How much is it?

Objective & content

This functional language sheet teaches pupils to buy things in a shop: they say what they are looking for (I'm looking for a present.), ask the price of one thing (How much is this cap? It's eight pounds.) and of two or more (How much are these socks? They're four pounds.), ask for another size (Is there a small one?), say what they want (I'd like the blue T-shirt, please.) and pay (Can I pay by card?). Pupils read a dialogue in which Bram buys a present for his sister, find the missing words and read the useful phrases, given in a box. By the end, they can ask prices and buy something in a shop, politely.

Pedagogical guide

Page 1 is the dialogue, with a picture of the shop assistant and of Bram: he looks at T-shirts and caps, asks their prices, asks for a small T-shirt, buys it for twelve pounds and pays by card. Pupils find eight missing words in lines from the dialogue. Page 2 has the useful phrases in a box, with the key words in bold (this and It's for one thing, these and They're for two or more), five situations to match to a phrase and six questions or remarks with three replies each, where pupils tick the best one; in the first three, this or these in the question decides between It's and They're. Page 3 has a dialogue in which a girl buys some socks, to number from 1 to 8, and Pia's dialogue in the same shop to complete with six words in a box. It also has a shop list with eight things and their prices in pounds. The last task is a role-play: pupils cut out cards A and B, act out a role-play in pairs with the shop list (A is a customer with fifteen pounds, B is the shop assistant), then swap. Every exercise opens with a worked example.

Suggested procedure

1. (5 min) Hold up a pen, then two pens, and ask "How much is this pen? How much are these pens?"; write the answers on the board.
2. (10 min) Read the dialogue aloud; pupils find the missing words.
3. (5 min) Read the useful phrases in the box with the class; pupils find them in the dialogue.
4. (10 min) Page 2: pupils match the situations to the phrases, then tick the best replies.
5. (10 min) Page 3: pupils number the lines of the girl's dialogue, then complete Pia's dialogue.
6. (10 min) Role-play: pupils read the shop list, act out the role-play in pairs with cards A and B, then swap.
7. (5 min) Check with the answer key on page 4.

Adaptations

[S] Pupils read the dialogue aloud in pairs, one as the shop assistant and one as Bram, before the tasks.

[A] Pupils bring a picture of three things and write their prices; a partner asks "How much is it?" or "How much are they?".

Materials & prerequisites

One copy of pages 1 to 3 per pupil, and scissors for the role-play cards. Page 4 is the answer key and teacher notes: keep it. The role-play is free speaking, so any answer that uses the phrases and fits the card is right. Pupils need the numbers to twenty, the colours and the words for clothes, and plural nouns. To take it further, set up a class shop with paper money.