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Writing Assignment: The Department Store (Solutions)

shopping mall

 

1. In this store what else can you buy besides purses?
In this store we can buy women’s apparel (clothes).

2. What is the woman on the left buying?
The woman on the left is buying some women’s clothes; a scarf, perhaps.

3. How many buttons are on the back side of the coat?
There are two buttons on the back side of the coat.

4. What is probably in the drawer behind the sales lady?
There are probably scarves, gloves, stockings, and similar things.

5. What is the sales lady wearing on her ears?
The sales lady is wearing earrings on her ears.

6. How many sales ladies are in the picture?
There is one sales lady in the picture.

7. Is the man in the background packing something in a box or paper bag?
The man in the background is packing something in a box.

8. What is the man in the black suit selling?
The man in the black suit is selling purses.

9. What is the blond lady holding in her right hand?
The blond lady is holding her purse in her right hand.

10. What is the man giving to the lady?
The man is giving a box to the lady.

11. What does the sales clerk write on the pad of paper that is on the counter?
The sales clerk writes a receipt with the pad of paper that is on the counter.

12. Is the purse more expensive or cheaper than a pair of stockings?
The purse is more expensive than a pair of stockings.

13. Do the people in this picture look unfriendly?
No, they look friendly.

14. What do the men wear around their necks?
The men wear neckties (ties) around their necks.

15. What do the lady customers wear on their heads?
The lady customers wear hats on their heads.

16. Is there someone standing in the door?
Yes, there is someone standing in the door, heading out of the store.

17. What do you see over the door?
Over the door we see a sign.

18. Which woman is wearing a vest?
The woman in the foreground is wearing a vest.

19. Could this picture be in a department store?
Yes, this picture could be in a department store.

20. Do you usually buy clothing in a clothing store or department store?
You can buy clothing in either a clothing store or a department store.

Paragraph: A Visit to the Store

Write a brief paragraph about the last time you went to a department store. What did you buy? Was the sales clerk helpful? Did you buy a gift for someone?

The last time I went to a department store, I wanted to buy a pair of pajamas for my father. It was his birthday, and I wanted to give him something that I knew he would appreciate. I went to the department store at the local shopping mall. It was on the weekend and the mall was crowded, so I had a hard time trying to find a place to park. Eventually, though, I found a spot, parked the car, and went inside the mall to the store.

When I got to the men’s department, I went to the pajama section. I thought that my father needed size large, so I looked for the row that had that size. Since it had been cold out lately, I decided to get him a pair of flannel pajamas. I figured that those would keep him warmer than a pair of summer pajamas would. I found a red pair and brought them to the counter. The clerk rang me up and asked me if I needed a gift receipt. I said yes, so if the pajamas were the wrong size, color, or style, my father would be able to exchange the pajamas for ones he preferred. The clerk also asked me if I wanted to have them gift wrapped. I knew that I could wrap them myself, so I just asked for a gift box instead. I was satisfied with my purchase, and I went home to wrap up the pajamas as a present for my dad.

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Writing Assignment: The Department Store

at the department store

 

Vocabulary

suit
customer
stocking
to look, appear
store
purse, handbag
besides
counter
expensive
inexpensive, cheap
coat
more expensive than
cheaper
most of the time
sales lady
pad of paper
clothing store
paper bag
something
unfriendly
neck
ear
to sell
someone
pair, pair of
sales clerk
to buy
to pack
box
department store
back side
probably
button
drawer
vest

1. In this store what else can you by besides purses?
2. What is the woman on the left buying?
3. How many buttons are on the back side of the coat?
4. What is probably in the drawer behind the sales lady?
5. What is the sales lady wearing on her ears?
6. How many sales ladies are in the picture?
7. Is the man in the background packing something in a box or paper bag?
8. What is the man in the black suit selling?
9. What is the blond lady holding in her right hand?
10. What is the man giving to the lady?
11. What does the sales clerk write on the pad of paper that is on the counter?
12. Is the purse more expensive or cheaper than a pair of stockings?
13. Do the people in this picture look unfriendly?
14. What do the men wear around their necks?
15. What do the lady customers wear on their heads?
16. Is there someone standing in the door?
17. What do you see over the door?
18. Which woman is wearing a vest?
19. Could this picture be in a department store?
20. Do you usually buy clothing in a clothing store or department store?

