Getting Change, Lending and Borrowing Money

A.

Getting Change

• Have you got any change?
• What do you need?
• I need change for a quarter.
• Here are two dimes and five pennies
• Can you change this five-dollar bill?
• How do you want it?
• A five and five ones, please.
• Here you are.
• Do you have change for a dollar bill?
• Just a minute and I’ll see.
• I need some quarters.
• Can you break a twenty dollar bill?
• Do you have change for a dollar?
• I have some coins I need to change.
• I need five dollars in quarters.

B.

Talking about Money

• I have some coins I need to change.
• How much money do you have?
• Not very much.
• Do you have many dollar bills?
• Not very many, I’m afraid.
• I think I’ve lost my money.
• Oh, that’s what’s bothering you.
• It’s a good reason to be upset, isn’t it?
• Are you sure you lost your money?
• I’m sure I did.
• Would you please look again?
• I will, but I’m sure it’s not here.
• How many pennies did you have in your valet?
• I had exactly five hundred of them.
• What did you do with them?
• I put them in rolls of fifty pennies each.
• Have you made very much money this year?
• Not an awful lot.
• How hard have you tried?
• Not as hard as I could have, I’m afraid.
• How much did you make this week?
• Two Hundred dollars.
• Is that your take-home pay?
• Yes, it is.
• I've got to pay a lot of bills.
• And I’ve got to pay my rent today.
• Money goes very fast these days, doesn’t it?
• It certainly does.
• Did you put the money in the bank?
• I deposited part of it and spent the rest.
• Do you have an account at that bank?
• How much do you have to keep in the account?
• There’s no minimum.

C.

Lending and Borrowing Money

• Could you lend me a dollar until tomorrow?
• I can if you have change for a five.
• I wish I did, but I don’t.
• Well, we can get it changed easily.
• I need about ten dollars.
• What do you need it for?
• I need it for books and supplies.
• O.K., I’ll lend it to you.
• How much do you need?
• Could you spare four or five dollars?
• What did you need the money for yesterday?
• I wanted it for a new suit.
• Did you get the money?
• Yes. I borrowed it from a friend.
• How much change have you got?
• Two quarters, two nickels, and a dine.
• That’s not enough to change this dollar bill.
• I’ll lend you all of this change if you want it.
• I think I can borrow enough money to go.
• You’re on vacation with your friend in Las Vegas.
• You have just spent all your money.
• Your friend is upstairs in the hotel room.
• Call your friend and ask to borrow $60.

D.

Describing price changes

• The price has gone up.
• It went up (last month/sharply/gradually)
• The cost of (food) is rising.
• There was a rise in price.
• In (summer) prices should go down.
• The cost of (this) went down (last year)
• The price of (oil) may drop.
• We had a drop in (salary costs).
• It was a sharp drop/a slight drop
• There was a fall in prices.
• Prices stayed the same.
• The cost of living will stay level.
• Prices are at about the same level.

E.

Talking about living costs

• (Houses) are very expensive/cheap
• We can/can’t afford (chocolate).
• It’s (not) hard/difficult.
• Some people find it difficult to cope.
• It’s very hard for (people on a pension).
• We’re better off/worse off.
• What’s it like in (your country)?
• How is it with you?

F.

Talking about tax

• The government takes (30%) in tax
• You have to pay income tax/sales tax.
• I pay (a third) in tax.
• (10%) of your salary goes for insurance.
• The taxes are high/low.
• There’s good social security/insurance.
• You get a pension at (60).
• How much do you pay in (income tax)?
• What are the taxes like?