Level B2/B2+. This sheet covers exactly what the Unit 4 test checks: shopping vocabulary, question tags, modal structures (present + past), and alternative modal forms. Real test items are included with answers at the end.
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| make impulse purchases | buy on a sudden wish, no plan | I regret making impulse purchases. |
| put sth aside | save money for later | She puts £50 aside each month. |
| be short of money | not have enough money | I'm short of money at the moment. |
| increase one's earnings | earn more money | He managed to increase his earnings. |
| lost property | office where you claim lost items | I've been to lost property. |
| personal belongings | your own things | Keep your personal belongings with you. |
| make ends meet | just manage to pay for basics | He finds it hard to make ends meet. |
| have money to burn | be very rich, spend freely | They have money to burn. |
| live from hand to mouth | survive on the bare minimum | She lived from hand to mouth. |
| be rolling in money | earn a lot of money | They are rolling in money. |
| be broke / be loaded | very poor / very rich | I'm broke · He's loaded. |
| treat yourself to sth | buy something nice for you | I'll treat myself to new shoes. |
| bid for sth (auction) | offer a price at auction | She bid for the painting. |
| come up for auction | be sold at auction | The car has come up for auction. |
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| bargain price | a very low, good price |
| be on a limited budget | only have a small amount of money to spend |
| go bargain-hunting | look for cheap goods |
| shop around | compare prices in several shops before buying |
| shop locally / support local producers | buy from shops and makers in your area |
| put sth aside | save money for later |
| send sth back / take sth back | return a product to the shop |
| cut down on (sth) | use or spend less of something |
| check up on (sb/sth) | look at or examine carefully |
| look out for (sth) | be careful about; watch for |
| mass-produced product | made in large quantities by machines |
| ethical values / responsible attitude | doing the right thing, esp. for the environment |
| online shopping | buying things on the internet |
| local brands | products made by small companies in your area |
| treat yourself to sth | buy something nice for yourself |
| go bargain-hunting · pick up a bargain | find and buy sth cheaply |
| spring up (shops) | appear quickly in large numbers |
| throw-away society | a culture that buys and throws things away |
| synthetic fabric / textile waste | man-made cloth / rubbish from making clothes |
| carbon emission / environmental impact / polluter | gas that warms the planet / effect on nature / one who pollutes |
| garment / sportswear / streetwear / fashion | a piece of clothing / sports clothes / casual trendy clothes / style |
| vintage / designer / brand / reduced | old-fashioned (in a good way) / made by a famous maker / company name / price lowered |
| latest / on trend / fashionable | most recent / in style at the moment |
| pick-up · delivery · receipt | small vehicle that collects goods / bringing goods to you / proof of purchase |
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| flea market | open-air market selling old/used things |
| auction house / online auction | place where items are sold to the highest bidder |
| car boot sale | sale of goods from the back of cars |
| bric-a-brac | collection of small, cheap objects |
| lost property | office where you claim lost items |
| personal belongings | your own things |
| pre-owned goods / second-hand clothes | used items / clothes that had an owner |
| market stall / stall holder | small stand at a market / the person who runs it |
| come up for auction | be put up for sale at an auction |
| bid for sth / place a bid / winning bid | offer a price / make an offer / the highest accepted offer |
| make a profit / make a fortune | earn money from selling / become very rich |
| ornament / antiques market / checked bag / clutter | decoration / market for old valuable objects / bag with a check pattern / untidy collection of things |
| unclaimed / unwanted / reasonably-priced | not collected by owner / not wanted / at a fair price |
| get hold of (sth) | manage to obtain something |
| claim sth | say sth is yours (lost item) |
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| afford to do sth | have enough money to do/buy |
| be broke / be loaded / be well-off | very poor / very rich / comfortable financially |
| be short of money / make ends meet / live from hand to mouth | lack money / just cover basics / survive on the minimum |
