Buying a few things in a small shop: greeting, asking and paying

A customer steps into a small neighbourhood shop to pick up three everyday items. The shopkeeper greets them, fetches what they ask for, adds everything up and takes the money. It is one of the shortest and most common exchanges in the language, and both speakers keep it brief and friendly.

1. A: Good morning.
2. B: Good morning. Can I help you?
3. A: Yes, please. Two apples and a bottle of water, please.
4. B: Here you are. Anything else?
5. A: Um... yes. A small loaf of bread, please.
6. B: Of course. So that's two apples, water and bread.
7. A: How much is that?
8. B: That's four pounds, please.
9. A: Here's five.
10. B: Thanks. And one pound change.
11. A: Thank you. Bye!
12. B: Bye. Have a nice day!

Two things carry the politeness here. First, the one small word the customer attaches to each request - listen for it in lines three and five, and notice the shopkeeper returning it in line eight when naming the total. Without it, the same requests sound like orders. Second, the short fixed question in line seven that asks what everything comes to: learn it as a whole phrase rather than building it word by word. Notice also how short the answers are - full sentences would sound odd across a shop counter.

1. B: That's ___ pounds, please.