prices | THE BLUE TREE

back to HOME > Learning English > Learn more words >

How to talk about prices

THE BLUE TREE

Learn Words

CEFR B1

Intermediate

Practise speaking by describing this image

et|icon_chat|

warm up

Have your ever bought anything that cost an arm and a leg?
Do you like hunting for bargains?
Do you usually go Dutch or foot the bill when you eat our with friends?

fas|fa-book-open|

STUDY 1

Study the language for talking about cheap prices.

WHEN SOMETHING IS VERY CHEAP

dirt cheap
This shirt was dirt cheap. It only cost me $10.
be a snip
The new computer package is a snip at only £599 plus tax.
at rockbottom prices
In our summer sale, we have clothes from top designers at rockbottom prices.

WHEN YOU GET SOMETHING FOR A GOOD PRICE

value for money
There’s a special ticket that means you can see six concerts, which is definitely good value for money.
be a good buy
The Brazilian white wine is a good buy at only $2.99 a bottle.
bargain
I got this shirt when I was in Turkey. It was a real bargain.

when something doesn't cost much money

inexpensive
The furniture is inexpensive but well-made.
economical
This is a well-designed car that is also very economical to run.
affordable
We have a vast range of cars to choose from at affordable prices.

NOT TOO EXPENSIVE WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER PRICES

reasonable
Only £15 a night? That sounds reasonable.
competitive
I am confident you’ll find our prices are extremely competitive.
competitively priced
Call this number for our free catalogue of competitively priced cosmetics.

fas|fa-book-open|

STUDY 2

Study the language for talking about expensive prices.

WHEN SOMETHING IS EXPENSIVE

costly
The finance committee rejected their plan because they said it was too costly.
it’s going to cost you
There are some places that can mend the suit in a couple of hours, but it’s going to cost you.
not come cheap
Gibson guitars sound great, but they don’t come cheap.

WHEN SOMETHING IS VERY EXPENSIVE

cost a fortune
What a beautiful car – it must have cost a fortune.
cost the earth
Good shoes needn’t cost the earth.
cost an arm and a leg
Getting good health insurance these days costs an arm and a leg.

WHEN SOMETHING IS EXPENSIVE AND FASHIONABLE

luxurious
Atlantis is one of the world’s most luxurious cruise ships.
fancy
We stayed in a fancy Victorian hotel in San Francisco.
upmarket
New upmarket shops and restaurants are driving some of the older businesses out of the neighborhood.

WHEN SOMETHING IS TOO EXPENSIVE

can’t afford
I really need a new coat, but I can’t afford it before I get paid.
be rip off
Eighty dollars for a pair of jeans? What a rip-off!
steep
It’s hard to find an apartment around here, and when you do the rents are pretty steep.

et|icon_check_alt|

PRACTICE 1

Play this Multidecker game. Decide if the word or phrase means cheap or expensive.

et|icon_check_alt|

PRACTICE 2

Play this Quizlet game. Make everything disappear! Drag corresponding items onto each other to them disappear. Do it quickly!

fas|fa-signature|

TEST

Do you remember the exact words used in the examples above? Complete these sentences below with the same words which were used in the examples.

READY! STEADY! GO!

1.

In our summer sale, we have clothes from top designers at prices.

2.

There’s a special ticket that means you can see six concerts, which is definitely good for money.

3.

We have a vast range of cars to choose from at prices.

Well done! You are doing great! Keep up the good work!

4.

A: How much is a single room for one night?
B: It's £15 a night.
A: Only £15 a night? That sounds .

5.

A: No way! I ruined my new suit.
B: There are some places that can mend your suit in a couple of hours, but it’s going to you.

6.

Getting good health insurance these days costs an and a leg.

Well done! You're almost there!

8.

A: Where did you stay on your honeymoon?
B: We stayed in a Victorian hotel in San Francisco.

9.

A: It's $80 dollars. Would you like to pay cash or by credit card?
B: Eighty dollars for a pair of jeans? What a -off!

et|icon_download|

DOWNLOAD

This package contains two mindmaps. First mindmap is a traditional printable PDF file. The second mindmap is interactive. Open it in your browser.

download a mind-map

Learning is more effective when you use mind-maps!

download

et|icon_document|

lesson glossary

How to talk about prices

ITEM	CATEGORY	NOTES
to be a snip	cheap	a thing that is cheap and good value, bargain, surprisingly cheap
inexpensive	cheap	a relatively inexpensive hotel
low-cost	cheap	below the usual cost
dirt cheap	cheap	very cheap
economical	cheap	providing good service or value in relation to the amount of time or money spent
affordable	cheap	cheap enough that people can afford to pay it or buy it
low-budget	cheap	No one expected this low-budget film to be so successful.
it won't break the bank	cheap	if you say something won’t break the bank, you mean that it won’t cost a lot of money, or more than you can afford
good value for money	cheap	I know that this car is expensive but it's a good value for money.
bargain	cheap	a thing bought for less than the usual price
competitively priced	cheap	in a way that is as good as or better than others
at rock bottom	cheap	the lowest point or level that is possible
dear	expensive	Everything's so dear now, isn't it?
to cost the erth	expensive	I'd love that dress, but it costs the earth.
astronomical	expensive	the astronomical price of land for building
posh	expensive	attractive and expensive, stylish
upmarket	expensive	designed for or used by people who belong to a high social class or have a lot of money
classy	expensive	of high quality; expensive and/or fashionable
exorbitant	expensive	(of a price) much too high
extortionate	expensive	(of prices, etc.) much too high, excessive, outrageous
be a rip off	expensive	something that is not worth what you pay for it
prohibitively expensive	expensive	Car insurance can be prohibitively expensive for young drivers.
steep prices	expensive	£4 for a cup of coffee seems a little steep to me.
be daylight robbery	expensive	the fact of somebody charging too much money for something
to cost an arm and a leg	expensive	to cost/pay a lot of money
ITEM	CATEGORY	NOTES

fas|fa-book|

MY ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Store your words and expressions in this handy dictionary. You can create groups and play games based on your entries. There is also a practical importing feature.

Add new and interesting words from this lesson to your English dictionary.

You must log in to see content.

How to talk about prices

THE BLUE TREE

CEFR B1

warm up

STUDY 1

WHEN SOMETHING IS VERY CHEAP

WHEN YOU GET SOMETHING FOR A GOOD PRICE

when something doesn't cost much money

NOT TOO EXPENSIVE WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER PRICES

STUDY 2

WHEN SOMETHING IS EXPENSIVE

WHEN SOMETHING IS VERY EXPENSIVE

WHEN SOMETHING IS EXPENSIVE AND FASHIONABLE

WHEN SOMETHING IS TOO EXPENSIVE

PRACTICE 1

PRACTICE 2

TEST

DOWNLOAD

download a mind-map

lesson glossary

How to talk about prices

MY ENGLISH DICTIONARY

THANKS FOR VISITING