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A2Online Shopping

Adding Items to Your Online Shopping Cart

Phrasal Verb: add to |Grammar: Present Continuous

Objective

Students will learn how to use the phrasal verb 'add to' in the present continuous tense to talk about building their online shopping cart.

Article

Online shopping is very popular today. Many people are building their shopping carts while they are browsing websites. When you find a product you like, you are adding it to your cart. This means you are choosing the item and saving it for later. Some people are adding to their carts items like clothes, books, or electronics. While you are shopping, you are also checking prices and reading reviews. You are adding to your cart carefully to avoid buying things you don’t need. The website is showing you your cart total as you are adding to it. When you finish, you are going to pay for all the items in the cart. Online shopping is easy and fun when you are adding to your cart step by step.

Grammar Explanation

Meaning

The phrasal verb 'add to' means to put something into a collection or group, such as adding items to a shopping cart.

Grammar Note

The present continuous tense describes actions that are happening right now. It is formed with the verb 'to be' + verb ending in -ing (e.g., 'I am adding').

Usage Tips

  • Use 'am/is/are adding to' for actions happening now.
  • Remember to match the verb 'to be' with the subject (I am, she is, they are).
  • Use 'add to' when talking about putting things into a group or list, like a cart.

Examples

I am adding to my cart a new pair of shoes.

Talking about selecting shoes right now.

She is adding to her cart some books for her holiday.

Describing what she is doing online now.

They are adding to their cart electronics and accessories.

Talking about a group shopping together.

He is adding to his cart a gift for his friend.

Explaining his current online action.

We are adding to our cart items before the sale ends.

Talking about a group preparing to buy.

Dialogue

Context: Two friends are shopping online together and talking about adding items to their carts.

A:
I am adding to my cart a new jacket for winter.
B:
Good idea! I am adding to my cart some gloves and a hat.
A:
Are you adding to your cart anything else?
B:
Yes, I am adding to my cart a scarf too.
A:
I am checking the prices as I am adding to my cart.
B:
Me too! Let’s buy everything soon.

Vocabulary

cart
A virtual basket where you keep items to buy online.
Example: I am adding a laptop to my cart.
Synonym: basket
browse
To look through items or websites without buying immediately.
Example: She is browsing the online store for shoes.
Synonym: look through
checkout
The process of paying for items in your cart.
Example: We are ready to checkout after adding all items.
Synonym: pay
review
Comments from customers about a product.
Example: They are reading reviews before adding to their cart.
Synonym: feedback
discount
A reduction in price.
Example: I am adding to my cart items with a discount.
Synonym: sale
quantity
The number of items you want to buy.
Example: She is changing the quantity before adding to the cart.
Synonym: amount
wishlist
A list of items you want to buy later.
Example: He is adding items to his wishlist first.
Synonym: favourites
shipping
Delivery of items to your home.
Example: We are checking shipping costs before buying.
Synonym: delivery
payment
The method you use to pay for your order.
Example: I am choosing payment options after adding to my cart.
Synonym: purchase
total
The full amount of money to pay.
Example: The website is showing the total as I add to my cart.
Synonym: sum

Tips

  • When shopping online, always check the cart before paying.
  • Use the present continuous to describe what you are doing now, like 'I am adding to my cart.'
  • Don’t confuse 'add to' with 'add up' – 'add to' means putting something in, 'add up' means calculating total.

Summary

In this lesson, you learned how to use the phrasal verb 'add to' in the present continuous tense when talking about online shopping. You practised building your shopping cart and using phrases to describe actions you are doing now. Remember to use 'am/is/are adding to' when speaking about actions happening at this moment.

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