
- 1.Listen to the shop conversation again.
- 2.Complete the receipt with ONE word or a number.
Part 3 audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Shop receipt
Booking formStore: Highstreet Fashion
- Item 1:
- Jacket colour:
- Discount:%
- Pairs of socks:
- Total price:
Exam Strategy · 07
5 minListening for numbers and prices
Prices often change during a conversation (before/after a discount) — always note the FINAL number.
Task
Follow a shopping dialogue and write down exact numbers, not approximate ones.
Example
That one's £65... you get 20% off... it would be £52. → Final price: £52, not £65.
Writing Task · 08
5 minPut it in writing
Q1.Type ONE word: 'How ____ does this cost?'
Q2.Type ONE word: 'There are only a ____ apples left.'
Q3.Type ONE word: 'I don't have ____ money left this month.'
Write a short message to a friend (25+ words). Say what you want to buy, how much money you plan to spend, and mention a sale or discount.
Your writing draft
0 words SavedShow model answer & examiner comment
Hi Leo! I'm going shopping this weekend — I need a few new things for work. I'm planning to spend about £50. I saw that the shoe shop on Green Street has a big discount at the moment, so maybe we could go together?
Examiner comment
| 5 | All content points covered; consistent style; range of structures; minor errors only. |
| 3 | Content mostly covered; mostly suitable style; some range; errors don't stop the reader understanding. |
| 1 | Limited content; intrusive errors; very basic structures; under-length. |
What to do
- 1.Read the email from your friend Kim.
- 2.Write a reply, covering all the notes.
Hi! Do you want to come shopping with me on Saturday? Tell me what you're planning to buy, how much money you're going to bring, and if you know any good sales at the moment. See you soon, Kim
Your reply must cover:
- Say what you plan to buy
- Say roughly how much money you'll bring
- Mention a sale or discount you know about
Show model answer
Hi Kim! Shopping on Saturday sounds great. I need a few new things for my flat, so I'm planning to buy a lamp and maybe some cushions. I'll probably bring about £40 with me. I heard Home & Style has a big discount this week, so maybe we could go there first. See you Saturday!
Speaking Task · 09
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
Discuss with a partner: Do you prefer shopping online or in shops? Talk about price, convenience and choice.
What to do
- 1.Complete the missing lines in this shop conversation.
- 2.Choose the best phrase.
- AssistantHi, can I help you with anything?
- Customer_______________
- AssistantIt's £35, but there's a 10% discount today.
- Customer_______________
- AssistantExactly. Would you like anything else?
- Customer_______________
What to do
Describe the photo for about a minute.
Candidate A — In a clothes shop sale
Need help? Show prompts (try describing with no help first)
- • What can you see?
- • What are the people doing?
- • How many people are in the shop?
- • Do you enjoy shopping in sales?
Candidate B — At a market stall
Need help? Show prompts (try describing with no help first)
- • What can you see?
- • What food can you see?
- • Are the prices high or low, do you think?
- • Do you prefer markets or supermarkets?
Useful phrases
- • I can see…
- • There are a lot of…
- • It looks quite cheap/expensive…
- • I think…
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Extra practice with quantifiers and shopping language. ~28 min total
Homework · 10
Take-homeTake it home
Self-study — everything you need is included below. All four skills are covered so you keep the spiral going between lessons; pick the order that suits you.
Quantifiers gap-fill — complete the shopping diary with much, many, a few, a little or a lot of.
Your response
0 words SavedMaterials included
Text
Attempt the task first, then check your answers.
Write a short paragraph (35+ words) about your shopping habits — what you buy, how much you spend, and whether you look for bargains.
Your response
0 words SavedMaterials included
Task
Attempt the task first, then check your answers.
Listening review — read the clothes shop conversation again and write 3 true sentences with numbers/prices.
Your response
0 words SavedAttempt the task first, then check your answers.
Recap · 11
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- Countable nouns → many/a few; uncountable nouns → much/a little.
- 'A lot of' works with both countable and uncountable nouns.
- 'Much' is mainly used in questions and negatives.
- Always give the final, discounted price, not the original one.
- Say prices clearly: £4.50 = 'four pounds fifty'.
Need more practice?
Optional · your lesson progress stays the sameTelling a story in the past
Practise this exam skill
Words that get confused
Practise this exam skill
Fix the common mistake
Practise this exam skill