Reading a market price list
Use a fictional market price list to follow a shopper’s choices and check the total.
Ben is buying food for lunch. He has ten coins to spend at a small market. He stops at a stall and reads the board. These are example prices in an invented market, not real local prices.
The board says: “Apples: two coins for a bag of four. Tomatoes: three coins for a box of six. Bread: four coins for one loaf. Carrots: one coin for a bag.” Ben needs bread and tomatoes. He also wants some fruit, so he chooses a bag of apples.
Before he pays, he counts the prices again. Four coins for bread, three for tomatoes and two for apples make a total of nine coins. He has one coin left. He decides to buy a bag of carrots too.
The seller puts the food on the table. Ben checks that he has all four things before putting them in his shopping bag. The seller asks if he wants another loaf of bread. Ben says no because he has spent all his money. He thanks her and walks home to make lunch.
Words to take with you
- stall
- A table or small place where someone sells things.We bought fruit from a market stall.
- loaf
- One whole piece of bread before it is cut.I need one loaf of bread.
- total
- The amount when numbers are added together.The total for both bags is five coins.
- seller
- A person who sells things.The seller put my food in a bag.
- spend
- To use money to buy something.I spend two coins on apples.
Check your understanding
Choose an answer, then check each question.
Use your English
Choose three items from the price list and explain how much money you would spend.
Say your answer aloud or write two or three sentences.