Everyday Conversations: Learning American English » Dialogue 2-10: Transportation

Word List
  • Should we … or …?
    →

    Should we … or …? Is a way of asking “Which is better?” “Should” is used to ask for an opinion. Note that we do not say “Will” here.

  • Take a taxi or a bus?
    →

    Take a taxi or a bus? The word “or” signals a choice here. Notice the rising intonation on taxi (the first choice) and falling intonation on bus (the second choice).

  • Let’s
    →

    Let’s (Let us) means “I think we should do this.”

  • Rush hour
    →

    Rush hour is the time of day when most people are going to or from work. In most American cities, rush hour is from about 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. and from about 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Notice that “rush hour” is a compound noun, with the main stress on the first word.

  • Isn’t that
    →

    Isn’t that This is a negative question. The speaker expects an affirmative answer. It is used to check information.

  • Bus stop
    →

    Bus stop is a compound noun, with the main stress on the first word.

  • Oh!
    →

    Oh! is an exclamation used to express alarm or surprise.

  • Oh, no!
    →

    Oh, no! is an expression used to express disappointment.

  • We just missed it
    →

    We just missed it here means “We arrived a moment too late to get the bus.” Notice the emphasis on “just” to show the very recent past.

  • No problem
    →

    No problem here means “It doesn’t matter.”

Dialogue 2-10: Transportation

JOYCE: Should we take a taxi or a bus to the mall?

BILL: Let’s take a bus. It’s impossible to get a taxi during rush hour.

JOYCE: Isn’t that a bus stop over there?

BILL: Yes ... Oh! There’s a bus now. We’ll have to run to catch it.

JOYCE: Oh, no! We just missed it.

BILL: No problem. There’ll be another one in 10 minutes.

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