Want Real Conversation Practice? Come Shopping With My Husband and Me!

 In this video, my husband and I take you shopping in real life so you can learn how native speakers really talk — not textbook English! You’ll hear our real conversation, practice useful phrases, and get English pronunciation training in context.

Tagged With: American English Conversation   YouTube blocked? Click here to see the video.

Video Transcript:

Today, my husband and I are going shopping to buy some things for our upcoming vacation. Come with us and learn some English.

Are you wondering why I choked you?

Yeah.

I don’t know. I thought it would look good on camera.

Great.

Also, won’t that make a good thumb?

Lots of clicks.

Alright, so we’re getting some groceries. No, I do want to get some of that sunscreen from Whole Foods.

But you know that Target doesn’t have it?

Correct. Because it’s that 365 brand.

Oh, it’s their brand.

Yeah.

Okay.

Where is the closest Whole Foods? You’re picking up the kids from aftercare. I was going to say I could have you, but..

We can maybe do it then.

Okay.

Well, I can look online ahead maybe and see if they even have it in stock.

Alright.

We made it.

 

I am Rachel. I have a background in opera singing and I’ve been teaching the American accent to non-native speakers for over 20 years. Scan this QR code or go to rachelenglish.com/free to get my free course, The Top Three Ways to Master the American accent. It will blow your mind. It will give you totally new ideas on how to get the sound you’ve always wanted.

Alright, what’s on the list?

Uh, let’s do the pharmacy type stuff first.

Okay.

We are shopping at Target. And you may hear the phrase “big box store” to describe a store like Target. That is a huge store that has lots of different sections. For example, here we’re going to the pharmacy to look for things like personal care items and medicines.

A big box store will probably have a clothing section, toys, electronics, groceries, and home goods.

What do we need from pharmacy?

Uh, shampoo and body wash for the kids.

Okay. Body wash.

I mean, we’ll do all-in-one.

Okay. All in one.

Alright. I think they have a special travel section.

Yes.

Down here maybe. Here.

Alright.

So, we need like a kids like a Johnson.

That’s what I was thinking.

Here. Are these big enough? Probably. I bet you should get one.

Yeah, those are good.

Perfect. Nailed it. Okay. Oh, did you put outdoor pillows on there?

No.

Okay. Sunscreen. We’re not going to get here.

Right.

Right. Okay.

I thought they were probably both short on shorts.

They’re short on shorts.

You should make a short about that.

I should make a short about being short on shorts.

Here we can see just how many different meanings certain words have in English. To make a short about being short on shorts is a grammatically correct sentence. Let’s take a closer look.

The first part about making a short is directly from the YouTube platform. A short is a vertical video with time constraints. As of now, it has to be shorter than 3 minutes.

The next part about being short on something is a phrasal verb. We use the adjective short with the preposition on and we make the t a flap T to link them. Short on, short on. It means not having enough of something. David doesn’t have enough shorts. He’s short on shorts.

Finally, we have the noun shorts, which are these.

Alright. Well, let’s go get him some shorts. Do you know their size?

The other clothing thing is a white t-shirt. I think they’re doing a tie-dye.

Okay.

And do they each need another swimsuit? Question.

No. In Mexico, they were fine, right?

Okay.

All right.

Okay. Boy shorts. I love shopping for clothes for them.

Also, I wanted to get a nice family photo at the beach.

Mhm.

Do they have Do they each still fit into any of their nice clothing?

Sawyer has options, but I don’t know that Stoney does. We could get him a shirt like that here.

I mean, he had that banana shirt. You think he can still fit in that?

Watch this, babe.

This kind of sock is now in with this like ruffle at the bottom. Do you remember when that was in? That was in when I was like eight. It’s back in.

Wow.

Looks like it would be annoying.

You mean like it would be itchy?

It would just be like flopping around.

Flopping around. Alright. Clothes next.

Okay.

I think they’re kind of in the middle.

Okay.

So, is Stoney medium and super small?

Don’t they do like ages still on their stuff?

No. Well, maybe.

We’re just going to have to hold it up.

All right. Here’s the kids. This is a small section.

It is.

Here. What about this? Yeah.

This is a medium. Does that look like Stoney’s size?

Yeah, I think so.

Okay. How many does he need?

Oh, maybe two.

That’s good for Sawyer. Do they have a medium? Is that a girls cut?

Why does that matter?

