Shopping online: comparing products and making choices

Summary

This 90-minute ESL lesson for A2 learners explores Shopping online: comparing products and making choices through a real article. Across 10 interactive exercises, you'll develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, practical communication, speaking skills — all built around authentic English content.

What you'll practise:

• 5 key vocabulary items with definitions and usage notes
• Grammar focus: Comparatives and superlatives with examples and practice
• Real-world phrases for shopping with a friend
• Gap-fill and cloze exercises to test vocabulary in context
• Matching exercise to connect terms with their meanings

Lesson activities (10 exercises)

Each exercise builds on the previous one. Work through them in order for the best learning experience.

1. Warm-up — Discussion questions to activate what you already know about the topic.
2. Comprehension — Answer questions to check your understanding of the main ideas and supporting details.
3. Vocabulary — Learn key words and expressions from the article, with definitions and usage notes.
4. Matching — Connect words, phrases, or concepts to their correct counterparts.
5. Grammar — Study Comparatives and superlatives — explanation, examples, and key rules.
6. Fill the gaps — Complete sentences with the correct vocabulary. Drag and drop or type your answers.
7. Practical English — Learn phrases for shopping with a friend — ready to use in real conversations.
8. Multiple choice — Choose the correct answer from four options — testing comprehension and language use.
9. Discussion — Reflect on the topic and share your opinions using the language you've learned.

Vocabulary

This lesson introduces 5 key terms drawn directly from the article:

• Good value for money — when a product has good quality for the price you pay.
• Read the reviews — to look at comments from other people who bought the product.
• On sale — when a shop sells something for a lower price than usual.
• Add to cart — to put an item you want to buy into your online shopping basket.
• Check the details — to look carefully at the information about a product, like its size or color.

Grammar

This lesson focuses on Comparatives and superlatives.

When you shop online, you often compare products. We use comparative adjectives to compare two things. We use superlative adjectives to say one thing is 'number one' in a group of three or more.

Examples from the lesson:

• This phone is cheaper than the other one. — Use a comparative adjective + 'than' to compare two items.
• This is the most expensive laptop on the website. — Use 'the' + a superlative adjective to compare three or more items.
• The customer reviews for this product are better. — Remember some adjectives are irregular, like 'good' becomes 'better' (comparative) and 'the best' (superlative).

Key rules:

• For short adjectives, add '-er' (cheaper) or '-est' (cheapest).
• For long adjectives, use 'more' (more popular) or 'the most' (the most popular).
• Don't forget 'the' before a superlative adjective.

Practical English

Shopping with a friend

When you shop with a friend, you often ask for their opinion and share your own. These phrases will help you have a natural conversation while you decide what to buy.

Phrases you'll learn:

• "What do you think of this one?" — to ask for an opinion about a specific item.
• "Which one is better?" — to ask for a direct comparison between two options.
• "I'm not so sure about the color." — to politely say you don't like something.
• "That's a good point." — to agree with your friend's opinion or advice.
• "I think this one is better value." — to give your opinion based on price and quality.