Transport

1. Describing entering and leaving public transport: Get/ take/ Get on/ Hop on/ Jump on/ Get off/ Hop off/ Jump off

Meaning:

‘Get‘ or ‘take‘ are super common for expressing using public transport E.g. I get the bus from time to time/ Most people take the metro to work in my city. ‘Get on‘ means ‘board‘ and ‘get off’ means ‘depart‘. ‘Jump on‘/ ‘Jump off‘ and ‘hop on‘/ ‘hop off‘ also mean ‘board‘/’depart‘ but tend to be used where there is a sense of ease or convenience. Be careful to use these in the right mood. For instance, if I want to tell you that I travel to university by taking the metro that is 5 minutes walk away from my house, I might use hop on/ jump on because it is really handy/ convenient. However, imagine the metro station is a 40 minute walk away and I have to switch lines multiple times, it doesn’t feel convenient; therefore, I wouldn’t use ‘hop on/ jump on‘. I’d use ‘get on‘ instead.

Examples:

There’s a metro station 2 minutes away from me.. so it’s really handy to just jump on the train at Paddington station and I’m at work in like 10 minutes.

I got on the bus in the centre at 1pm and hopped off at my favourite cafe.

I usually get off at the last stop.

I got on and then realised it was the wrong train!

I take the bus to work everyday.

I usually get the train home after a night out on the weekend.

There is a glider that you can get around the inner city. You just pay a daily flat fee and you can hop on and off as much as you want.

2. Describing getting fuel and depletion of fuel: Fill up/ Charge up/ run out of

Meaning:

You fill your car up with petrol or charge it up if it’s electric. You can run out of petrol or charge/electricity/battery. Note: The preposition ‘up‘ emphasises completeness or totality. You can say fill or charge, but adding ‘up‘ expresses 100%.

Examples:

I usually fill up my tank every 3 or 4 weeks.

My car ran out of petrol last weekend.

I charged my car up before I left the house.

I always worry about running out of battery on long journeys.

3. Describing vehicles not working: Break down

Meaning:

Note: Cars and other machines break down, but some things just break but don’t break down.

Examples:

My car broke down last week, and I’m still waiting for it to get fixed.

I always worry about the car breaking down when I do road trips.

  1. Mechanical Issues:
    • Break: Physical damage to a vehicle, such as a broken window or mirror.
    • Break down: Failure of the vehicle to function properly due to mechanical issues, such as engine failure or a flat tire.
  2. Appliances and Electronics:
    • Break: Damage to household appliances or electronic devices, such as a broken blender or television screen.
    • Break down: Failure of appliances or electronics to operate correctly due to internal issues, such as a malfunctioning motor or circuitry.
  3. Physical Objects:
    • Break: Physical damage to tangible items, such as a broken plate or toy.
    • Break down: Disintegration or decomposition of organic matter, such as food breaking down over time.
  4. Complex Systems:
    • Break: Interruption or discontinuation of a process or activity, such as taking a lunch break or coffee break.
    • Break down: Failure or malfunction of complex systems, such as a breakdown in communication or a breakdown in negotiations.
  5. Figurative Usage:
    • Break: Termination or cessation of something, such as a break in a relationship or a break in the conversation.
    • Break down: Analysis or dissection of complex information, such as a breakdown of expenses or a breakdown of the plot in a story.

4. Describing the beginning of a journey/ trip: Set off/ Head off

Meaning:

You could use ‘embark on‘ the same way, but this has a more dramatic feeling. Perhaps you could use ’embark on’ in conversation with an element of humour E.g. My wife and I embarked on our journey to buy a carpet for the house! Take off and touch down could be used for planes.

Examples:

We set off on our trip at 5am and didn’t get there till 6pm!

I normally set off for work at 9am each morning.

I was raging when I heard we were heading off at 4am!

5. Describing stopping a vehicle at the side of the road: Pull over/ Pull in(to)

Meaning:

The process of stopping or removing yourself from the road. We can use these perhaps when you want to explain stops along the way.

Examples:

I pulled over at the petrol station to fill up.

I pulled into the car park.

6. Describing departing and arriving for planes: Take off/ Touch down

Meaning:

Departing and arriving. These are exclusively for planes.

Examples:

I’m ok when the plane is taking off. It’s the landing that I hate.

John’s plane just touched down. I’m going to go pick him up!

7. Describing collecting someone from and leaving someone at a location: Pick up /Drop off

Meaning:

This means collecting someone or leaving them to their destination. It is commonly used for terminals or stations.

Examples:

I got my friend to drop me off

I pick my mum up after work.

8. Drive around/ drive though/ drive out of

Meaning:

You can combine ‘drive‘ with many prepositions to show direction.

Note: You can use cut through to indicate taking a short-cut. E.g. I cut through the forest to get to the coast.

Examples:

I hate driving around the city centre.

When I drove out of the car park, someone waved at me.

We drove through the mountains, and it was spectacular!

Examiner: What kinds of public transport are there where you live?

Student: We have buses, trains, and trams as the main modes of public transport. It’s pretty handy, and the bus stop is just around the corner from my house.

Examiner: How often do you use public transportation?

Student: I use public transport almost every day. I usually jump on the bus to get to work because it drops me off right at my office, and it’s a quick and efficient way to travel.

Examiner: Do you prefer public transport or private transport?

