…prefers shopping online"Online or in shops?"
Name: ____________
Teacher Lesson Plan · CEFR A2
Shopping & Money
A complete two-session A2 lesson built around comparatives and superlatives (cheaper, more expensive, the best) — so students can compare prices and shop in English, with audio scripts, games, and answer keys.
Lesson Objectives
Can-Do Statements
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Talk about shopping and money using everyday vocabulary.
- Compare two things with comparative adjectives (cheaper, bigger, more expensive… than).
- Say which is best with superlatives (the cheapest, the most expensive, the best).
- Use this / that / these / those and ask "How much is…? / How much are…?"
- Take part in a simple shopping dialogue (asking prices, paying, trying on).
- Write a short comparison of two shops or two products.
Target Language
Vocabulary & Phrases
Vocabulary — Shopping
Shops, Money & Items
- shop · store · market · supermarket · mall
- cash · card · price · receipt · change
- cheap · expensive · free · a sale · a discount
- a bargain · a customer · a cashier · a size
- a shirt · shoes · a jacket · a dress · jeans
- dollars · cents · to spend · to save · to cost
Useful Phrases
In the Shop
- Can I help you? — I'm just looking, thanks.
- How much is this? / How much are these?
- Can I try it on? / Do you have a bigger size?
- It's cheaper than… / It's the best price.
- I'll take it. / Cash or card?
- Can I have a receipt, please?
Grammar Focus
The Engine of the Lesson
The grammar of comparison — the heart of talking about prices and choices.
1. Comparative Adjectives (+ than)
We compare two things. Short adjectives add -er; longer adjectives use more.
| short (1 syllable): + er | cheap → cheaper, cold → colder, small → smaller |
| ends in -e: + r | nice → nicer, large → larger |
| short vowel + consonant: double | big → bigger, hot → hotter |
| consonant + y: y → ier | easy → easier, happy → happier |
| 2+ syllables: more + adj | expensive → more expensive, modern → more modern |
| irregular | good → better, bad → worse, far → further |
This shirt is cheaper than that one. · These shoes are more expensive than those.
2. Superlative Adjectives (the …est / the most)
| short: the + adj-est | the cheapest, the biggest, the easiest |
| 2+ syllables: the most + adj | the most expensive, the most beautiful |
| irregular | the best, the worst, the furthest |
It's the cheapest shop in town. · That's the best price!
3. this / that / these / those + How much…?
| singular | this (here) / that (there): How much is this? |
| plural | these (here) / those (there): How much are these? |
Remember: How much is + singular; How much are + plural.
Before You Start
Materials Needed
Whiteboard and markers · Flashcards or images of products with price tags · A few real items with prices for a "shop" corner · The student workbook (digital, opens on any phone or laptop) · Audio files made from the scripts below. No printing required — the student workbook is self-grading and mobile-friendly.
Step-by-Step Procedure
Timed Lesson Stages
Each stage lists timing, teacher instructions, and the interaction pattern.
Session 1 — Vocabulary, Grammar & Speaking (45 min)
5 min
1. Warm-Up — Guess the Price
Show two similar items (or images) with hidden prices. Students guess which is more expensive. Reveal the prices and introduce "cheaper / more expensive".
Interaction: Teacher → whole class.
10 min
2. Vocabulary — Shops & Money
Present shopping vocabulary with images and price tags. Drill pronunciation. Practice "How much is this/that?" and "How much are these/those?" around the room.
Interaction: Teacher → class.
12 min
3. Grammar — Comparatives & Superlatives
Guided discovery: write "$10" and "$20" under two items. Elicit "The first one is cheaper." Build the -er rule, then "more + adjective", then the superlative with three items ("the cheapest"). Drill the spelling changes (big → bigger).
- Concept check: "Two things or three? Do we say 'more cheap' or 'cheaper'?"
- Controlled drill: students compare classroom objects ("My pen is older than your pen.").
Interaction: Guided discovery → class.
13 min
4. Speaking — "Find Someone Who" Mingle
The centerpiece speaking activity. Give each student the Find Someone Who grid (in the Mingle & Games section below, also built into the student workbook with a shuffle button).
- Students mingle and ask shopping questions: "Do you prefer…?", "Which is better…?"