| have money to burn / be rolling in money / make a fortune | spend freely because rich / earn a lot / become very rich |
| bid for sth (in an auction) | offer a price at an auction |
| increase (your) earnings | earn more money |
| in demand | wanted by many people |
| limited edition / on trend / hyped | only a few made / in style / made very popular by media |
| donate / fundraise for charity / raise money | give money to help others / collect money for a cause |
| make a profit / business empire | gain from selling / a large group of companies owned by one person |
| put sth up for sale | offer sth for people to buy |
| resell / fetch (a price) | sell again / get a particular price for sth |
| consumer behaviour / publicity stunt / cult following | how buyers act / an event to attract attention / very loyal fan group |
| leftover / annual / available / refuse / reveal | remaining / yearly / able to be used or bought / say no / make known |
| take on a challenge / step in / catch the bug | accept a difficult task / intervene suddenly / become enthusiastic about sth |
bother (to do sth = find it worth the effort) · exchange (swap for another) · in advance (before) · it's a pity / it's a shame (unfortunate) · rash (acting without thinking) · receipt (proof of purchase) · take sth back (return to shop)
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| can't be bothered to do sth | don't feel like putting in the effort |
| eye-catching / time-consuming | attracting attention / taking a long time |
| get the message / justify (sth) | understand what is meant / show sth is reasonable |
| on second thoughts | after thinking again and changing your mind |
| order sth online / interact with sb | buy via internet / communicate with someone |
| halfway across town | in the middle of the distance to town |
| a penny saved is a penny earned | saving money is as good as earning it |
| allowance / pocket money | regular money given to a young person |
| financial advisor / savings account / interest on a loan | expert with money / account for saving / cost of borrowed money |
| get a discount / money-off voucher (coupon) | pay less than full price / ticket giving a reduction |
| open a bank account / stock of (sth) | start an account at a bank / quantity of goods held |
| save up for / save for a rainy day | collect money over time / keep money for emergencies |
| waste money / miss an opportunity / gain | spend uselessly / fail to take advantage / get a benefit |
| luxurious / disadvantaged / run a seminar | very expensive and comfortable / poorer, with fewer chances / organize a course |
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| make a complaint / incident | formally say you are unhappy / an event that happened |
| accuse sb of / threaten (sb) | say sb did sth wrong / warn of a possible action |
| discriminate against sb / treat sb unfairly | treat a group worse because of who they are |
| draw sb's attention to (sth) | make sb notice something |
| feel offended / humiliated / embarrassed / upset | hurt by behaviour / made to feel ashamed |
| overreaction / policy / on behalf (of) | reacting too strongly / official rule / representing someone |
| reason with (sb) / reconsider / approach | talk calmly to persuade / think again / deal with or contact |
| kick sb out / security guard / hang out | force sb to leave / person who protects a place / spend time relaxing |
Remember: "make ends meet", "have money to burn", "be rolling in money", "be loaded", "well-off" = rich. "be broke", "live from hand to mouth", "be short of money", "on a limited budget" = poor. Do not mix them up.
Rule: positive sentence → negative tag. Negative sentence → positive tag. Use auxiliary be / have / do / will / modal + pronoun.
| Situation | Tag |
|---|---|
| You've been here, haven't you? | positive → negative |
| She can't swim, can she? | negative → positive |
| I'm late, aren't I? | I'm always takes aren't I |
| Let's go, shall we? | Let's always takes shall we |
| Nobody came, did they? | nobody/no one → they + positive tag |
| Everybody loves cake, don't they? | everybody/everyone → they + plural verb |
| Nothing can be done, can it? | nothing → it + positive tag |
| That's your car, isn't it? | that → it |
| There was a problem, wasn't there? | there → repeat there |
| Don't spend too much, will you? | negative imperative → will you (always) |
| Wait for me, will/could you? | positive imperative → will / could you |
Traps: - Words never, rarely, seldom, hardly, barely, no, nobody make the sentence negative → use a positive tag. "I hardly know you, do I?" - Let's → shall we (not "will we"). - I'm / I've → aren't I / haven't I.
