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Back to Ariannita la Gringa

Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping with your English Teacher

Walk through a U.S. grocery store with Ariannita. Hear how she asks for products, orders at the deli and bakery counters, compares prices, and checks out.

Read the full lesson summary

Grocery shopping with your English Teacher is a guided grocery shopping lesson for English learners who want to understand and use language in this real-life situation. The short description introduces the lesson; this expanded guide draws its details from the transcript and its phrase notes, so it focuses on what this particular video actually covers rather than a generic channel overview.

What the lesson covers

The lesson moves through Choosing a cart or basket; Making a grocery list and finding produce; Comparing organic and conventional produce; Checking whether fruit is ripe; Choosing ripe or underripe avocados; Comparing apple flavors; Asking for help finding an item; and further related moments. Following that sequence helps learners connect each expression to what the speakers are doing, asking, or responding to, instead of memorizing vocabulary as a disconnected list. Listen for how the meaning changes with the situation and how the speaker's wording keeps the exchange moving.

Language to take away

  • a bunch of groceries — A fairly large or unspecified collection of food and household items bought at a grocery store. Casual and common; bunch of is informal quantity language.Use it when: Describe shopping for many items rather than only one or two.When it may not fit: For an exact amount, name the number of items or use a basket for a couple of items.Example: “We bought a bunch of groceries for the family cookout.”
  • come in handy — Be useful in a particular situation. Friendly and widely used.Use it when: Explain how an item or plan makes a task easier.When it may not fit: For a formal report, use is useful or is practical.Example: “A shopping list can come in handy when the store is busy.”
  • sold by weight — Priced according to how heavy the item is rather than as one fixed-price unit. Neutral shopping and food-market language.Use it when: Ask how produce, meat, or other goods are priced.When it may not fit: If the item has one price per package, ask the price per package instead.Example: “The peaches are sold by weight, so the total depends on how many you choose.”

A way to use this lesson

Try using “a bunch of groceries” in a sentence about choosing a cart or basket. Replay the relevant moment, then adapt the language to a real conversation you expect to have. Keep the original situation in mind: the goal is not simply to repeat a sentence, but to choose wording that suits the people, purpose, and tone of the exchange.

S2
Ariannita la GringaAmerican English14:08

0 qualified plays 0 unique learners 0.0 hours watched 0 completed

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Transcript

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Select an expression for its meaning · 0:00

Choosing a cart or basket

Hey everybody, welcome back to my YouTube channel. My name's Ariannita la Gringa, and in today's video we're going to learn some English at the grocery store. Let's get started. Before going inside, let's grab a shopping cart. A shopping cart is probably better if you're going to buy . It's easier to push the shopping cart than carry a heavy basket. But if you are going to be in and out of the store and you're only going to buy a couple of items,

Try it: Try using “a bunch of groceries” in a sentence about choosing a cart or basket.

Phrase cheat sheet

All phrases at a glance

Review each expression, hear it, save it, or jump to where it appears in the video.

23 phrases

Showing 23 of 23 phrases

a bunch of groceries

Choosing a cart or basket · expression

A fairly large or unspecified collection of food and household items bought at a grocery store.

Tone and use: Casual and common; bunch of is informal quantity language. Describe shopping for many items rather than only one or two.

May not fit: For an exact amount, name the number of items or use a basket for a couple of items.

Example“We bought a bunch of groceries for the family cookout.”

come in handy

Choosing a cart or basket · idiom

Be useful in a particular situation.

Tone and use: Friendly and widely used. Explain how an item or plan makes a task easier.

May not fit: For a formal report, use is useful or is practical.

Example“A shopping list can come in handy when the store is busy.”

sold by weight

Comparing organic and conventional produce · expression

Priced according to how heavy the item is rather than as one fixed-price unit.

Tone and use: Neutral shopping and food-market language. Ask how produce, meat, or other goods are priced.

May not fit: If the item has one price per package, ask the price per package instead.

Example“The peaches are sold by weight, so the total depends on how many you choose.”

unit price

Comparing organic and conventional produce · expression

The cost for one standard unit, such as a pound, ounce, or individual item.

Tone and use: Standard retail and comparison-shopping term. Compare package sizes or prices across brands.

May not fit: Check that the units match before comparing the numbers.

Example“The larger bottle has a lower unit price per ounce.”

check out

Comparing organic and conventional produce · phrasal verb

Finish a purchase and pay for the items at a register or checkout area.

Tone and use: Common U.S. shopping language. Describe paying for purchases or ask where to pay.

May not fit: Check out has other meanings, such as inspect or leave a hotel; add context if needed.

Example“We need to check out before the store closes.”

go bad

Checking whether fruit is ripe · phrasal verb

Become spoiled or no longer safe or pleasant to eat.

Tone and use: Everyday food language. Talk casually about food spoiling.

May not fit: For precise food-safety advice, use the date and storage guidance on the label.

Example“Use the berries soon so they don’t go bad.”

underripe avocado

Choosing ripe or underripe avocados · expression

An avocado that has not yet softened enough to be ready to eat.

Tone and use: Neutral produce vocabulary. Choose fruit you plan to eat later rather than today.

May not fit: If it is already soft and ready to eat, call it ripe instead.

Example“I bought an underripe avocado so it would be ready for the weekend.”

kind of sour

Comparing apple flavors · expression

Somewhat sour; kind of softens or makes the description less absolute.

Tone and use: Casual and conversational. Describe a taste without claiming it is extremely sour.