Paragraph: A Visit to the Store

Write a brief paragraph about the last time you went to a department store. What did you buy? Was the sales clerk helpful? Did you buy a gift for someone?

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Writing Assignment: The Grocery Store

grocery store

 

Vocabulary

shopping cart
grocery store
visit
fish
butcher
fruit
tin can
aisle
often
village
vegetables
shelf
shopping center
box
right, just
cash register
scale
paper bag
shopping
groceries
cigarette
to mean, signify
to pay
to follow
to be allowed, permitted
to sell
to go shopping
to buy
to count
to shop

1. What does the word “groceries” mean?

2. What do you buy in this store?

3. Who usually goes grocery shopping more often, men or women?

4. What kind of fruit do you see in the foreground?

5. What kind of vegetables do you see in this picture?

6. Where are the paper bags?

7. Who is following the woman on the right?

8. What do you do with the scale?

9. Which aisle has a sign hanging over it?

10. Who is standing at the cash register?

11. Where are the cigarettes?

12. Who is paying?

13. How many shelves do you see in aisle five?

14. Is the woman in aisle five holding a box or a tin can?

15. Does each woman in the picture have a shopping cart?

16. What does the butcher sell?

17. Can you buy fish in this store?

18. Where do you usually go after you go grocery shopping?

19. Are you allowed to take the shopping cart home with you?

20. Is this grocery store in a shopping center or in a small village?

Paragraph: A Visit to the Grocery Store

Write a short paragraph about what you do when you go to the grocery store.

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Culture Focus: Refunds & Exchanges

Usually, when people buy a gift for someone else, they try to get a gift that is suitable for the recipient. If they want to give some clothes as a gift, they try to get clothes that are the right size. They try to get clothes that are in the style that the recipient likes. If they want to give a book, they try to get something from a favorite author. If they give some music as a gift, they try to get something from a favorite band. Sometimes, though, it is difficult to know exactly what kind of present would make the recipient happy. This means that sometimes, despite our best efforts, a present is not always what the recipient likes. Because of this, people often give a gift receipt along with the present. A gift receipt makes it easier for the recipient to exchange the gift or get a refund.

What is a gift receipt? In general, a receipt is a piece of paper from a store that shows 1) when something was bought, 2) what price was paid for the item, and 3) from which store the item was purchased. A gift receipt contains all this information too, except the price of the item is coded. Why is the price coded? We consider it impolite to let a person know how much was paid for the present, so gift receipts are coded to hide the price.

So, if a person is unhappy with a present he’s gotten, he has two options: 1) He can exchange the present for something more to his liking, or 2) he can get a refund.

1) Exchange

Sometimes, the person likes the present, except it is the wrong size, wrong color, etc. He can take the item and the gift receipt back to the store. Then he can pick out a present that is the right size, right color, etc. This situation is easier for the clerk, since there is generally no difference in price between the original present and the exchange. Usually, the clerk will scan the information from the receipt. Then the clerk will scan the information from the exchange. This is so the store’s inventory will remain accurate and up-to-date. The clerk will probably make a note of the exchange on the receipt.

exchanging a purchase

Sometimes, the person will want to exchange the old present for another item that is completely different. For example, maybe a person got a sweater as a gift, but they want to have a pair of shoes instead. In this case, the clerk usually treats this as two separate transactions: one return, and one purchase. The clerk scans the gift receipt for the original purchase information. The person returning the present will get a store credit equal to the amount paid for the original purchase. This credit is then applied to the purchase of the new item. If the cost of the new item is less than the cost of the original present, the person will get a refund for the difference, or get a store credit. If the cost of the new item is greater than the cost of the original present, the person will have to pay the difference.

Both cases are good from the store’s perspective, because the sale is saved, and the customer is happy. It is a “win-win” situation: both sides benefit from the deal.

2) Refund

Sometimes, the person likes nothing about the present. He would rather have the money instead of the present. In this case, he can be refunded the price of the gift. The clerk will scan the information about the original purchase and determine how much money the person will get back. From the store’s perspective, this is not a good thing, because it is the same as a lost sale. But the store will do it anyhow, because it is good for customer relations: “The customer is always right.”

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