Learn English Phrasal Verbs:Shopping
These verbs cover a shop floor: trying clothes on, comparing prices, and choosing something that goes with what you already own.
try on
test
She went into the store to try on a new pair of shoes.
She went into the store to test a new pair of shoes.
🚀 Ready to practice?
put on
wear
He decided to put on his favorite jacket for the party.
He decided to wear his favorite jacket for the party.
🚀 Ready to practice?
take off
remove
Please take off your shoes before entering the house.
Please remove your shoes before entering the house.
🚀 Ready to practice?
look for
search
I spent the afternoon looking for a birthday gift.
I spent the afternoon searching for a birthday gift.
🚀 Ready to practice?
knock off
reduce the price
The seller agreed to knock off $10 from the price.
The seller agreed to reduce the price by $10.
🚀 Ready to practice?
shop around
compare prices
It’s smart to shop around before buying expensive items.
It’s smart to compare prices before buying expensive items.
🚀 Ready to practice?
show off
display wealth
He loves to show off his new watch at every opportunity.
He loves to display his wealth with his new watch at every opportunity.
🚀 Ready to practice?
make up
create
They had to make up a new display for the store window.
They had to create a new display for the store window.
🚀 Ready to practice?
go with
match
This scarf will go with your winter coat perfectly.
This scarf will match your winter coat perfectly.
🚀 Ready to practice?
pick out
choose
She helped her friend pick out the perfect dress for the event.
She helped her friend choose the perfect dress for the event.
🚀 Ready to practice?
About this set
Use them when you ask for a different size or decide not to buy the first thing you see.
Try on and put on are easy to mix up — one is a test in the fitting room, the other is wearing the item.
Usage notes
- try on. Separable. Try the jacket on or try it on. You do this before you buy.
- put on. Separable. Put a coat on means start wearing it, not test the size.
- shop around. Intransitive. Shop around means compare shops or prices. There is no object between shop and around.
- knock off. Informal. Knock £10 off the price means reduce it. In other slang knock off can mean steal or finish work — not the meaning here.
Common questions
What is the difference between try on and put on?
Try on is for checking size or style, usually in a shop. Put on is simply wearing the clothes. You try a shirt on; if you buy it, you put it on later.
Does shop around need an object?
Usually not. I shopped around before I bought the laptop. If you name the product, it often comes after for: shop around for a cheaper phone.