shop

Everyday

1. A shop is a place where you buy things. tree →
2. To shop is to go and buy things. tree →
3. A workshop is a place where things are made or fixed. tree →
4. «Shopping» is buying things, or the things you bought. tree →
5. (casual) «The shops» means the local shopping street or centre: «I'm off to the shops»; «shop till you drop» means shop a lot. tree →
6. (UK slang, rough) To shop someone is to tell the police or a teacher about them: «He shopped me to the head.» tree →
7. (casual) «Talk shop» means talk about work; «shut up shop» means close or stop. tree →
8. (formal) «Retail premises», «establishment» and «vendor» are stiff words for a shop: «items purchased from a retail establishment». tree →

In the lessons

Maths: a place of buying and selling with prices, money spent and change: cost = price × number; things left = start − sold. Everyday: corner shop, toy shop, go shopping, shopping list, shopping bag. American English often says «store» for shop. In casual talk: «nip to the shop», «the offie» (UK off-licence), «servo» (Australia, a petrol station shop). In the exam voice: «a retail establishment», «the vendor», «expenditure incurred». Phrases: «shop around», «window-shopping», «a bull in a china shop».

Examples

• The shop sells pens for $2 each. tree →
• She shopped for 2 hours. tree →
• The shop had 60 cakes and sold 45. tree →
• How much did she spend at the shop? tree →
• We go shopping on Saturday mornings. tree →
• Write a shopping list so you don't forget the milk. tree →
• The bike shop fixed my flat tyre. tree →
• The shop closes at six. tree →
• nip to the shop, get 2 milk and bread, here's a tenner (casual, UK) tree →
• them sweets is 2 dollar each at the shop (casual, broken grammar) tree →
• You shopped me to the teacher? You little snitch. (rough, UK slang) tree →
• A retail establishment possesses 60 cakes, of which 45 are sold; ascertain the quantity remaining. (formal exam) tree →
• "From the shop opposite," he replied. tree →

Note

Countable noun; verb doubles the p: shopped, shopping. A money setting: cost = price × number; things left = start − sold; change = money given − cost. Shop (UK) = store (US). Trap: «shopped someone» (UK slang) means told on them, not bought anything. «Window-shopping» is looking, not buying, so no money is spent. A «tenner» is 10 pounds or dollars, a «fiver» 5. Formal «expenditure» = money spent.