- Rule: a full question and one follow-up before writing a name.
- Report back with a comparative: "For Petra, online shopping is easier than the mall."
Interaction: Whole-class mingle → reporting back.
5 min
5. Wrap-Up
Volunteers compare two shops they know using a comparative and a superlative. Note any errors to revisit in Session 2.
Session 2 — Reading, Listening & Writing (45 min)
5 min
1. Review Game — Comparative Race
Call out an adjective (cheap, big, good, expensive). Teams race to shout the comparative AND superlative ("cheaper / the cheapest"). One point each, extra point for a correct sentence.
Interaction: Teams.
10 min
2. Reading — "Two Shops"
Students open the Student Workbook and read the text. They answer the comprehension and multiple-choice questions, which grade instantly.
- First read for gist: "Which shop is cheaper?" Then read for detail.
- Pairs underline every comparative and superlative.
Interaction: Individual → pairs.
10 min
3. Listening — Buying Shoes
Play Audio 2 (script below). Students complete the fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice listening task in the workbook. Play twice.
Interaction: Individual → class check.
15 min
4. Writing — Compare Two Shops
Students complete the workbook's grammar, word-order, and the price-ranking task, then write their own comparison.
Model: "There are two shops near my house. The supermarket is bigger and cheaper, but the small shop is closer and friendlier. The supermarket has the best prices, but the small shop has the freshest bread. I usually go to the supermarket because it's cheaper."
- Target: two shops or two products, two comparatives, one superlative, and a reason.
- Students self-check against the writing checklist in the workbook.
Interaction: Individual.
5 min
5. Share, Score & Reflect
Students read their comparison to a partner, who asks one follow-up question. Then they tap Show My Score in the workbook and show you the result on their phone.
Classroom Activities
Mingle & Game Bank
Ready-to-run speaking activities to keep all 90 minutes active and student-centered. The same mingle is built into the student workbook with a shuffle button.
"Find Someone Who…" Mingle Grid
Students walk around and ask shopping questions to find one classmate for each square.
…likes looking for bargains"Do you look for discounts?"
Name: ____________
…usually pays by card"Cash or card?"
Name: ____________
…bought something this week"What did you buy this week?"
Name: ____________
…knows a cheap shop in town"Where's the cheapest shop?"
Name: ____________
…hates shopping for clothes"Do you like clothes shopping?"
Name: ____________
…saves money every month"Do you save money?"
Name: ____________
…spends a lot on shoes"How much do you spend on shoes?"
Name: ____________
…has a favorite shop"What's your favorite shop?"
Name: ____________
More Activities
8 min · pairs
Shop Roleplay
One student is the shop assistant, the other the customer. Using price tags, the customer asks "How much is…?", compares two items ("This one is cheaper"), tries something on, and pays. Then swap roles. Authentic practice of the whole target language.
7 min · teams
The Price Is Right
Show a product. Teams guess the price; the closest without going over wins. Then make a comparative sentence about it versus the last item ("It's more expensive than the phone"). Fun, and it recycles numbers and comparison.
8 min · groups
Spend $100
Give groups a "catalogue" of items with prices. They must spend exactly $100 and justify each choice with a comparative or superlative ("We chose this because it's the cheapest"). Builds negotiation and the target grammar.
6 min · whole class
Comparative Chain
Student 1: "A car is more expensive than a bike." Student 2 adds: "…and a house is more expensive than a car." Each student extends the chain with a new comparison. Quick, fluent comparative practice.
Listening Resources
Audio & Transcripts
Tap a transcript to open it. Add your recording in the player, and use the same file in the student workbook's Listening task.
Audio 1Two Shops (model)+
Narrator: Listen to Anna compare two shops.
Anna: There are two clothes shops in my town. City Style is bigger and more modern, but it's also more expensive. Maxi Mode is smaller, but it's much cheaper. Last week, I wanted a new jacket. At City Style it was eighty dollars, but at Maxi Mode the same jacket was only sixty. So I bought it at Maxi Mode — it was the best price! I think Maxi Mode is the cheapest shop in town.
How to use: Play once with books closed and ask: "Which shop is cheaper?" Play again to catch every comparative and superlative. A clear, natural pace works best.
