Unit 3: Food and Shopping

Illustration

In this unit, you will learn how to buy food at the market, ask for prices, and talk about your favorite meals.

Trong bài học này, bạn sẽ học cách mua thực phẩm tại chợ, hỏi giá tiền và chia sẻ về các món ăn yêu thích của mình.

Unit Goal

Can-do statement: I can buy food, ask prices, and talk about what I like to eat.

In this unit, you learn useful words and grammar for shopping and talking about food.

Food and Shopping Vocabulary

Key Words

Word Meaning Example
food things we eat I buy food at the market.
drink something we drink Water is my favorite drink.
bread a food made from flour I eat bread for breakfast.
apple a fruit This apple is sweet.
vegetable a plant we eat Carrots are vegetables.
meat food from animals I like chicken meat.
milk a white drink There is milk in the fridge.
water a clear drink Please drink more water.
buy get something with money I buy apples every week.
sell give something for money The shop sells bread.
expensive costing a lot of money The cheese is expensive.
cheap not expensive These apples are cheap.
like think something is good I like vegetables.
prefer like one thing more I prefer tea to coffee.
delicious very tasty This soup is delicious.
Exercise Context

Grammar 1: There is / There are

Use

We use there is for one thing.

We use there are for two or more things.

  • There is an apple on the table.
  • There are three apples on the table.

Examples

✓ There is some milk in the fridge.

✓ There are five vegetables in the basket.

✓ There is bread in the shop.

Grammar 2: Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Countable Nouns

We can count them.

  • an apple
  • two apples
  • three apples

Uncountable Nouns

We do not usually count them one by one.

  • milk
  • water
  • bread
  • meat
Countable Uncountable
apple milk
vegetable water
banana bread

Examples

✓ I have two apples.

✓ There is some water on the table.

✓ We buy some bread every day.

Grammar 3: Can for Requests

Use

We use can to ask for something politely.

Question: Can + subject + base verb...?

  • Can I buy two apples?
  • Can I have some water?
  • Can you help me?

Shopping Language

Customer: Can I have two apples, please?

Shop assistant: Yes, of course.

Customer: Can I buy some bread?

Shop assistant: Yes.

Talking About Likes and Preferences

Use like to say what you enjoy.

Use prefer to compare two things.

  • I like apples.
  • I like milk.
  • I prefer water to soda.
  • I prefer vegetables to meat.

Useful Shopping Questions

  • How much is it?
  • How much are they?
  • Can I have some bread, please?
  • Can I buy two apples?
  • Is it expensive?
  • Do you sell milk?

Worked Example 1

Situation: You see one bottle of milk.

Question: There is or There are?

Answer: There is a bottle of milk.

Why? One bottle = singular.

🔑 Đáp án & Giải thích Có một chai sữa nên dùng There is. Danh từ số ít đi với is.

Worked Example 2

Situation: You want bread in a shop.

Question: What can you say?

Answer: Can I have some bread, please?

Why? We use can to make a polite request.

🔑 Đáp án & Giải thích Khi muốn mua hoặc xin một món đồ lịch sự, ta dùng cấu trúc Can I have...? hoặc Can I buy...?

Worked Example 3

Situation: You like water more than soda.

Question: Which sentence is correct?

Answer: I prefer water to soda.

Why? Use prefer when one thing is liked more than another.

🔑 Đáp án & Giải thích Prefer nghĩa là thích cái này hơn cái khác. Cấu trúc đơn giản: I prefer A to B.

Summary

  • Use there is for one thing.
  • Use there are for many things.
  • Countable nouns can be counted (apple, vegetable).
  • Uncountable nouns are not usually counted (milk, water, bread).
  • Use can for polite requests.
  • Use like and prefer to talk about food you enjoy.