It doesn’t. But did you get it off this table?

Yeah. I just saw the first white t-shirt.

Wait, how many pairs of shorts am I getting? Well, I think that..

But you said Sawyer’s fine.

No, Sawyer could use a couple, too, because he’s on some short shorts stuff.

Oh, yeah. He looks so cute in those short shorts. Those are way too small.

Here they have like chinoey type shorts. Yeah, chinos. Different fabric. I like those. Those are cute. That’s an extra small us.

Yeah.

Chinoey. In English, we sometimes take a word and just add Y or -ish to turn it into an adjective. Some of these are real words like reddish, meaning kind of red or yellowy, meaning a little yellow. There’s also velvety, which means soft like velvet or sporty which describes something with an athletic look or feel.

But we also do this informally with words that aren’t in the dictionary and it still works because people get what we mean.

For example, if you say something is chinoey.

Here, they have like chinoey type shorts.

You’re probably describing shorts or trousers that feel like chinos, a kind of pant. They might not be actual chinos, but they have that cut or material. So chinoey.

Same goes for other made-up adjectives. You might describe a person as hippie-ish. If they have some hippie traits, but maybe in other ways they aren’t. A hippie, for those who don’t know, is someone who likes to live free, wander the earth, and usually wear bright clothes, and have long hair.

You could also describe something as boxy if it has a square structured shape like a box.

We do it all the time. It’s playful, descriptive, and totally normal in everyday American English.

Here they have like chinoey type shorts.

Yeah.

Chinos. Different fabric. I like those. Those are cute. That’s an extra small.

Yeah.

Okay.

So, that’s two for Sawyer.

Uhhuh.

Should I get—

Get one of those for Stoney?

Same color.

No. Medium. Right.

Yeah. How about this color?

It’s XS.

I know. I’m just going on color. What do you think of this color?

Sure. Okay.

$8. Not a bad deal.

Sometimes in English, we use negative phrases instead of positive ones to express ourselves more gently or indirectly. For example, instead of saying, “That’s a great deal,” we might say, “Not a bad deal.”

$8. It’s not a bad deal.

Using the negative like this frames it in a different, often softer way. One common example is “not really my thing.” Instead of saying directly, “I don’t like this”, we often say, “It’s not really my thing”, which feels less harsh and more polite. Another example is “could be worse.” Instead of saying something is good or great, we might say it’s not bad or it could be worse, to express mild approval or acceptance without sounding too strong.

These negative expressions can help us speak in a more polite way. So why not subscribe to my channel if you haven’t and help me create some more fantastic free content for you? Not a bad idea, right?

Oh, wait. Do those look too big?

It’s a real drawstring. So—

Okay. Alright. So, white shirt for Stone.

Yeah.

Too small, right?

Yeah.

Alright. I don’t see anymore white. Wait, no. That’s got a collar.

Here.

Oh.

This? No, that’s got a got a bit of a ruffle.

Well, straight ahead. What’s that?

Yeah, perfect. Yeah.

Uhoh.

Why?

Where? This?

The bottom level.

What’s wrong? Oh, tank tops.

Yeah.

What’s wrong with the tank top?

No, it’s like the spaghetti strap kind.

A spaghetti strap is a very thin strap. Like spaghetti.

What about this shirt for Stoney? Oh, it’s terry cloth. He might not like that. I think he would be into that.

Do you like it?

I’m going to go over here and look where I initially saw something.

Some what?

White t-shirts.

Okay. Well, we’ll have to order that. But we can get this one for Sawyer.

Alright.

Um, okay. What else? Come get the frame with me.

Okay. So, we can’t, Okay. Shorts, check.

Alright. The rest. What is that?

I don’t know.

Okay. Um,

Outdoor pillows and—

Those are going to be over there. And then the cottage cheese, right?

Yeah.

Okay. Alright. I’ll get the cottage cheese, you get the rice.

Alright.

Okay.

They don’t have the kind I like. Therefore, I am not going to get any. Bummer.

Babe, where are you?

They didn’t have the kind I like.

Oh, no.

I know. Okay. Alright. What’s next?

I think just the pillow.

Okay. Okay, over here. Now, I got to say.

Before you say something interesting, it’s often good to start with a comment that prepares the listener for it.

Now, I got to say.

There are a number of casual phrases that can help to make your story seem more interesting just before you tell it.

Okay, get this. This is perfect for starting a story or a fun fact.

