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1. SPEAKING Work in pairs. Describe the photo. What do you think the woman is doing?
2. Read the text. Then answer the questions.
1. What is 'showrooming? Have you or someone you know ever showroomed?
2. Do you prefer to buy things in shops or online? Why?
3. Should you expect to pay more for goods in a shop than on a website? Why? /Why not?
4. What would you do if you had to pay to look around a shop?
That'll be $5, please.
A health food shop in Adelaide, Australia, has decided to charge customers S5 for "just looking". The problem is that customers keep coming into the shop and leaving without buying anything. “They pretend to be interested in a product and ask for advice,” says Kate Reeves, the shop owner, "but they usually don't buy anything."
This new phenomenon is called "showrooming". People visit a shop, examine a product, and then buy it online, where it is cheaper. Kate says she spends hours every day talking about products with customers "I can't stand working and not getting paid," she says. 'No one can make me work for free!'
Everyone avoids paying more than they have to, but customers fail to realise that Kate's prices are mostly the same as in larger stores and on websites. They prefer to shop elsewhere as they expect to find the product at a lower price. "If customers choose to buy something, I return the $5 fee," says Kate.
Many shops face the same problem and some may end up introducing a similar charge. The danger is that it asks putting customers off. But Kate in Adelaide says it has made no difference to her business.
LEARN THIS! Verb patternsa. Some verbs are followed by the infinite of another verb. Do you want to go out? She hopes to be a teacher. b. Some verbs are followed by the -ing form of another verb. I fancy going out. He keeps on interrupting. c. Some verbs are followed by bare form of another verb. Clowns make kids laugh. Let me order a pizza. |
3. Read the Learn this! box. Then find all the verbs in the text in exercise 2 that are followed by the infinitive, bare form or -ing form of another verb. Make three lists in your notebook.
Dictionary Strategy Skills StrategyEntries for verbs in learner’s dictionaries will show you patterns the verb is used in. They may show the pattern like this at the start of the entry: suggest (doing), want (to do), let … (do) or give an example within the entry: She suggested eating out. |
4. DICTIONARY WORK Read the Dictionary Skills Strategy and study the dictionary entries below. Which verb a) takes an infinitive, b) takes an -ing form, and c) takes a bare form?
avoid /əˈvɔɪd/ verb [T]. 1 avoid doing sth to prevent sth happening or to try not to do sth: He always tries to avoid an argument if possible. • She has to avoid eating fatty food. 2 to keep away from sb/sth: I leave home early to avoid the rush hour. ► avoidance noun [U]
let /let/ verb [no passive] 1 to offer a suggestion or help: Let me help you with that. 2 to allow somebody to do something: Let them splash around in the pool for a while.
refuse1 /rɪfjuːz/ verb [I, T] to say or show that you do not want to do, give or accept sth: He refused to listen to what I was saying. • My application for a grant has been refused.
5. Look up these words in a dictionary and add them to the lists you made in exercise 3.
admit agree help mind offer promise
6. Complete the sentences. Use the infinitive, bare form or -ing form of the verbs in brackets.
1. Jason promised _____ (phone) me.
2. Joe enjoys _____ (shop) in town but refuses _____ (shop) online.
3. Mysister lets me _____ (use) her laptop.
4. Mum offered _____ (give) me a lift to the shops.
5. You can expect _____ (pay) less online than in a shop.
6. Do you fancy _____ (go) to the cinema this evening?
7. Parents do not let children _____ (stay) up late.
8. My mum usually makes me _____ (tidy) up my room.
7. SPEAKING Work in pairs. Give true information about yourself.
1. I usually advoid ...
2. I really can't stand ...
3. I don't let ...
4. I spend a lot of time ...
5. I sometimes pretend ...
6. I really want ...
