It is 4 pm on 24 December. The shop is very busy. You need to say how much stock is left, say what is missing and what is too much, and send a short crisis message to your manager.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a turkey | the big bird people eat on Christmas Day | We have only two turkeys left. |
| a mince pie | a small sweet pie with dried fruit and spices | Mince pies are on the top shelf. |
| a Christmas pudding | a dark fruit pudding for Christmas lunch | There are too many Christmas puddings. |
| a Christmas cracker | a paper tube that goes bang when two people pull it; inside there is a paper crown, a joke and a small gift | Christmas crackers are out of stock. |
| a shelf (shelves) | a long board in a shop where you put products | The shelves are empty. |
| a delivery lorry | a big vehicle that brings products to the shop (US: truck) | The delivery lorry is late. |
| out of stock | there are none left in the shop | Sorry, crackers are out of stock. |
| an emergency | a serious situation that needs action now | This is an emergency! |
| an aisle | a passage between the shelves | The puddings are in aisle 4. |
| the car park | the place where customers park (US: parking lot) | There is snow on the car park. |
Quick check. much or many? How ... mince pies do we have?
Put each word in the right column: turkeys, snow, time, mince pies, money, crackers, tape, customers.
Countable: turkeys, mince pies, crackers, customers. Uncountable: snow, time, money, tape.
You are the logistics team of a shop in London. It is 4 pm on 24 December, the final rush. The shelves are emptying fast. Send a short, clear crisis text or email to your manager about the stock.
| Product | Type of noun | Stock | Say |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkeys | countable plural | 2 left | very few |
| Christmas puddings | countable plural | 400 left | too many |
| Snow on the car park | uncountable | 30 cm | too much |
| Time before closing | uncountable | 15 minutes | not much |
Write your message (50 to 60 words). Use the four quantifiers of the table and finish with a question to your manager.
Model. Boss, we have a crisis! There are too many Christmas puddings left in the aisle, but we have very few turkeys for the customers. Also, there is too much snow outside, so the delivery lorry is late. We don't have much time before the shop closes. What should we do?
Role play in pairs. Student A is the manager, student B is the team leader. The manager answers the message and gives two solutions (for example a special offer on the puddings, or calling another branch). Use Let's…, We could…, Why don't we…?
A: Thanks for the message. Let's put a special offer on the Christmas puddings: two for the price of one. B: Good idea. And the turkeys? A: We could call the Oxford Street branch: maybe they have a few left. Why don't we ask the customers to come back on Boxing Day?