Finding items & asking about prices/discounts (intermediate)
Politely asking for the location of items in the store, whether they carry specific brands/types, if they can check stock in the back, and if there are any discounts or buy one get one free promotions.
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Could you tell me where the coffee is?
It's much more polite than Where is the coffee?. The key is the order 'Could you tell me + question word + subject + verb'.
Do you have gluten-free bread?
Carry means '(the store) carries/sells that product'. It's more natural to ask if it's sold at the store than using Do you have.
Could you check if this is in the back?
in the back = the storage behind the store. A phrase to ask for stock check when it's not on the shelf.
Is this on sale?
Is this buy one, get one free?
What do you recommend?
- 1
When asking politely, use the structure 'Could you tell me + [where/if/when] + subject + verb?
- 2
'.
- 3
The key is that in indirect questions, the latter part is in statement order (is/are is not inverted).
- carry — (The store) carries, sells
- on sale — on sale
- out of stock — out of stock
- clearance — clearance sale
- restock — restock