Shopping & Consumerism — Part 1
The Celpip Plus team
Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria
What you'll learn: the verb + noun collocations that describe everyday shopping actions precisely — "compare prices," "redeem a coupon," "spot a bargain" — instead of relying on generic verbs like "do" or "get."
Why this topic shows up on CELPIP
Shopping and consumer habits are a classic CELPIP theme across Listening (customer service calls), Reading (advertisements, return policies), and Speaking Task 4 (unusual situations, e.g., a faulty product). Precise verb + noun pairs let you describe transactions and decisions the way a fluent speaker naturally would.
Core verb + noun collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| compare prices | check cost across different sellers | I always compare prices online before buying electronics. |
| make a purchase | buy something | She decided to make a purchase after reading the reviews. |
| return an item | bring a product back for a refund/exchange | He had to return an item because it didn't fit. |
| redeem a coupon | use a coupon for its discount | You can redeem a coupon at checkout for 20% off. |
| browse the aisles | walk around looking at products | We spent an hour browsing the aisles without buying much. |
| place an order | formally request a purchase | I placed an order for a new laptop last night. |
| track a shipment | monitor a package's delivery status | You can track a shipment using the confirmation email link. |
| request a refund | ask for your money back | She had to request a refund after the item arrived damaged. |
| haggle over the price | negotiate to lower a price | Tourists often haggle over the price at the market. |
| spot a bargain | notice a good deal | He has a talent for spotting a bargain during sales season. |
| add to cart | select an item for online purchase | I added the shoes to my cart but didn't check out yet. |
| build customer loyalty | encourage repeat business | The rewards program is designed to build customer loyalty. |
Worked example — CELPIP Speaking Task 4 (unusual situations)
Prompt: You bought a jacket online and it arrived with a broken zipper. Describe what you would do.
The first thing I'd do is request a refund through the store's website, since most retailers track a shipment and can confirm delivery dates easily. Before that, though, I'd probably compare prices at a couple of other stores to see if I even want the same jacket again, or if I spotted a bargain somewhere else instead. If the store offers store credit rather than cash, I might just return the item and place an order for a different color. Honestly, I try to avoid this hassle now by reading reviews carefully before I make a purchase in the first place.
Common mistakes
- Saying "do a purchase" instead of the correct make a purchase — "do" almost never collocates with purchase-related nouns.
- Using "ask for a refund" instead of the more natural exam-register request a refund.
- Forgetting the preposition in haggle over the price — not "haggle for the price" or "haggle about."
- Confusing place an order (buying something) with placing a bet, an unrelated collocation with the same verb.
Recap
You now have twelve verb + noun collocations for shopping situations, from compare prices to build customer loyalty. Part 2 builds on this with adjective + noun pairs that add descriptive color, like "impulse buy" and "hefty discount."