shopping list

Meaning

A shopping list is a written list of items you need to buy when you go to a store. People write it on paper or keep it on their phones to help them remember what they need.

Examples

• Don't forget to write milk on the shopping list.

  Don't forget to write milk on the shopping list.

• I always stick to my shopping list so I don't spend too much money.

  I always stick to my shopping list so I don't spend too much money.

• Can you check the shopping list to see if we need eggs?

  Can you check the shopping list to see if we need eggs?

• She keeps a running shopping list on her refrigerator.

  She keeps a running shopping list on her refrigerator.

• I lost my shopping list, so I had to guess what we needed.

  I lost my shopping list, so I had to guess what we needed.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I wrote a buy list before going to the supermarket.

  ✓ I wrote a shopping list before going to the supermarket.

  'Buy list' is not a natural English term. The standard compound noun is always 'shopping list' or 'grocery list'.

• ✗ Did you put apples in the shopping list?

  ✓ Did you put apples on the shopping list?

  We use the preposition 'on' with lists (on a list, on a piece of paper), not 'in'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I always make a ___ before I go to the supermarket.

  💡 A list of things you need to buy.

  Show answer

  shopping list

• Is bread on the ___?

  💡 The written note of items you need to get from the store.

  Show answer

  shopping list