Buying fresh apples at the shop
CECR: A1
Read/Listen first
Today I am at a small food shop near my home. I want to buy an apple for my snack. The apples look red and fresh, but I am not sure. I ask the shop assistant, “How old are these apples?” She smiles and says, “They are from this week, they are very fresh.” Now I feel happy and I choose two apples.⚡ Learning goals
- Ask if apples are fresh in a small shop.
- Understand simple answers about when food is from.
- Say what you want to buy and how you feel.
✨ Key language
- How old are these apples? “How old are these apples?”
- They are very fresh. “They are very fresh today.”
- I want to buy an apple. “I want to buy an apple now.”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ Questions with “How old” and “be”
Rule: Use “How old + be” to ask about time or age.Examples: How old are these apples?; How old is this apple?; How old is my snack?
Common pitfall + fix: Many learners say “How many old”. Say “How old” with be instead.
2️⃣ Be from + time words
Rule: Use “be from” with words like “today” or “this week”.Examples: They are from this week.; It is from today.; They are from this week, very fresh.
Common pitfall + fix: Do not say “They from this week”. Add “are” or “is”.
3️⃣ Look + adjective
Rule: Use “look” with adjectives to talk about how things seem.Examples: The apples look red and fresh.; You look happy now.; The shop looks small and nice.
Common pitfall + fix: Do not say “look like fresh”. Say “look fresh”.
4️⃣ Want to + verb
Rule: Use “want to” plus a verb to say what you would like to do.Examples: I want to buy an apple.; I want to buy two apples.; I want to go home now.
Common pitfall + fix: Many learners drop “to”. Say “want to buy”, not “want buy”.
✍️ Vocabulary
apple
Meaning: A round red or green fruit that you can eat as a snack.Synonyms: fruit, red fruit
Chunk/Idiom: a fresh apple
Example: I buy an apple for my snack today.
Morphology: noun; plural: apples
Self-practice: Say “apple, apples” three times and clap each time.
fresh
Meaning: New and good to eat, not old or bad.Synonyms: new, not old
Chunk/Idiom: very fresh today
Example: These apples are very fresh this week.
Morphology: adjective; comparative: fresher; superlative: freshest
Self-practice: Point to food in your kitchen and say “fresh” or “not fresh”.
shop
Meaning: A small place where you can buy food or things.Synonyms: store, small store
Chunk/Idiom: a small food shop
Example: I am at a small food shop near my home.
Morphology: noun; plural: shops
Self-practice: Say one thing you can buy in a shop aloud.
snack
Meaning: A small amount of food that you eat between meals.Synonyms: small meal, quick food
Chunk/Idiom: an apple for my snack
Example: I want an apple for my snack today.
Morphology: noun; plural: snacks
Self-practice: Write one snack you like and say it aloud.
week
Meaning: A period of seven days, from Monday to Sunday for example.Synonyms: seven days, full week
Chunk/Idiom: from this week
Example: These apples are from this week, not from last week.
Morphology: noun; plural: weeks
Self-practice: Say the days of the week in order two times.
assistant
Meaning: A person in a shop who helps customers.Synonyms: helper, shop worker
Chunk/Idiom: the shop assistant
Example: The shop assistant smiles and answers my question.
Morphology: noun; plural: assistants
Self-practice: Act as an assistant and say one helpful sentence to a friend.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
The apples are fresh and red in the shop.
I want to buy two fresh apples today.
The shop assistant is friendly and helps me.
They are from this week, so I feel happy.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Choose the correct question from the mini text.
Tip: Look at the question in the mini text.
Which sentence is correct?
Tip: Remember the word order “are from this week”.
Fill with the best answer:
I ______ an apple for my snack.Tip: Use “want to” with a verb.
Fill with the best answer:
The apples ______ in the shop.Tip: Use “look” with adjectives from the mini text.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
Where is the speaker?
Tip: Read the first sentence of the mini text again.
What does the speaker choose at the end?
Tip: Look at the last sentence of the mini text.
Fill with the best answer:
I want an apple for my ______.Tip: This word means a small amount of food.
Fill with the best answer:
The shop ______ smiles and answers my question.Tip: It is the helper in the shop.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: Hello, are these apples fresh?B: Yes, they are from this week, very fresh.
A: Great, I will take two apples.
Why this matters:
Fresh food is better for your body. You can ask simple questions in a shop. You feel safe when you understand the answers.Verb & Adjective Pack:
buy — I buy an apple for my snack.choose — I choose two apples in the shop.
fresh — The apples are red and fresh today.
happy — I feel happy with my fresh apples.
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: The apples look ______ and fresh today.
Tip: Look at the colour word from the mini text.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: I want buy an apple now.
Tip: Remember the structure “want to + verb”.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
They are from this week, they are very fresh.
Tip: Say the sentence aloud before you type it.