Audio 2Buying Shoes (listening task)+
Assistant: Hi, can I help you?
Customer: Yes, how much are these black shoes?
Assistant: They're forty-five dollars.
Customer: And the brown ones?
Assistant: The brown shoes are cheaper — they're thirty-five dollars.
Customer: Can I try on the brown ones in size 40?
Assistant: Of course… Here you are.
Customer: They're really comfortable. I'll take them!
Assistant: Great. That's thirty-five dollars. Cash or card?
Customer: Card, please.
How to use: This is the source audio for the workbook's Listening task. The clear price comparison highlights "cheaper" and the shopping phrases. Play for gist first ("Which shoes does she buy?"), then for detail.
Audio 3Pronunciation — "than" & weak forms (optional)+
Listen-and-repeat drill. "than" is weak and quick; stress the adjectives.
cheaper than — bigger than — more expensive than
This is CHEAPER than THAT. — It's the BEST price.
How MUCH is this? — How MUCH are these?
How to use: A2 students often stress "than" and confuse it with "then". Model the weak, fast "than" (/ðən/) so comparisons sound natural. Two minutes makes a real difference.
Answer Keys
Workbook Answers
These match the self-grading student workbook. The workbook grades automatically; keys are here for your reference and board correction.
Reading — Comprehension ("Two Shops")
- How much is the jacket at City Style? — $80 (eighty dollars)
- Which shop is cheaper? — Maxi Mode
- Where does Anna buy the jacket? — Maxi Mode
Reading — Multiple Choice
- City Style is… than Maxi Mode. — b) bigger and more expensive
- Anna buys the cheaper jacket because she wants to… — a) save money
Listening — Fill in the Blank (Audio 2)
- The black shoes are $45 (forty-five dollars).
- The brown shoes are cheaper.
- The customer pays by card.
Listening — Multiple Choice (Audio 2)
- Which shoes does the customer buy? — b) the brown ones
- What size does the customer want? — c) 40
Grammar — Comparatives & Superlatives
- This shop is cheaper than that one. (cheap)
- These shoes are more expensive than those. (expensive)
- It's the best price in town! (good)
- That bag is bigger than this one. (big)
Word Order
- This shirt is cheaper than that one.
- It is the most expensive shop.
Ranking — cheapest to most expensive
- a pen ($2) → a book ($10) → a jacket ($60) → a phone ($400)
Teacher Notes
Common Student Errors
Watch for these at A2 and correct gently in the moment.
| Typical Error | Correct Form | Why & How to Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "This is more cheaper." | "This is cheaper." | No double comparative. Use either -er OR more, never both. |
| "It's more cheap." | "It's cheaper." | Short adjectives take -er, not "more". |
| "expensiver" | "more expensive" | Long adjectives (2+ syllables) use "more". |
| "This shop is more big than that." | "This shop is bigger than that." | big → bigger (double the consonant). Drill the spelling rule. |
| "It's gooder / the goodest." | "It's better / the best." | good is irregular: better / the best. |
| "It's cheaper then that." | "It's cheaper than that." | Comparison uses than, not then. |
| "How much are this?" | "How much is this?" | is + singular (this/that); are + plural (these/those). |
Going Further
Extension & Homework
Extension (Fast Finishers)
In-Class Options
- Design an advert for a shop using three superlatives ("the best prices, the biggest choice…").
- Compare your town's shops with online shopping — three reasons each.
- Plan a birthday gift on a budget and justify your choice.
Homework
At-Home Practice
- Find two similar products online and write five sentences comparing them.
- Write about the best and the worst shop you know, and why.
- Finish any workbook tasks and bring your score to the next class.
Assessment
How to Measure Success
Speaking: accurate comparatives and superlatives in the mingle and games. · Reading: correct answers in the workbook tasks. · Listening: accuracy on the Audio 2 fill-in-the-blank task. · Grammar: the comparative/superlative, word-order, and price-ranking exercises. · Writing: a clear comparison with two comparatives and a superlative. Students tap Show My Score so you can verify results instantly on their phones.
Ready to run the lesson?
Open the student workbook on any phone or laptop — no login, fully self-grading.
Open the Student Workbook