Meaning & use
shop fronts
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“shop fronts” is a form of “shop front”.
Meanings
nouncountableBritish
The front part of a shop, including the window and entrance, that faces the street.
Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is 'shop front'. Often used in the plural when talking about several shops.
Patterns
- a row of shop fronts
- the shop fronts on the high street
The shop fronts along the high street were decorated for the festival.
Many shop fronts have large glass windows to display products.
nouncountableBritish
The facade or exterior of a shop, considered as a whole.
Grammar: Can refer to the architectural front, not just the window.
Patterns
- paint the shop fronts
- modern shop fronts
The old shop fronts were restored to their original style.
Brightly colored shop fronts attract more customers.
Word forms
| singular | shop front |
|---|
Common combinations
- a row of shop fronts
- There is a row of shop fronts near the station.
- shop fronts on the high street
- The shop fronts on the high street are all lit up at night.
- modern shop fronts
- The new mall has modern shop fronts with automatic doors.
- shop fronts are boarded up
- After the storm, many shop fronts were boarded up.
Synonyms and how they differ
- storefront
- The American English term; 'shop front' is more common in British English.
- facade
- A more general word for the front of any building, not just a shop.
Word family
Commonly confused: shop fronts or shop window?
shop fronts vs shop window
A shop window is just the glass display area, while 'shop front' includes the whole front including the door and sign.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
The plural subject 'shop fronts' takes the plural verb 'were'. Option B uses 'was' with a plural subject, option C uses 'were' with a singular subject, and option D uses 'is' with a plural subject and the wrong tense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shop fronts”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.