Student: I prefer public transport for daily commuting. It’s more cost-effective, and I don’t have to worry about parking. However, for weekend getaways, I like to take the car. The good thing about public transport is that you don’t have to worry about it if it breaks down. I’ve had to take my car to the mechanic twice already this year!

Examiner: Is there any form of public transport that you don’t like?

Student: Not really. I find all forms of public transport fairly convenient. Although sometimes, during rush hour, the buses can get a bit packed.

Examiner: How do you travel to work?

Student: I usually get the bus right outside my house. It takes me directly to the city center, and then I hop off and walk a short distance to my office.

Examiner: Is a bicycle a good means of transport?

Student: For sure! Bicycles are not only environmentally friendly but also a great way to stay active. I sometimes drive around on my bike during the weekends, especially when the weather is nice.

Examiner: Do you think that there should be a separate lane for bicycles?

Student: 100%, I think it’d be a good idea. It would be safer for cyclists and encourage more people to switch to bicycles. And cars wouldn’t be slowed down as much too.

1. What kinds of public transport are there where you live?

2. How often do you use public transportation?

3. Do you prefer public transport or private transport?

4. Is there any form of public transport that you don’t like?

5. How do you travel to work?

6. Is a bicycle a good means of transport?

7. Do you think that there should be a separate lane for bicycles?

i) Describe a method of transport that you enjoy using.

You should say:

● what kind of transport it is

● how often you use it

● where you travel using it

and explain why you enjoy using it.

ii) Describe a time when you missed a bus/ train/ aeroplane.

You should say:

● when it happened

● where you were supposed to go

● how you missed it

and explain what you did after you missed it.

iii) Describe a long journey that you enjoyed.

You should say:

● where and when you had it

● how you got there and how long it took

● who you went with

and explain what you liked about this journey.

1. How do most people travel long distances in your country?

2. Do you think that transport problems are worse in urban or rural areas?

3. Are too many people dependent on cars as a means of transport in your country?

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using public transport?

5. How has the transportation system in your country evolved over the years?

6. What are the most popular modes of transport in your country, and why?

7. In what ways can governments encourage the use of public transport?

8. What are the challenges of sustainable transportation in urban areas?

9. How has technology affected the way people travel today?

10. In what ways can sustainable transportation contribute to environmental protection?

11. How do you think people’s preferences for travel destinations have changed in recent years?

12. What are the potential challenges of promoting cycling as a mode of transport in cities?

13. How do you think transport will change in the future?

Make up a story about a fictional character using each set of words. You must integrate all of these words in the correct tense into your story.

E.g. If the set includes the following: Get, set off, pick up and drive around, the story could be something like this: “Last weekend, Hilal wanted to see her friend Joanna who lived in another city. Hilal set off at 6.30am because she had to get a bus at 7am on Saturday morning which took her to Joanna’s city. Once she got there, Joanna’s cousin picked her up and she showed her around the city. They drove around and Joanna pointed out some of the top spots in the city before leaving her off at Joanna’s house.”

Set 1:

Charge up
Set off
Drop off
Pull in(to)

Set 2:

Hop on
Get off
Take off
Touch down

Set 3:

Fill up
Break down
Pick up
Drive out of

Fill in the appropriate vocabulary in the correct tense from the following list to complete the story. The words may be used more than once or not used at all.


Get/ take/ Get on/ Hop on/ Jump on/ Get off/ Hop off/ Jump off, Fill up/ Charge up/ run out of, Break down, Set off/ Head off, Pull over/ Pull in(to), Take off/ Touch down, Pick up /Drop off, Drive around/ drive though/ drive out of

Kylie had just 1) ______ in Bangkok. It was her first time abroad and she hadn’t a clue about the city! Thankfully her mate Izzy sent her some directions of how she could get to the hotel! “2) ______the 35 to Kao San Road, 3) ______at the end of the street and we’ll 4) ______ you ____ there! We might need to 5) ______on our way so we might be 5 or 10 minutes late!” Kylie’s other friend, Noah, hadn’t even 6) ______ yet! He was still in Phuket. Kylie saw the bus, 7) ______ and took a nap! When she work up, she realised that she missed her stop! She had gone 3 stops too far! She messaged Izzy frantically where she was. “No worries Kylie, 8) ______ there and we’ll get you soon! Kylie did as she was told and after waiting 15 minutes, she saw Izzy and Noah smiling and waving at her! “Noah, I thought your plane hadn’t even got on your flight yet! “Haha, I arrived this morning! We just wanted to surprise you!”

Answers

Kylie had just 1) touched down in Bangkok. It was her first time abroad and she hadn’t a clue about the city! Thankfully her mate Izzy sent her some directions of how she could get to the hotel! “2) Jump on the 35 to Kao San Road, 3) get off at the end of the street and we’ll 4) pick you up there! We might need to 5) fill up on our way so we might be 5 or 10 minutes late!” Kylie’s other friend, Noah, hadn’t even 6) taken off yet! He was still in Phuket. Kylie saw the bus, 7) hopped on and took a nap! When she work up, she realised that she missed her stop! She had gone 3 stops too far! She messaged Izzy frantically where she was. “No worries Kylie, 8) hop off there and we’ll get you soon! Kylie did as she was told and after waiting 15 minutes, she saw Izzy and Noah smiling and waving at her! “Noah, I thought your plane hadn’t even got on your flight yet! “Haha, I arrived this morning! We just wanted to surprise you!”