shop The word "shop" is used when people buy things that they want or need. It’s a simple word; however, among people who speak English as a second language, it’s often misused. In these sentences, "shop" is used as a verb: - Do you shop on the weekends or during the week?
- Where do you shop?
- I’m shopping for a new jacket.
- Cara never shops at that store anymore.
- Bob rarely shops for clothes. He already has a lot of things to wear.
In these sentences, "shop" is a noun: - Barbara owns a flower shop. She’s a florist.
- Joe owns a barber shop. He’s a barber.
- The shops and restaurants in this town are very popular among tourists.
- An antique shop is a great place to find furniture that’s well made and retains its value.
The word "shop" is often used as a gerund or as an infinitive: - Shopping on the day after Thanksgiving is very popular among many Americans. (This sentence uses a gerund.)
- Where do you like to go shopping? (This question uses "shop" as a gerund.)
- Where do you like to shop? (This question uses "shop" as an infinitive.)
To shop around is a popular way of saying that a person is checking out the market, looking around for a new place with which to do business, or looking for a new product: - We’re shopping around for a new insurance company.
- If you want to find the best deal on a computer, you should shop around first.
- Bob is shopping around for a new car.
- Sandra is shopping around for a new boyfriend.
Click here to go to the Word of the Day page. This page was first published on November 23, 2012. It was updated on December 24, 2015. |