You’re not going to believe this. This one builds suspense. It’s great for surprises.

Here’s something wild. Use this when you’re about to say something a little shocking or unusual.

I’ve got to tell you. This sounds sincere and it’s almost identical to what I said just now. I’ve got to say or I’ve got to say.

Now, I got to say.

This is great for starting a personal story.

This really cracked me up. Perfect before you share something funny.

These little phrases pull people in and make your storytelling sound more natural. So, the next time you’re about to tell a story, try one of these and see if people lean in a bit more to really listen to what you’re about to say.

Now, I got to say, okay, I’m going to tell everybody what happened. We have an outdoor couch and we got visited by some sort of vermin, but all of our cushions got eaten and shredded. We’re thinking not squirrels because it was too far gone for squirrels,

But I don’t know. It still could have been.

I don’t know. Someone saw it and they’re like, “There’s no way that was a squirrel.”

Yeah.

Anyway, could it be a possum? Could it be a raccoon? We’ve seen raccoons on our neighbors roofs.

Yeah.

And we’ve seen tons of squirrels on our roof. Haven’t seen a possum. Although, didn’t one die next door.

I got shocked?

I did. I shocked you.

Alright, let’s see.

Yes, there was a possum sighting.

Anyway, I, what I was going to say was yesterday we had a friend over. We were sitting on the roof with our furniture with no cushions because the whatever the animal was, absolutely shredded and destroyed our outdoor couch cushions. So now we just have the frame and we thought maybe this could work. So uncomfortable.

It really was.

It really was.

Um, so I’m sort of thinking rather than reinvesting in more cushions that are going to get eaten that it’s just time to bite the bullet and buy wood, more expensive outdoor furniture. What do you think?

I don’t see any pillows that look like outdoor pillows.

Yeah.

That’s all right. We’ll buy them online.

Alright.

Oh, wait. No, this this was one of the ones that. No, this is obviously not.an outdoor pillow, but it’s cozy. When I looked it up online, No, you’re right, you’re right. It doesn’t. This would actually be kind of nice with the current furniture lined up against the back.

I just said kind of nice, which is how we pronounce kind of nice in casual spoken English. This is an example of vague language, language that means something less exact. It means somewhat nice, moderately pleasant. Not as good as being nice. It’s not amazing. It’s not nice or really nice, but it’s not bad either. It’s kind of nice. It’s casual and softens the statement. Here’s an example:

The weather’s kind of nice today. It’s pleasant. Maybe a little cloudy or a little cold, but overall, pretty good.

He’s kind of sweet. He’s generally a sweet person, but maybe not all the time or not in a big way. It’s often used when you’re unsure, you don’t want to sound too strong or opinionated, or you’re being polite or a little bit vague. There are a few other words or phrases that we can use to soften the meaning of something. Sort of is another one. This is sort of, but it’s usually pronounced sort of. I’m sort of hungry. It’s just like kind of. I’m kind of hungry. This means I’m not very hungry, but I could probably eat something.

I also use pretty this way. I’m pretty hungry. This means, yeah, I have some hunger and I would like to eat, but I’m not so hungry that I need to eat right now. I’m not demanding it. I’m pretty hungry. That’s maybe slightly more hungry than “I’m sort of hungry”, but it’s also not as strong as saying “I’m hungry.”

We also use the phrase a bit. I’m a bit tired. This means I could definitely rest now, but at the same time, I can probably continue as well. I’m sort of tired. I’m kind of tired. I’m a bit tired.

Lined up against the back?

Yeah, for now. Lined up against the back of the couch where it’s, because part of the problem is that it was—

No, we don’t need anything to sit on. It’s just we need something on the back.

That’s what I’m saying.

Yeah.

Line them up against the back.

Yeah.

Might make the current situation more comfortable. However, these are $30. And I feel like I might have seen that they were going to be cheaper online. Let’s see. What’s the size of this? What’s that?

We need five.

Yeah. Alright. Well, let’s hold off. But, um, this size seems right for that.

24 by 24. So, we can measure.

Okay.

When we say by in measurements, it’s a way to show the size of something in two directions, usually length and width. It connects the two numbers to give a clear picture of the shape or area. So, when David said 24 by 24, he didn’t need to say inches. I knew exactly what he was talking about.

In this case, we’re using the imperial system. Still common in places like the US and the UK. Most of the world now uses the metric system, centimeters, meters, which is more standard and easier to calculate.