May not fit: For a more direct or formal description, say slightly sour.

Example“The green apple is kind of sour, but I like it with peanut butter.”

where can I find

Comparing apple flavors · expression

A polite question asking where an item is located.

Tone and use: Neutral and useful with store employees or other customers. Ask for directions to a product or section.

May not fit: If you need a specific brand or size, add those details after the item.

Example“Where can I find the dairy-free milk?”

get it shaved

Taking a short break and returning to shopping · expression

Ask for deli meat to be sliced extremely thinly.

Tone and use: Common U.S. deli-counter wording. Specify a very thin cut when ordering meat or cheese at a deli.

May not fit: If you want a thicker slice, ask for sandwich cut or another thickness.

Example“Could I get the roast beef shaved for sandwiches?”

half a pound of ham

Ordering sliced meat at the deli · expression

An amount of ham weighing 0.5 pound, about 227 grams.

Tone and use: Common U.S. grocery quantity; other countries may use grams. Order a specific amount at a deli counter.

May not fit: If the shop sells by the kilogram, state the amount in its local unit.

Example“Could I get half a pound of turkey, please?”

what would you like

Choosing something from the bakery · expression

A polite question asking a customer to choose or state an order.

Tone and use: Friendly customer-service language. Respond to a customer who is ready to order.

May not fit: For a more formal interaction, say What would you like to order?

Example“At the bakery counter, the employee asked, “What would you like?””

call this an aisle

Choosing something from the bakery · expression

Use the word aisle for a passage between shelves in a store.

Tone and use: Neutral U.S. grocery vocabulary; pronunciation has a silent s. Give or ask for directions to a product between store shelves.

May not fit: A produce or bakery area may be called a section or department rather than an aisle.

Example“The cereal is in aisle five.”

non-perishable items

Finding the right aisle · expression

Foods that can be stored for a long time without spoiling quickly, especially while unopened.

Tone and use: Neutral food-storage and grocery language. Describe canned, dried, or shelf-stable products.

May not fit: Follow the package directions after opening; non-perishable does not mean it lasts forever.

Example“We keep non-perishable items in the pantry for busy weeks.”

expiration date

Choosing canned food and checking dates · expression

A date printed on a product that indicates a recommended limit for use or quality.

Tone and use: Common U.S. packaging term; exact labeling rules vary by product and location. Check or ask how long a packaged food is intended to keep.

May not fit: Date labels do not all mean the same thing; follow the product instructions and food-safety guidance.

Example“Check the expiration date before you buy the yogurt.”

bottom feeder

Asking about seafood and learning about monkfish · expression

An aquatic animal that feeds on organisms near the bottom of a body of water.

Tone and use: Neutral descriptive term, though it can also be used insultingly about a person. Describe the feeding behavior of some fish or other aquatic animals.

May not fit: Do not use it to label a person unless you intend a negative insult.

Example“Some bottom feeders help keep a lake’s ecosystem balanced.”

cuts come off the cow

Asking about beef cuts · expression

Describes how different cuts of beef come from different parts of an animal.

Tone and use: Casual butcher-counter explanation. Ask about the source or characteristics of a beef cut.

May not fit: For a technical or sensitive discussion, phrase the question more neutrally, such as which part of the animal it comes from.

Example“The butcher explained which part of the cow the cut comes off.”

reduced-fat milk

Finding beverages and dairy products · expression

Milk with some of its fat removed; in the U.S., 2% milk is commonly described this way.

Tone and use: Standard grocery-label wording. Compare milk types or ask for a lower-fat option.

May not fit: Nutrition labels and product definitions vary; check the package for exact values.

Example“Do you have reduced-fat milk in a smaller carton?”

stick it in the microwave

Choosing frozen food and preparing a meal · expression

Put food inside a microwave oven to heat or cook it; stick is an informal verb here.

Tone and use: Casual, everyday kitchen language. Give an informal instruction for reheating prepared food.

May not fit: In formal instructions, use put it in the microwave; check the container and package directions first.

Example“I’ll stick the leftovers in the microwave for a minute.”

self-checkout

Choosing frozen food and preparing a meal · cultural reference

A checkout station where customers scan and pay for their own items instead of having a cashier do it.

Tone and use: Common U.S. grocery-store term. Choose or ask for a customer-operated checkout lane.

May not fit: Some items or payment types may require an employee’s help.

Example“The regular lines were long, so we used self-checkout.”

what’s my total again

Paying at the checkout or self-checkout · expression

A polite way to ask for the final amount when you did not hear or remember it.

Tone and use: Casual and practical; again acknowledges that the amount was already said. Ask a cashier to repeat the amount due.

May not fit: For a first request, simply ask What’s my total?

Example“Sorry, what’s my total again? I didn’t catch that.”

load the groceries

Paying at the checkout or self-checkout · expression

Put purchased groceries into a vehicle or another container for transport.

Tone and use: Everyday and practical. Describe placing bags in the car after shopping.

May not fit: If you mean putting products on a store shelf, say stock or unload the groceries.

Example“I’ll load the groceries while you return the cart.”

return my shopping cart

Paying at the checkout or self-checkout · expression

Take the cart back to the store’s cart area after using it.

Tone and use: Neutral U.S. shopping language. Describe putting a cart away after loading your purchases.

May not fit: If the store has a deposit system, follow its return instructions.

Example“Please return your shopping cart to the rack by the entrance.”

Knowledge check

Practice the phrases you heard

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What it means · “come in handy”

If a grocery list comes in handy, what is it doing?