Speak English Around Town » LESSON 21 - Taking a Taxi

Taking a Taxi

Ian gets in a taxi. Hes in a big rush because he has an interview in 10 minutes. Unfortunately, he gets stuck in traffic.

Ali: Where are you headed?

Ian: 411 Wall Street.

Ali: Hop in!

Ian: I've got a meeting in 10 minutes. Can you step on it?

Ali: This is the fastest I can go. If I go any faster, I'm going to get pulled over.

Ian: Don't you know some back roads we can take?

Ali: No, this is the best way to go. Oops! That was a close call. That bus almost hit us!

Ian: I've got an interview at 10.

Ali: I hate to break it to you, but there's bumper-to-bumper traffic up ahead.

Ian: Yes, I see that traffic is heavy. What's going on?

Ali: It looks like there was a fender bender. Now there's rubber necking.

Ian: What rotten luck!

Ali: We're only five blocks away. It'll be quicker if I let you out here and you run the rest of the way.

Ian: Okay. Here's 10 bucks. Keep the change.

Idioms
  • back roads
    → secondary roads; little-used roads
    Example: Don't take the highway during rush hour. Take the back roads instead.
  • (to) break something to someone
    → to tell someone bad news
    Example: I'm sorry to break it to you, but we're not going to get to the airport in time for your flight.
  • bumper-to-bumper traffic
    → heavy traffic; so much traffic that one is barely moving
    Example: The drive into the city took us twice as long as usual due to bumper-to-bumper traffic.
  • close call
    → a near miss; something that was almost an accident
    Example: A truck entered our lane without signaling, and we had a close call.
  • fender bender
    → a small crash between two vehicles
    Example: Last night I had a fender bender in the parking garage, so today I'm taking my car to the repair shop.
    NOTE: fenders are the panels above the front wheels of a car
  • (to) get pulled over
    → to get stopped by the police
    Example: Natasha got pulled over for going through a stop sign.
  • Hop in!
    → Get in the car!
    Example: You need a ride to school? Hop in!
  • (to) keep the change
    → to keep the difference between the charge and the money a customer is giving
    Example: The bill at the restaurant came to $17. We gave the waitress a twenty and told her to keep the change.
  • rotten luck
    → bad luck
    Example: I can't believe I've got a flat tire. I've had nothing but rotten luck all day today.
  • rubber necking
    → when cars slow down to look at an accident
    Example: A truck was lying on its side on the highway, and traffic was backed up for miles due to rubber necking.
  • (to) step on it
    → to go faster (refers to stepping on the gas pedal)
    Example: There's a creepy man following close behind us. Let's step on it and get away from him!
  • traffic is heavy
    → there are lot of cars on the road, so the driving is slow
    Example: Traffic was heavy on Route 9 this morning due to an accident.
  • up ahead
    → in front of (someone); in the near distance
    Example: I see an ambulance up ahead. There must've been an accident.
  • Where are you headed?
    → Where are you going?
    Example: "Where are you headed?" - "I'm going to the mall."
Practice the Expressions

Choose the best substitute for the phrase or sentence in bold:

  1. I had a fender bender on my way home from work yesterday.
    • a) major crash
    • b) small crash
    • c) broken fender
  2. If everybody would stop rubber necking, traffic would start moving a lot faster.
    • a) slowing down to look at an accident
    • b) driving so carefully
    • c) looking at what's going on all around
  3. I owe you nine dollars. Here's ten. Keep the change.
    • a) Give me back one dollar.
    • b) Give me change when you have it.
    • c) Keep the dollar.
  4. You got a flat tire. What rotten luck!
    • a) How unfortunate!
    • b) How fortunate!
    • c) How strange!
  5. Ninth and Grand Street? Hop in!
    • a) Go that way!
    • b) Get in the taxi!
    • c) Over there!
  6. I hate to break it to you, but this relationship isn't working.
    • a) tell you something you already know
    • b) give you the good news
    • c) give you the bad news
  7. Pam got pulled over for talking on her cellphone while driving.
    • a) thrown in jail
    • b) in an accident
    • c) stopped by the police
  8. A dog ran into the road, and I had a close call.
    • a) almost hit it
    • b) ran it over
    • c) told it to move
  9. Where are you headed?
    • a) Where were you?
    • b) Where are you?
    • c) Where are you going?
  10. I see an accident up ahead.
    • a) in front of us
    • b) behind us
    • c) to the side
Answer Key
Practice The Expressions
  1. b
  2. a
  3. c
  4. a
  5. b
  6. c
  7. c
  8. a
  9. c
  10. a
Answer Key
Language Lens: Comparative & Superlatives Adjectives

Comparative Adjectives
Use a comparative adjective to compare two things or people. The word "than" comes before the object of the comparison.

Examples:
◼ This mug is bigger than that one.
◼ My laptop was more expensive than yours.
◼ I thought Jane was older. (Note: here the comparison is implied. I thought Jane was older than she really is).

