Clothes & Shopping
Clothes & Shopping — 20 high-frequency words, with pronunciation, collocations, false friends and four interactive exercises.
📌 Lesson contents
🎯 Lesson aim
The words you need to buy, try on and describe clothes 👕. Watch out for three traps: words that are always plural (trousers, jeans, glasses), the difference between fit and suit, and the verb try on, which puts its object in the middle. 🚀
🗂️ Word Bank
Tap 🔊 to hear the British pronunciation. The IPA transcription is under each word.
📖 Words in context
Saturday in the town centre · tap a highlighted word to hear it.
Anna needed new clothes, so we went shopping on Saturday. Everything was in the sale — a real bargain week.
She found a black jacket and asked the assistant if she could try on a smaller size. In the changing room she discovered it was too tight across the shoulders, but the next one was perfect. "That colour really suits you," I said.
I wanted grey trainers, but they didn't fit me: my feet are enormous. In the end I bought a warm jumper instead. Anna kept the receipt, just in case: if the jacket is wrong at home, she can ask for a refund. Neither of us could afford the expensive brand in the window!
🔗 Collocations & chunks
Words are learned in pairs, not alone: memorise the whole chunk.
| Chunk / collocation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| go window shopping | to look at shops without buying | We just went window shopping. |
| do the shopping | to buy the things you need | I do the shopping on Fridays. |
| be on sale | to cost less for a short time | The coats are on sale now. |
| pay by card | to pay with a bank card | Can I pay by card? |
| a good deal | a good deal for a low price | Twenty euros is a good deal. |
| dress up | to wear neat, stylish clothes | We dressed up for the party. |
⚠️ Tricky Words and Traps
| English word | Real meaning ✅ | Common trap ❌ |
|---|---|---|
| smart | stylish, neatly dressed; also clever | “Smart clothes” means neat, formal-looking clothes, not “clever clothes” |
| fabric | cloth, material | It isn’t a place where things are made → that is a factory |
| costume | clothes for acting in a play or for swimming | For everyday clothes, say outfit / clothes |
| magazine | a colourful weekly or monthly publication | It isn’t a place for storing goods → that is a warehouse |
🎚️ Register: when to use them
| Expression | Register | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| It's a steal! | very informal | with friends, for a very low price |
| How much is it? | neutral | in any shop |
| I'm just looking, thanks. | cortese | the standard reply to a shop assistant who comes to help |
| Do you have this in another size? | polite-formal | always suitable with staff |
🚫 Common mistakes to avoid
| Mistake ❌ | Correct ✅ |
|---|---|
| This trouser is too long. | These trousers are too long. |
| I want to try the jacket on me. | I want to try on the jacket. |
| These shoes don't suit my feet. | These shoes don't fit me. |
| I did shopping yesterday. | I did some shopping yesterday. |
🎮 Vocabulary gym
Four ways to practise the same 20 words. Your progress is saved on this device.
Tap the card to flip it.
Tap an English word, then its meaning. Eight pairs per round.
Complete the ten sentences with the right word. The short hint is your clue.
- I need new for the winter.💡 I need new things to wear for the winter.
- These are too long.💡 These things for your legs are much too long.
- Put a on, it's cold.💡 Put a warm knitted top on, it’s cold.
- I left my at school.💡 I left my short coat at school.
- His are brand new.💡 His sports shoes have never been worn.
- What do you take?💡 Which number or letter fits your body?
- These shoes don't me.💡 These shoes are the wrong size for my feet.
- That colour will you.💡 That colour will look good on you.
- Can I this jacket?💡 May I wear this jacket for a moment to check it?
- The is over there.💡 The small room for trying clothes is over there.