Hi and welcome to the Espresso English Podcast, where you can improve your English in just a few minutes a day.
My name is Shaina and I'm the teacher at Espresso English.
Make sure to visit the website EspressoEnglishnet, where you can get online courses and e-books that will help you learn English even faster.
Let's get started with today's lesson.
Do you know how to talk about driving in English beyond the basics like stop, go, and turn left?
Today you'll learn 20 phrases and expressions that native English speakers use.
These are super useful for everyday conversations and road trips.
After you watch the video, make sure to download the free lesson PDF so you can review all the driving phrases and vocabulary.
And there's even a bonus quiz so you can test yourself and see how well you've learned.
Click on the link in the video description, enter your email address and I'll send you that free download.
Number one, I'm heading to the university.
I'll give you a ride if you want.
The expression heading to is an informal way to say going to or traveling to.
And I'll give you a ride or I'll give you a lift means I will take you in my car to the destination.
Number two, everybody buckle up, please.
The phrasal verb buckle up means to put on your seatbelt.
You can also use the verb fasten.
Everybody fasten your seatbelts, please.
The opposite of buckling or fastening your seatbelt is unbuckling the seatbelt meaning to open or remove the seatbelt.
Number three, there's a huge traffic jam on the highway.
A highway, also called a freeway or expressway, is a wide street where the traffic goes fast.
But a traffic jam is when the traffic is stopped or very slow.
Number four, you don't want to be in this lane.
It's exit only.
Most roads and highways are divided into lanes.
For example, the road in this photo has four lanes.
An exit is a road to leave the highway, to get off the highway.
So if a lane is exit only, it means that the cars in that lane must leave the highway.
Number five, pull over.
I think the car is overheating.
Pull over means to drive your car to the side of the road and stop.
The side of the road is sometimes called the shoulder.
You usually pull over if you think there is a problem with the car, such as in this case, when the car is overheating.
That means the engine is getting too hot.
Number six.
Did you see how that truck just cut me off?
If another vehicle cuts you off, it means it suddenly drives in front of your car.
It's a dangerous movement because it can cause an accident.
Number seven.
I'm thirsty.
Let's make a pit stop at the next service station.
When you are taking a road trip that's a long trip by car you'll occasionally need to make a pit stop.
That means to stop at a store or station to use the bathroom and or buy food and drinks.
Number eight, turn left at the light and then follow the signs for the airport.
The red, yellow, and green lights that control traffic are called traffic lights or stoplights.
But when giving directions, some people simply say at the light, meaning the traffic light.
Information and directions are posted along the road on signs.
Number nine, I slammed on the brakes when I saw a child run in front of the car.
Brakes refers to the equipment that makes the car stop.
We can say hit the brakes to describe using this equipment to stop the car, but the verb slam on the brakes means to stop the car suddenly in the case of an emergency like this.
Number 10, slow down.
The speed limit is 55.
There are two phrasal verbs we can use to describe a change in the car's velocity.
Slow down to drive the car slower and speed up to drive the car faster.
Speed is another word for velocity, and most roads have a speed limit, the maximum speed at which you can drive your car.
Number 11.
You forgot to turn off your blinker after you merged.
The yellow or orange lights on the sides of the car that indicate a left or right turn are called blinkers or turn signals.
You need to activate your blinker to inform other drivers that you plan to turn left, turn right or to merge.
Merge means to move from one lane to another.
Number 12, stop being a backseat driver.
A backseat driver is a person in the car who is not driving but who criticizes the driver's abilities or who makes lots of suggestions or gives lots of tips for the driver to improve.
Most people think that backseat drivers are really annoying.
Number 13.
You can make a U-turn at the next intersection.
An intersection is a place where two roads meet or cross, and a U-turn is when you turn the car around and go back in the opposite direction.
Number 14.
This road is closed.
There's a detour.
A detour is when you have to take a different route to avoid some obstacle.
In this case, a closed road.
There are usually signs pointing you in the right direction.
Number 15.
You can drop me off right here at the corner.
To drop someone off means to stop the car and let the person get out.
The opposite is to pick someone up to let the person get into your car.
Number 16.
My car wouldn't start this morning.
I had to get a jump from my neighbor.
Saying a car wouldn't start means that the engine would not turn on.
This can happen when the car's battery is dead.
To get a jump is to connect cables from another car's battery to your car's battery to give it the power to start.
Number 17.
I ran over some broken glass and got a flat tire.
We use the phrasal verb run over when a car passes over something on the ground.
In this case, broken glass.
The result?
It made a hole in the tire, which let the air out, resulting in a flat tire.
You'll need to change the tire and put on the spare tire.
That's the extra tire usually kept in the trunk for emergencies like this.
Number 18.
That guy just ran a red light.
To run a red light or run a stop sign means to drive straight through it without stopping, like you're supposed to.
Obviously, this can cause an accident.
Number 19, there's a spot over there, but you'll need to parallel park.
A place to park the car is called a parking spot, or just spot for short.
Parallel parking is when you need to maneuver the car into a spot on the side of the road.
Many people find this a little tricky.
Number 20, hop in, let's hit the road.
Hop in is an informal way to invite someone into your car, and saying let's hit the road means let's start traveling by car.
Well, I hope you've enjoyed our road trip through these driving phrases used by native English speakers.
Were any of them new to you?
Let me know in the comments.
Your next step is to download today's lesson PDF and try the quiz that's in there.
So head to the video description and click on the link to get your copy of that free PDF.
Wouldn't you like to be able to speak confidently about any topic in daily life?
That's exactly what my Everyday English Speaking course will help you do.
You'll learn real phrases like the ones we covered today for traveling, shopping, and talking with people in many different situations.
What's even better is that I teach you the phrases in the context of conversations.
The link to the Everyday English Speaking courses is also in the video description.
Come check it out!
If you want more great English lessons, visit EspressoEnglishnet, where you can sign up by email to receive a free e-book with 500 plus real English phrases.
You'll also find online courses to help you improve your English fast, even if you don't have much time to study.
Keep practicing your English, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
