Learn how to buy items at a register
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Intro |
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| Image you're at a supermarket. You've gathered all your items but now it's time to check out. How do you do it? |
| Hi. Alisha here. |
| Buying items at a supermarket in America is easy! In this lesson, you'll learn how. |
| Gustavo is buying a few supplies after checking in at the hotel. |
| Let's watch! |
| Dialogue |
| Supermarket Clerk: Good evening! |
| Gustavo: Evening. |
| Gustavo: Excuse me, but what's this? |
| Supermarket Clerk: It's a corn dog. |
| Gustavo: Nice! How much is it? |
| Supermarket Clerk: It's one dollar and 37 cents. It's on sale. |
| Gustavo: Okay, I'll take two. |
| Supermarket Clerk: That'll be eighteen dollars and seventy-four cents. |
| Supermarket Clerk: Okay, your change is six cents. |
| Gustavo: Thanks, man! |
| Now with subtitles! |
| Supermarket Clerk: Good evening! |
| Gustavo: Evening. |
| Gustavo: Excuse me, but what's this? |
| Supermarket Clerk: It's a corn dog. |
| Gustavo: Nice! How much is it? |
| Supermarket Clerk: It's one dollar and 37 cents. It's on sale. |
| Gustavo: Okay, I'll take two. |
| Supermarket Clerk: That'll be eighteen dollars and seventy-four cents. |
| Supermarket Clerk: Okay, your change is six cents. |
| Gustavo: Thanks, man! |
| Vocab |
| Excuse me (slow) Excuse me |
| but (slow) but |
| corn dog (slow) corn dog |
| thanks (slow) thanks |
| Phrase and Usage |
| Alisha: In the scene, what does the sales clerk say to Gustavo about the price of the corn dog? |
| Clerk: It’s on sale. |
| Alisha: First is a contraction for “it is.” |
| Brandon: It’s |
| Alisha: Next is the phrase |
| Brandon: On sale |
| Alisha: Together it's |
| Brandon: It's on sale. |
| Alisha: This indicates that you can buy the corn dog at a lower price than usual. Now you try! Say the sales clerk’s line after he tells Gustavo the price of the corn dog. (freeze action, cue for viewer to speak) |
| Brandon: It’s on sale |
| Alisha: In the scene, how does the sales clerk tell Gustavo the total cost of the items? |
| Brandon: That’ll be eighteen dollars and seventy-four cents. |
| Alisha: First is a contraction of "that will" |
| Brandon: That’ll |
| Alisha: Next is the word |
| Brandon: be |
| Alisha: Here it is used to indicate cost. Next is the phrase |
| Brandon: Eighteen dollars |
| Alisha: After this is the word. |
| Branson: “and” |
| Alisha: Last, is the phrase |
| Brandon: Seventy-four cents |
| Alisha: Together it's |
| Brandon: That’ll be eighteen dollars and seventy-four cents. |
| Alisha: This phrase exemplifies a very common way to let a customer know how much money they need to pay. Now you try! Say the shop clerk’s line after he puts the items into a plastic bag. (freeze action, cue for viewer to speak) |
| Brandon: That’ll be eighteen dollars and seventy-four cents. |
| Alisha: In the scene, what did the shop clerk say to tell Gustavo how much change he will give him? |
| Brandon: Your change is six cents. |
| Alisha: First is the word |
| Brandon: your |
| Alisha: Next is the word |
| Brandon: change |
| Alisha: Next is the word |
| Brandon: is |
| Alisha: and last is the amount of money |
| Brandon: six cents |
| Alisha: Together it's |
| Brandon: Your change is six cents. |
| Alisha: The pattern |
| Brandon: Your change is |
| Alisha: followed by the amount can be used any time a clerk is giving a customer change. Now you try! Say the store clerk’s line after he takes money out of the register. (freeze action, cue for viewer to speak) |
| Brandon: Your change is six cents. |
| Alisha: Finally, how does Gustavo say thanks to the sales clerk? |
| Gustavo: Thanks, man. |
