Everyday English · A trip to a Canadian grocery store: finding food in the aisles, using a cart or basket, understanding prices and sales, paying at the checkout and keeping the receipt.
At the Grocery Store: 14 Everyday English Words
Learn everyday grocery store words such as aisle, cart, shelf, produce, cashier, checkout and receipt, and talk about finding food and paying in a Canadian store.
What to do
Most families in Canada buy food at a grocery store. You walk down the aisles, take food from the shelves and put it in a cart or a basket. Fresh fruit and vegetables are in the produce section, and cold foods are in the dairy section or the freezer.
Every item has a price. Some items are on sale, and a coupon can take money off. When you have everything, you go to the checkout. The cashier scans each item and tells you the total.
After you pay, the cashier gives you a receipt and your change if you paid with cash. Many people bring their own reusable bag.
You do not need to memorise every word today. Listen for the words on your next shopping trip, and you will meet them again in other lessons.
Core everyday words
grocery store
noun · GROH-sur-ee stora store that sells food and things for the home
Example: We go to the grocery store on Saturday.
aisle
noun · ilea long walkway between shelves in a store
Example: The cereal is in aisle five.
cart
noun · karta basket on wheels that you push in a store
Example: He pushed the cart to the dairy section.
basket
noun · BAS-kita small container with a handle for carrying a few things
Example: I only need milk, so I will take a basket.
shelf
noun · shelfa flat board on a wall or frame where things are kept
Example: The cans are on the top shelf.
produce
noun · PROH-doosfresh fruit and vegetables
Example: Apples and carrots are in the produce section.
fresh
adjective · freshrecently picked or made, not old
Example: These strawberries are fresh.
frozen
adjective · FROH-zunkept very cold so that it is hard like ice
Example: We bought frozen peas.
price
noun · pricethe amount of money something costs
Example: The price of the bread is $3.
coupon
noun · KOO-pona small paper or code that gives you money off
Example: Mom has a coupon for cereal.
checkout
noun · CHEK-outthe place in a store where you pay
Example: The line at the checkout was short.
cashier
noun · ka-SHEERa person who takes your payment in a store
Example: The cashier scanned our food.
receipt
noun · ri-SEETa piece of paper that shows what you bought and paid
Example: Keep the receipt in case you return something.
bag
noun · baga paper or plastic sack for carrying things
Example: Please put the eggs in a separate bag.
Recognise the word
Recognise the word
Choose the meaning of the word.
1. What is a cashier?
- a person who stocks the shelves
- a person who bakes bread
- a person who takes your payment at the checkout
- a person who pushes the cart
2. What is an aisle?
- a long walkway between shelves
- a paper that shows what you bought
- a basket on wheels
- a card that gives money off
3. What is a receipt?
- a list of things you plan to buy
- a place where you pay
- fresh fruit and vegetables
- a paper that shows what you bought and how much you paid
4. Which word means fresh fruit and vegetables?
- coupon
- produce
- aisle
- receipt
Use the word in a situation
Use the word in a situation
Pick the word that fits the sentence.
5. “Mom took a ___ because she needed a lot of food.”
- coupon
- receipt
- cart
- price
6. “The ___ at the checkout put my eggs in a bag.”
- cashier
- aisle
- shelf
- coupon
7. “I bought ice cream, but it was not ___ , so it melted.”
- fresh
- ripe
- spoiled
- frozen
8. “The ___ for the cereal is $4.”
- aisle
- price
- basket
- receipt
Quick-check answers
- 1. a person who takes your payment at the checkout
A cashier scans your items and takes your payment. A person who stocks shelves, a baker and someone pushing a cart do different jobs. - 2. a long walkway between shelves
An aisle is the path you walk along between shelves. The paper is a receipt, the basket on wheels is a cart and the card is a coupon. - 3. a paper that shows what you bought and how much you paid
A receipt comes after you pay. A shopping list comes before shopping, the checkout is a place and produce is food. - 4. produce
Produce is the fruit and vegetable section. A coupon saves money, an aisle is a walkway and a receipt is paper. - 5. cart
A cart is big enough for a large shop. A coupon saves money, a receipt is paper and a price is an amount. - 6. cashier
The cashier works at the checkout and bags or scans items. An aisle and a shelf are parts of the store, and a coupon is paper. - 7. frozen
Ice cream must stay frozen, hard like ice. Fresh and ripe describe fruit, and spoiled means bad to eat, which is not what the sentence says. - 8. price
A price is an amount of money. An aisle is a walkway, a basket is a container and a receipt comes after paying.