2 ft by 2 ft. It does look right.

Okay. What about—

Also, it doesn’t have to be perfect because it’s always going to be sat upon.

Yeah.

Like it’s not just sitting there. It doesn’t look exactly the right size.

Alright. Um, okay. I think that’s it. Let’s go check out.

We checked everything off the list.

Mhm.

Well, let’s double check.

Wow. In just a few seconds, we’ve shown how many meanings a word can have. I just said, “Let’s go check out,” which is a phrasal verb that means to pay for your items at a store. Then David said, “Have you checked everything off the list?” which is an expression meaning have we bought everything on our shopping list. Remember, in American English, a check is this symbol which means correct or done when it comes to a list. Finally, I said “Let’s double check” which means to look over something again to make sure everything is correct.

Let’s go check out.

We checked everything off the list?

Mhm. Well, let’s double check.

Cottage cheese, no. Outdoor pillows, didn’t get them. Okay. You got rice?

Yeah.

Okay. Alright.

What’s strange about the question? You got rice, right? There’s no did. It’s not “Did you get rice?” Why is that? In English, 99% of the time, we use a form of the auxiliary verb do to make questions. But sometimes, especially in spoken English, we can take a statement like, “You got rice.” Statement with falling intonation. You got rice. And we can just raise the intonation at the end. You got rice? This rising intonation turns it into a question. You got rice? It’s the same thing as “Did you get rice?” It’s a common casual way to ask something in conversation. You got it? instead of “Did you get it?”

Whoa. Wait a second. I feel like a craft like this could be really fun for the boys at the beach because it’s supposed to rain so much. What do you think?

Yeah.

I mean, Sawyer already got a sewing kit, which he’s very excited about.

Alright.

What about a soap making kit?

Soap making?

Yeah.

No, I don’t think so.

No? I kind of like the idea of them doing embroidery. For no particular reason. I don’t know.

Ciao.

Punch needling. Oh, punch needling. What’s that? Never done it. Alright, I can let the idea go. I can let the idea go. But we are probably going to have some really bored kids on our hands, for prolonged periods of time on this vacation.

Was this everything? This felt short.

Well, I mean, I looked at the camp list and there was less stuff that we needed than I thought. We can kind of make it work.

Look at these cute strawberry earrings. That’s kind of cute.

For summer.

Strawberry season.

I know. I don’t like the other two pair there, though. What about a white shirt from here?

Well–

Like a women’s small. What size is that?

Extra small.

That almost looks like it’d be too small for Stoney. Also, I don’t think the cap sleeve is going to be his thing. I don’t think he’s a cap sleeve type of shirt wearer.

I just said I don’t think cap sleeves are his thing. Everyone has their thing, their style, their go-to look, the stuff that just feels right on them. Are there any items in fashion that are not your thing? Let me know in the comments. For me, honestly, shorts are not my thing. I will only wear them if they’re Bermuda shorts, which are very long, or if they’re biker shorts, which are tight. We often use the phrase type of to describe preferences or categories that feel familiar or comfortable. It’s really common in everyday speech, like it’s not my type of movie, meaning it’s not the kind of movie I usually enjoy or she’s not my type of person, meaning we probably wouldn’t get along. So, when I say,

“I don’t think he’s a cap sleeve type of shirt wearer.”

I’m really saying it’s not in line with his usual style, it’s not what he’d naturally pick out or feel comfortable in. A cap sleeve is a very short sleeve that hangs just over the shoulder. Different from a regular sleeve.

Okay, let’s just check out before we accidentally spend more money.

David, how excited are you for the start of summer?

I’m super excited. We got fun stuff coming up.

What are you most looking forward to?

Um, the week with the kids are at camp.

Yeah, that’s going to be a first. That’s going to be strange.

Yeah.

But I’m also looking forward to that.

No, really. I’m mostly looking forward to next week.

The beach.

With my fam, yeah.

Success, David! We got everything that we needed.

Yeah, it wasn’t bad at all.

It wasn’t bad. Now, what are you going to do with the rest of your day?

Well, I don’t know. I got time that I didn’t think I had.

I’m going to make a Rachel’s English YouTube video.

Sweet.

Don’t forget to visit rachelenglish.com/free to get my free course, The Top Three Ways to Master the American accent. And please do subscribe with notifications on. Watch this video now to keep your learning going. That’s it and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.

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