| Alisha: First is a word that is short for "thank you." |
| Brandon: Thanks |
| Alisha: Last is the word |
| Brandon: man |
| Alisha: Together it's |
| Brandon: Thanks, man. |
| Alisha: Referring to someone as “man” in a conversation is very informal and in this case, Gustavo says it to be friendly to the cashier. Only use the phrase “thanks, man” if the person you're talking to is a male and only if you're in a casual setting. Now, you try! Say Gustavo's line as he takes the bag and his change. (freeze action, cue for viewer to speak) |
| Brandon: Thanks, man! |
| Focus |
| Alisha: Do you remember how Gustavo asked what something was when he saw it in a case next to the register? |
| Gustavo: What’s this? |
| Alisha: First is a contraction for “what is.” |
| Brandon: What's |
| Alisha: Next is the word |
| Brandon: This |
| Alisha: Together it's |
| Brandon: What's this? |
| Alisha: You can use this phrase is almost any situation to ask about something you aren't farmiliar with. Now you try! You pick up an item off the shelf at the store. Ask the sales clerk what it is. PAUSE |
| Brandon: What’s this? |
| Alisha: You point to an item on a menu. Ask the waiter what it is. PAUSE |
| Brandon: What’s this? |
| Alisha: Do you remember how Gustavo asked about the price of the corn dog? |
| Brandon: How much is it? |
| Alisha: First is the phrase |
| Brandon: how much |
| Alisha: Next is a form of the verb to be |
| Brandon: is |
| Alisha: Last is the word |
| Brandon: it |
| Alisha: Together it's |
| Brandon: How much is it? |
| Alisha: Use this pattern to ask about the price of any item. First say, |
| Brandon: How much is |
| Alisha: then add the item. You can either use (Brandon: It) or specify the item. Now you try! A saleman shows you a necklace that you want to buy for you sister. How do you ask the salesman about the price? {PAUSE} |
| Brandon: How much is it? |
| Alisha: You want to buy a t-shirt. Ask how much the t-shirt is. {PAUSE} |
| Brandon: How much is it? |
| Alisha: Do you remember how Gustavo asked the shop clerk to give him 2 corn dogs? |
| Brandon: I’ll take two. |
| Alisha: First is the contraction for "I will" |
| Brandon: I'll |
| Alisha: Next is the word |
| Brandon: take |
| Alisha: And last is the number |
| Brandon: two |
| Alisha: Together it's |
| Brandon: I’ll take two. |
| Alisha: This is a more casual and common way of saying "I will buy two". Use this sentence structure to ask for a certain amount of something. First say |
| Brandon: “I’ll take” |
| Alisha: then just add the number or amount you want. You try! A man is selling Coca-Cola at a baseball game. What would you say to buy three cups? PAUSE |
| Brandon: I’ll take three. |
| Alisha: You're ordering ice cream and the server asks you how many scoops you want. How do you respond if you just want one scoop? |
| Brandon: I’ll take one. |
| Practice |
| Alisha Let's practice! |
| Alisha You're at a convenience store, and you've found something you're interested in. Ready? Here we go. |
| Alisha How to you ask what the item is? |
| (5 second pause) |
| Brandon: What's this? |
| Clerk: It's a corn dog. |
| Alisha How do you ask about the cost? |
| (5 second pause) |
| Brandon: How much is it? |
| Clerk: It's one dollar and 37 cents |
| Alisha How do you tell the clerk that you want to buy five? |
| (5 second pause) |
| Brandon: I’ll take five. |
| Alisha Great job! You've just mastered the basics of making a purchase in English! You'll use these phrases and expressions many times, so be sure to practice! |
Outro |
| Well done. |
| Now, watch the scene one more time. After that, |
| go and practice with all your American friends — or with us in the comments! |
| Bye. |
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