Form the comparative like this:
With short words (1-2 syllables): add -er to the end of the words. If the last two letters of the word are a vowel + consonant, double the final consonant before adding -er
Examples:
big => bigger
hot => hotter

If the word ends in "y," change the "y" to "i" before adding -er.
Examples:
pretty => prettier
ugly => uglier

With longer words (many 2 syllable words and all 3+ syllable words): add "less" or "more" before the word.
Examples:
graceful => more graceful
intelligent => more intelligent
qualified => less qualified
interested => less interested

Superlative adjectives
Use a superlative adjective to express that something or someone is the most extreme example of something. The word "the" is very often used before superlative adjectives.

Examples:
◼ Jennifer thinks the iPad is the best tablet computer.
◼ That was the most interesting movie I've ever seen!
◼ The biggest pumpkin ever weighed 1,502 pounds.
◼ That was the worst meal I ever ate.

=> While you use a comparative when you are comparing two people or things, you use a superlative when you have three or more people or things.

Examples:
◼ Andrea is the smartest person in her class.
◼ Of the four job candidates, Alex is the most qualified.

Form the superlative like this:
With short words (1 - 2 syllables): add -est to the end of the words. If the last two letters of the word are a vowel + consonant, double the final consonant before adding -est.
Examples:
big => biggest
hot => hottest

When the word ends in a "y", change the ''y" to "i" before adding the -est.
Examples:
pretty => prettiest
ugly => ugliest
scary => scariest

With longer words (many 2 syllable words and all 3+ syllable words): add "least" or ''most" before the word.
Examples:
graceful => most graceful
beautiful => most beautiful
qualified => most qualified

Irregular comparative / superlative forms
Some comparatives and superlatives do not follow the usual pattern. Here are the most common irregular forms:

  Comparative Superlative
good better best
bad worse worst
less lesser least
little (amount) less least
many more most
far (distance) farther farthest
far (extent) further furthest

Examples:
◼ Jason drives an hour to get to work. Of all our employees, he lives the farthest away.
◼ Of all the schools he applied to, Tim is least interested in attending the University of Vermont.
◼ You didn't get a raise this year? Things could be worse. At least you still have your job.
◼ Of all the jobs I applied for, I'm most excited about the one at Google.
◼ You think I'm interested in dating my boss? Nothing could be further from the truth!
◼ Adam is by far the best website designer I know.

Quick Quiz

Fill in the blank with the missing word or words:

  1. Vince is a _____ golfer than Nick.
    • a) best
    • b) better
    • c) more good
  2. Neptune is the _____ planet from Earth.
    • a) furthest
    • b) farthest
    • c) further
  3. Your salary is _____ than mine.
    • a) high
    • b) more high
    • c) higher
  4. That was the _____ movie I've ever seen!
    • a) bad
    • b) worse
    • c) worst
  5. Natalie is _____ than her sister.
    • a) prettiest
    • b) more pretty
    • c) prettier
  6. I don't know who's _____ , Monica or Terry.
    • a) more interesting
    • b) most interesting
    • c) interesting
  7. Brandon bought his fiancée the _____ ring in the store.
    • a) expensivest
    • b) most expensive
    • c) expensiver
  8. Of all the questions on the test, the last one was the _____.
    • a) more difficult
    • b) most difficult
    • c) difficultest
  9. We have two good candidates for the position. Now we need to figure out who's _____.
    • a) more qualified
    • b) most qualified
    • c) qualifiedest
  10. Joel earns _____ money than his younger brother.
    • a) less
    • b) lesser
    • c) the least
Answer Key
  1. b
  2. b
  3. c
  4. c
  5. c
  6. a
  7. b
  8. b
  9. a
  10. a
Answer Key
Favorite Books
Speak English Like an American

If you already speak some English and now would like to speak more like a native, “Speak English Like an American” will help you. One of the keys to speaking like a native is the ability to use and understand casual expressions, or idioms. American English is full of idioms. Speak English Like an American will help you understand and use idioms better. It contains over 300 of today's most common idioms.

Read more
illustrated Everyday Expressions with Stories 1

The purpose of the Illustrated Everyday Expressions with Stories series is to introduce English language learners to common idioms through humorous examples and illustrations. The lessons in this book will both entertain and enlighten students while providing exposure to how each idiom can be used in a variety of contexts.

Read more
illustrated Everyday Expressions with Stories 2

The purpose of the Illustrated Everyday Expressions with Stories series is to introduce English language learners to common idioms through humorous examples and illustrations. The lessons in this book will both entertain and enlighten students while providing exposure to how each idiom can be used in a variety of contexts.

Read more
Easy American Idioms

Do you want your English to sound natural and fluent? Idiomatic expressions are essential to natural sounding English, but they can be challenging to remember, and even harder to use in conversation. This simple and straightforward program can help you master hundreds of useful and common idiomatic expressions. Best of all, you don't need a book, so you can listen anywhere and anytime it's convenient. It's a piece of cake!

Read more
Everyday Conversations: Learning American English

Everyday Conversations is intended for sixth- and seventh-grade students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or English as a Second Language (ESL). Students can listen to and/or read dialogues in English. Topics of the conversations include introductions and small talk, shopping, asking for directions, hobbies, and giving advice.

Read more
More Speak English Like an American

More Speak English Like an American brings you another 300+ idioms and expressions you need to know. Maybe you have already read Speak English Like an American. But this is not a necessary requirement. You can start with this new book, if you like, and work back. This popular ESL book features a new story and new American English idioms and expressions.

Read more