IELTS Shopping Vocabulary

Part 1-style questions

Examiner: Do you often go shopping for personal items?
Maxine: When I can afford it yes … my college is in the city centre and I do a lot of window shopping … but being a student I’m on a tight budget so I have to be careful with money …

Examiner: Are there many shops where you live?
Jenny: We’ve got a few local shops nearby and a few independent stores but none of the big high street names … I have to go into town for them …

Examiner: Do you enjoy shopping?
Marco: It depends … I hate it when the sales are on … crowds of people all trying to snap up a bargain … I find it all a bit stressful … I also get annoyed when shop assistants try to give me the hard sell when all I want to do is look around …

Part 2-style task

Describe a time when you bought something for someone. You should say

• when this was

• what is was you bought

• who you bought it for

and say how you felt about buying it for them.

Coleen: I’d like to tell you about the time … about four years ago … my husband and I bought a computer for our daughter … she was about to go to university and we’d promised her we would treat her to one … at the time there had been a big advertising campaign for the latest Apple Macbook and our daughter was very keen to have one … she kept telling us they were value for money … even though they seemed very expensive to us … anyway we tried to shop around to see if we could pick up a bargain … this was in the middle of the summer sales and wherever you went prices were being slashed on big brand names … but unfortunately not Apple products … we ended up having to pay the full price … I remember my daughter justifying the cost by pointing out how nice the Apple carrier bag was … but it was lovely to see her so excited and the customer service she’s received during the four years she’s had it has been excellent … so it was value for money after all …

Part 3-style questions

Examiner: Do you think we will stop using paper money in the future?
Louisa: I think it’s almost certain … at the moment it’s still possible to pay in cash but I’m sure this will change … the problem is people are more likely to get into debt and run up a credit card bill when this happens.

Examiner: How do companies encourage the consumer to spend their money?
Peter: Well … a recent development in my country is something called ‘Black Friday’ where people are encouraged to shop until they drop and buy the latest must-have products … then there are things like loyalty cards to get the customer back in the store …

Examiner: What do you think shops need to do to create a positive shopping experience?
Tania: The main thing for me is not being pressurised to buy … I appreciate that shop assistants are probably on commission but if I’m looking for clothes for example I like to take my time … to try something on … and to ask for help if I need it …

Definitions

• to break up: to end a romantic relationship

• to drift apart: to become less close to someone

• to enjoy someone’s company: to like spending time with someone

• to fall for: to fall in love

• to fall head over heels in love: to start to love someone a lot

• to fall out with: to have a disagreement and stop being friends

• to get on like a house on fire: to like someone’s company very much indeed

• to get on well with: to understand someone and enjoy similar interests

• to get to know: to begin to know someone

• to go back years: to have known someone for a long time

• to have a lot in common: to share similar interests

• to have ups and downs: to have good and bad times

• a healthy relationship: a good, positive relationship

• to hit it off: to quickly become good friends with

• to be in a relationship: to be romantically involved with someone

• to be just good friends: to not be romantically involved

• to keep in touch with: to keep in contact with

• to lose touch with: to not see or hear from someone any longer

• love at first sight: to fall in love immediately you meet someone

• to pop the question: to ask someone to marry you

• to see eye to eye: to agree on a subject

• to settle down: to give up the single life and start a family

• to strike up a relationship: to begin a friendship

• to tie the knot: to get married

• to be well matched: to be similar to

• to work at a relationship: to try to maintain a positive relationship with someone