English speaking lesson · Shopping & Money
Buying a gift
You're in a gift shop looking for a present, and an assistant has offered to help. You practise it as a real conversation, at whichever of the four levels fits you — the room and the steps stay the same, only the words get harder.
A gift shop · you talk to the shop assistant
Free plan: 10 messages a day. No card needed.
What you have to do
Describe who the gift is for, get a suggestion you like, and have it wrapped. You finish the lesson by getting there in conversation — not by answering questions about it. Nothing is corrected while you talk; the corrections are collected and handed to you at the end.
How it opens
Hi — can I help you find something?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the shop assistant.
The 5 steps that finish it
A step clears when you say the thing that clears it. The steps are identical at all four levels — only the example line fades, and at Natural there is none at all.
- 01
Say you need a gift
Say hello, and say you're looking for a gift.
“Hello! I need a gift, please.”
- 02
Say who it's for
Say who the gift is for, and what the occasion is.
“It's a present for my mum — it's her birthday.”
- 03
Say your budget
Say roughly how much you'd like to spend.
“I can spend about twenty.”
- 04
Pick one
Choose one of the suggestions, and check it fits what you need.
“That's very nice — I'll take that one.”
- 05
Get it wrapped
Ask for wrapping or a gift receipt, and finish politely.
“Can you wrap it, please? Thanks very much!”
The words, at all four levels
The same room and the same steps, four vocabularies. These are the words the lesson listens for and scores you on — with what each one means and how it sounds when you are talking to the shop assistant.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- gift
- a present you give someone
- “I need a gift.”
- present
- something you give as a gift
- “It's a present for my mum.”
- mum
- your mother
- “It's for my mum.”
- birthday
- the yearly day you were born
- “It's her birthday.”
- spend
- to pay money for something
- “I can spend about twenty.”
- twenty
- the number 20
- “About twenty, please.”
- nice
- pleasant, good
- “That's very nice.”
- wrap
- to cover a gift in paper
- “Can you wrap it?”
- please
- a polite word when you ask
- “Wrap it, please.”
- thanks
- a short way to say thank you
- “Thanks very much!”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- occasion
- a special event being marked
- “It's for a special occasion.”
- anniversary
- the yearly date of a past event
- “It's their anniversary.”
- colleague
- someone you work with
- “It's for a colleague.”
- budget
- the amount you can spend
- “My budget is around thirty.”
- around
- approximately
- “Around thirty, ideally.”
- suggest
- to put forward an idea
- “What would you suggest?”
- suits
- is right for someone
- “I think that suits her.”
- wrapped
- covered in gift paper
- “Could I have it wrapped?”
- receipt
- the proof of purchase
- “Could I get a gift receipt?”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers for that!”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- thoughtful
- showing care in what you chose
- “Something thoughtful, ideally.”
- sentimental
- having emotional meaning
- “She likes sentimental things.”
- practical
- useful in everyday life
- “Something practical works too.”
- keepsake
- something kept as a memory
- “A little keepsake would be lovely.”
- personalised
- made specially for one person
- “Can it be personalised?”
- engraved
- with words cut into the surface
- “Could it be engraved?”
- presentation
- how something is boxed and shown
- “The presentation is lovely.”
- exchange
- swapping for a different item
- “Could she exchange it?”
- sorted
- arranged and settled
- “That's sorted, thanks.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- understated
- quietly stylish, not showy
- “Something understated, ideally.”
- tasteful
- showing good judgement in style
- “It's very tasteful.”
- novelty
- amusing but not very useful
- “Nothing too novelty, please.”
- memento
- an object kept to remember something
- “A nice memento of the year.”
- bespoke
- made specially to order
- “Do you do anything bespoke?”
- monogrammed
- marked with someone's initials
- “Could it be monogrammed?”
- spot
- exactly right — 'spot on'
- “That's spot on.”
- splash
- to spend generously (informal) — 'splash out'
- “I might splash out a little.”
- obliged
- grateful for a favour
- “Much obliged.”
- sorted
- dealt with and settled
- “Perfect, we're sorted.”
More Shopping & Money lessons
- Trying clothes on
- Collecting an order
- Returning an item
- Arranging delivery
- Choosing electronics
- Choosing a phone plan
- Bargaining at a market
- Changing money
- Warranty and repair