Money and Shopping
When something goes wrong with a purchase, vague English gets ignored — specific English gets results. This unit teaches you to identify, describe, and complain with precision using relative clauses, plus state your preferences politely with would rather and would prefer.
Specifier Builder
See how vague sentences become specific with relative clauses. Each example highlights the relative pronoun and explains why it's the right choice.
The situation:
You're returning a shirt at a store. The clerk asks which one. You need to identify it precisely.
Too vague:
"I want to return the shirt."
Quiero devolver la camisa.
Specific (with relative clause):
Dialogue Practice
A real return at a real store — watch how the customer uses relative clauses to identify the item and preference modals to state what they want.
Marcos
Hi, I'd like to return this coffee maker that I bought on Saturday. It stopped working after two days.
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Clerk
I'm sorry to hear that. Do you have the receipt?
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Marcos
Yes, here it is. Would you prefer to give me a refund, or would a replacement be possible?
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Clerk
It's up to you. Most customers who have this problem prefer a replacement, since the model is popular.
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Marcos
Actually, I'd rather have my money back. I'd prefer to try a different brand.
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Clerk
Of course. Is there anything specific that we can do better with this product?
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Marcos
The instructions, which were translated poorly, were really hard to follow. That's not your fault, of course — it's the manufacturer.
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Clerk
I'll pass that feedback on. Your refund will be credited to the card you used, and it should appear in 3 to 5 business days.
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Key Phrases
I'd like to return this... that I bought...
Me gustaría devolver este... que compré...
The standard return formula. 'Would like' is polite, the relative clause identifies the item.
I'd rather have...
Preferiría tener...
'Would rather' followed by base verb — the polite way to state a preference.
I'd prefer to...
Preferiría...
'Would prefer' followed by 'to + verb'. Slightly more formal than 'would rather'.
Structure Builder
Defining vs. non-defining relative clauses, plus 'would rather' and 'would prefer'.
The book that I borrowed from you was excellent.
El libro que te pedí prestado fue excelente.
The woman who lives next door is a doctor.
La mujer que vive al lado es doctora.
The bank that's on the corner has the best rates.
El banco que está en la esquina tiene las mejores tasas.
The store where I bought this is having a sale.
La tienda donde compré esto tiene una venta.
Error Correction
Six errors that confuse store clerks and bank tellers — fix them before your next return.
Pronunciation Lab
Sentence stress for emphasis — how the same words can mean different things based on which one you stress.
I'd RATHER pay cash
Spanish stress pattern
I'D RATHER PAY CASH
English stress pattern
aid-RATH-er-pei-KASH
In 'I'd rather pay cash', stress falls on 'rather' (the choice) and 'cash' (the key noun). 'I'd' and 'pay' are quick. Native speakers compress the unstressed words.
Self-Test
Test yourself on relative clause expressions, preference phrases, and money/shopping vocabulary.
el/la que...
expression