Returns and Exchanges Vocabulary for Everyday Shopping (CLB 5–7)

Returning or exchanging an item is a common shopping situation in Canada. Sometimes a product is damaged, doesn’t fit, or simply isn’t what you expected. Knowing the right returns and exchanges vocabulary will help you explain the problem clearly and communicate confidently with store employees.

In this lesson, you’ll learn useful adjectives and phrases to describe product problems, ask for a return or exchange, and practise using the new vocabulary.

Why You Need This Vocabulary

You may need to return or exchange an item if:

• it is damaged
• it doesn’t work
• it is the wrong size
• it arrived in poor condition
• it looks different from what you expected

Instead of saying:

“It’s bad.”

try saying:

“It’s torn.”

or

“The zipper is broken.”

Being specific makes communication much easier.

Common Adjectives for Describing Damaged Items

Adjective	Meaning	Example
torn	has a rip or hole	The shirt is torn.
ripped	ripped open	My backpack is ripped.
stained	has a mark that won’t wash out	The dress is stained.
spotted	has small marks or spots	The tablecloth is spotted.
scratched	has surface marks	The phone screen is scratched.
cracked	has a break but not completely broken	The cup is cracked.
broken	not working or damaged	The lamp is broken.
chipped	a small piece is missing	The plate is chipped.
bent	no longer straight	The frame is bent.
dented	has an inward bump	The can is dented.
loose	not tightly attached	The button is loose.
missing	not included	A screw is missing.
defective	has a manufacturing problem	The product is defective.
faulty	doesn’t work properly	The remote is faulty.
worn out	used so much it no longer works well	My shoes are worn out.
faded	the colour became lighter	The shirt is faded.
dirty	not clean	The item arrived dirty.
used	not new	I received a used item.
expired	past the best-before date	The yogurt is expired.

Useful Clothing Vocabulary

When returning clothing, you may need these words.

Problem	Example
too small	These pants are too small.
too big	The jacket is too big.
too tight	The shoes are too tight.
too loose	The sweater is too loose.
doesn’t fit	It doesn’t fit me.
uncomfortable	The boots are uncomfortable.
wrong colour	I wanted the blue one.
wrong size	I ordered a medium.

Electronics Vocabulary

Problem	Example
won’t turn on	The tablet won’t turn on.
doesn’t charge	The battery doesn’t charge.
battery is dead	The battery is dead.
screen is cracked	The screen is cracked.
sound doesn’t work	There’s no sound.
defective	The headphones are defective.

Food and Grocery Vocabulary

Problem	Example
expired	This milk is expired.
spoiled	The fruit is spoiled.
mouldy	The bread is mouldy.
damaged package	The package is damaged.
leaking	The bottle is leaking.
crushed	The cereal box is crushed.

Useful Verbs

• return
• exchange
• refund
• replace
• repair
• inspect
• check
• open
• try on
• fit
• damage

Examples:

• I’d like to return this sweater.
• I’d like to exchange it for another size.
• Can I get a refund?
• Could you replace this item?

Useful Shopping Expressions

Asking for a Return

• I’d like to return this item.
• I’d like a refund.
• This item is defective.
• It doesn’t work.
• I bought it yesterday.
• I have the receipt.

Asking for an Exchange

• I’d like to exchange this.
• Can I exchange it for a different size?
• Can I get the blue one instead?
• Could I exchange it for another model?

Explaining the Problem

• It arrived damaged.
• The zipper is broken.
• The sleeve is torn.
• The plate is chipped.
• The screen is scratched.
• It’s missing a part.

Practice

Practice 1 – Match the Word

Match the adjective to the description.

Adjective	Description
1. chipped	a. has a hole
2. torn	b. small piece missing
3. cracked	c. colour became lighter
4. faded	d. has a break
5. stained	e. has a permanent mark

Answers

1–b
2–a
3–d
4–c
5–e

Practice 2 – Choose the Best Word

Choose the correct adjective.

1. The coffee cup has a small piece missing.

a) torn

b) chipped

c) faded

2. My phone fell on the floor. The screen is ______.

a) cracked

b) expired

c) spotted

3. The shirt has chocolate on it.

a) stained

b) bent

c) chipped

4. The cereal box arrived ______.

a) scratched

b) crushed

c) loose

5. The batteries don’t work.

a) faulty

b) faded

c) spotted

Answers

1. b
2. a
3. a
4. b
5. a

Practice 3 – Complete the Sentence

Fill in the blanks with the words below.

torn • chipped • scratched • expired • defective • stained • loose

1. The plate is __________.
2. My receipt says this yogurt is __________.
3. The shirt arrived __________ with ink.
4. The zipper is __________.
5. The TV is __________ and won’t turn on.
6. My phone screen is __________.
7. The sleeve is __________.

Possible Answers

1. chipped
2. expired
3. stained
4. loose
5. defective
6. scratched
7. torn

Practice 4 – Rewrite the Sentence

Replace the general word with a more specific adjective.

Example:

The cup is bad.

→ The cup is chipped.

1. The shirt is bad.
2. The phone is bad.
3. The milk is bad.
4. The sweater is bad.
5. The plate is bad.

Sample Answers

1. The shirt is torn.
2. The phone is scratched.
3. The milk is expired.
4. The sweater is stained.
5. The plate is chipped.

Speaking Practice

Imagine you are at a customer service desk. Answer these questions.

1. What item are you returning?
2. What is wrong with it?
3. When did you buy it?
4. Do you have the receipt?
5. Would you like a refund or an exchange?

Example

I’d like to return this jacket. I bought it last week. The zipper is broken, and one sleeve is torn. I have the receipt. I’d like to exchange it for another one.

Writing Practice

Write a short paragraph (80–120 words).

Prompt:

You bought something that had a problem. Describe:

• what you bought
• where you bought it
• what was wrong with it
• what you said to customer service
• whether you received a refund or an exchange

In sum,

Returning or exchanging an item is a common part of shopping in Canada. Learning the right returns and exchanges vocabulary will help you explain problems clearly and communicate confidently with customer service. In this lesson, you learned useful adjectives to describe damaged or defective products, such as torn, chipped, scratched, stained, cracked, faulty, and expired. You also practised common shopping phrases for asking for a refund, exchange, or replacement, and completed exercises to reinforce your new vocabulary. These words and expressions will prepare you to better handle everyday shopping situations in English.