Rule: positive statement → positive reply question. Negative statement → negative reply question. (Same sign as the statement — opposite of tags!)
| Statement | Reply question |
|---|---|
| "She talked about you all the time." | "Did she? I missed her too." |
| "I wouldn't like to be in his shoes." | "Wouldn't you? Why?" |
| "I went to the new shop yesterday." | "Did you?" |
| "They aren't flying to Japan after all." | "Aren't they?" |
| "I never buy shoes online." | "Don't you?" |
The #1 trap: question tags flip the sign; reply questions keep the sign. Do not confuse them.
| Meaning | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| advice | should / ought to (+not) | You should eat more fruit. |
| strong necessity | must | You must try that spa. |
| prohibition | mustn't | You mustn't spoil her. |
| necessity | need to | You need to keep the receipt. |
| no necessity (now) | needn't / don't need to | You needn't shout. |
| strong advice | had better (+not) | You'd better not be late. |
Note: had better = "should, but stronger". No "to": "You'd better go" (NOT ~~had better to go~~).
| Meaning | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| was necessary | had to | She had to take a taxi. |
| wasn't necessary (so didn't do it) | didn't have to / didn't need to | I didn't have to wait long. |
| regret / criticism | should have + pp / ought to have + pp | We should have booked earlier. |
| no necessity, BUT you did it anyway | needn't have + pp | You needn't have bought the ticket. |
If the action happened → needn't have. If it did not happen → didn't need to / didn't have to.
These replace modal verbs, especially in past/future or after other verbs.
| Meaning | Modal | Alternative structure | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| probability (certain) | must / will | be bound to do · be likely to do · be sure/certain to do | You're bound to feel nervous. The tickets are likely to sell out. |
| ability | can / could | be able/unable to do · manage to do · succeed in doing | I managed to get up. We didn't succeed in meeting the target. |
| permission | can / may | be allowed to do · be permitted to do | You aren't allowed to enter backstage. |
| prohibition | can't / mustn't | not be allowed to · be forbidden to/from doing · be banned from doing | Students were banned from taking food in. Guests are forbidden to use the pool. |
| obligation | must / should | have to · need to · ought to · be obliged to · be required to · be supposed to · be meant to | You're supposed to sign both copies. I meant to text you. |
Forms to memorize (tested): - be bound to + infinitive → "Julie is bound to win." - be likely to + infinitive → "the tickets are likely to sell out." - manage to + infinitive → "I didn't manage to get up on time." - succeed in + -ing → "succeed in completing the task." (NOT ~~to complete~~) - be supposed to + infinitive → "I am/was supposed to receive it by noon." - be meant to + infinitive → "She is meant to be here by now." - be banned from + -ing / be forbidden to/from + ...
Rewrite the second sentence so it means the same. Use the word in capitals.
| You want to say… | Use |
|---|---|
| positive sentence + tag | negative tag (… , haven't you?) |
| Let's … | shall we? |
| I'm … | aren't I? |
| nobody / everybody | they (+ plural verb) |
| show interest (reply question) | SAME sign as statement (Did she? / Don't you?) |
| advice now | should / ought to / had better |
| wasn't necessary, didn't do it | didn't need to / didn't have to |
| wasn't necessary, DID do it | needn't have + pp |
| regret / criticism (past) | should/ought to have + pp |
| certain to happen | be bound to / be likely to |
| managed to do it | manage to / succeed in -ing |
| not permitted | be banned from -ing / be forbidden to |
| expected to | be supposed to / be meant to |
| so + adjective | so long, so heavy |
| such + noun phrase | such a big mess, such heavy traffic |
Top 3 things to remember: 1. didn't need to (didn't do it) vs needn't have (did it for nothing). 2. Question tags flip the sign; reply questions keep the sign. 3. succeed in -ing / manage to + infinitive / be banned from -ing / be bound to + infinitive — get the preposition and verb form right.