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.
Not sure when the object goes in the middle? Read separable and inseparable phrasal verbs.
try on
wear to check the fit
She went into the store to try on a new pair of shoes.
She went into the store to put on a new pair of shoes to check the fit.
Put on clothing to check its fit or appearance. Put on describes the action of starting to wear something.
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put on
dress yourself in
He decided to put on his favorite jacket for the party.
He decided to dress in his favorite jacket for the party.
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take off
remove
Please take off your shoes before entering the house.
Please remove your shoes before entering the house.
With clothes it is separable: take your coat off, take it off.
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look for
search
I spent the afternoon looking for a birthday gift.
I spent the afternoon searching for a birthday gift.
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knock off
reduce the price
The seller agreed to knock £10 off the price.
The seller agreed to reduce the price by £10.
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shop around
compare prices
It’s smart to shop around before buying expensive items.
It’s smart to compare prices before buying expensive items.
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show off
display something proudly to impress others
He loves to show off his new watch at every opportunity.
He loves to display his new watch to impress others at every opportunity.
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make up
assemble from separate parts
The assistant had to make up a gift basket for the customer.
The assistant had to assemble a gift basket for the customer.
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go with
match
This scarf will go with your winter coat perfectly.
This scarf will match your winter coat perfectly.
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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.
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All 10 shopping phrasal verbs at a glance
Separable means the object can sit in the middle, and a pronoun has to. Inseparable means it never can. No object means the verb does not take one. Full explanation here.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| try on | wear to check the fit | Separable |
| put on | dress yourself in | Separable |
| take off | remove | Separable |
| look for | search | Inseparable |
| knock off | reduce the price | Separable, informal |
| shop around | compare prices | No object |
| show off | display something proudly to impress others | Separable |
| make up | assemble from separate parts | Separable |
| go with | match | Inseparable |
| pick out | choose | Separable |
About this set
Use them when you ask for a different size or decide not to buy the first thing you see.
Try on means put on clothing to check its fit or appearance. Put on describes the action of dressing in it, so the actions can overlap.
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 dress yourself in it. Try on explicitly says you are checking its fit or appearance.
- 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, but that is not the meaning here.
Mistakes to avoid
Incorrect: Can I try on it?
Correct: Can I try it on?
Try on is separable and a pronoun object has to sit inside it.
Incorrect: He put on it before leaving the shop.
Correct: He put it on before leaving the shop.
Put on is separable, so use put it on with a personal-pronoun object.
Incorrect: They knocked off ten pounds the price.
Correct: They knocked ten pounds off the price.
Knock off ten pounds is fine on its own. Once you name the price as well, put the amount in the middle: knock ten pounds off the price.
Incorrect: I am looking the perfect gift for.
Correct: I am looking for the perfect gift.
Look for is inseparable, so nothing comes between the verb and the preposition.
Common questions
What is the difference between try on and put on?
Try on means put on clothing to check its size or style. Put on describes the action of dressing in it. You can put something on for that purpose too; try on makes the purpose explicit.
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.