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Lesson 101 of 240

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Left something in the car in English

Ana takes a cab to the Blue Plate. The meter is off, and the driver goes a little fast.

She asks him to turn on the meter, slow down, and drop her off at the diner.

Then she gets out and leaves her tote in the car. Dee writes the plate number on a napkin.

You'll say you left something, ask about the fare, and get the plate number.

By the end of this lesson

Report something left in a cab, fix the fare, and get the plate number.

  • I left something in the car.You forgot an item in the taxi.
  • Could you turn on the meter, please?Ask the driver to start the official fare clock.
  • Is there an extra charge for ___?Ask if this will cost more money.
  • What's the license plate number?Ask the car's ID so you can find it later.
  • Drop me off at ___, please.Tell the driver the exact place to stop.
  • Please slow down a little.Ask the driver to go less fast.

Scene — the meter is dark

The cab stops at the Blue Plate on Larch Street. Ana's tote sits on the back seat. The meter never started.

Dee stands in the doorway with a napkin and a pen. Murray sits on two stools at the counter. The jukebox by the door stays quiet.

Ana steps out beside the cab while her tote remains on the back seat, and Dee and Murray are at the diner.

Learn — left in the car

Six lines for a cab ride. You will leave a bag, ask about the meter, and get the plate number.

You will also ask the driver to slow down and stop at the right place.

  1. Ana turns back toward the tote she has left on the cab’s open back seat.

    I left something in the car.

    You forgot an item in the taxi.

    When to use it: Say this when you forgot a bag or other thing in a taxi.

    Left is the past tense of leave, so learn it as one piece.

    Say it: Left ends with a short t sound.

  2. Ana gestures toward the dark fare meter to ask for the official fare clock to be started.

    Could you turn on the meter, please?

    Ask the driver to start the official fare clock.

    When to use it: Ask this in a taxi if the fare clock is off.

    Could you is a polite way to ask, so learn it as one piece.

    Say it: Could you can link together.

  3. Ana lifts a bag and asks whether carrying bags will cost extra.

    Is there an extra charge for ___?

    Ask if this will cost more money.

    When to use it: Ask this if you think a thing may cost more.

    Name the extra thing after for, and keep the rest as one piece.

  4. Ana asks for the cab’s identification while Dee prepares to record it on a napkin.

    What's the license plate number?

    Ask the car's ID so you can find it later.

    When to use it: Ask this so you can find the car later.

    What's is What is, so learn it as one piece.

    Say it: License has stress on the first part.

  5. Ana points out the diner as the exact place where she wants the cab to stop.

    Drop me off at ___, please.

    Tell the driver the exact place to stop.

    When to use it: Say this when you want the taxi to stop at a place.

    Drop me off means stop and let you out, so learn it as one piece.

    Say it: Drop and me can link.

  6. Ana gestures for the cab to go less fast while seated in the back.

    Please slow down a little.

    Ask the driver to go less fast.

    When to use it: Ask this if the driver is going too fast.

    Please comes first so the ask stays polite.

Story — the tote stays

Watch Ana's cab ride to the Blue Plate. The meter is off, and her tote stays in the car.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned.

  1. The cab turns onto Larch Street. The fare clock is dark.
  2. AnaExcuse me. Drop me off at the Blue Plate, please.She gets his attention, then asks him to stop at the diner.
  3. DriverThe Blue Plate. You got it.He agrees to stop at the diner.
  4. AnaCould you turn on the meter, please?Ask the driver to start the official fare clock.
  5. DriverOh. Yeah. I forgot.He agrees and says he did not start it.
  6. Ana looks out at a parking meter on the sidewalk.
  7. AnaIs the meter that one on the street?She thinks the fare clock is the parking meter outside.
  8. DriverNo. The clock in the car. For the fare.He tells her the meter is the fare clock inside.
  9. AnaPlease slow down a little.Ask the driver to go less fast.
  10. DriverSorry. I can do that.He says yes and will go less fast.
  11. AnaIs there an extra charge for bags?She asks if bags will cost more money.
  12. DriverNo extra charge. We're here.Bags cost nothing extra, and they have arrived.
  13. Ana gets out, but her tote is still on the seat.
  14. AnaI left something in the car.You forgot an item in the taxi.
  15. DriverYour tote? I see it.He sees her bag still in the cab.
  16. AnaWhat's the license plate number?Ask the car's ID so you can find it later.
  17. DriverIt's on the back. Hang on.He tells her the car numbers are on the back.
  18. Dee steps out with a napkin. Murray watches from the door.
  19. DeeI'll write it, hon. Come on in.She will copy the car ID and ask Ana to come in.
  20. AnaThank you.you say this when someone helps you

Practice — meter and plate

Ten short exercises wait here. You will listen, pick, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay small, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    English

    I left something in the car.Drop the Simple English here
    Could you turn on the meter, please?Drop the Simple English here
    What's the license plate number?Drop the Simple English here
    Please slow down a little.Drop the Simple English here

    Simple English

    Drag a Simple English line onto its English, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You are in a cab on Larch Street. You want to stop at the Blue Plate.

  4. What does it mean?

    Is there an extra charge for ___?

  5. Fill the gap

    Ask the driver to go less fast.

    Please ____ down a little.

  6. Pick the reply

    Dee says:

    I'll write the plate on a napkin, hon.

    She will write the car numbers for you.

    And you reply with:

  7. Build the line

    Ask the car's ID so you can find it later.

    ?

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Swap the word

    You got out of the taxi, and your tote is still inside.

    I ____ something in the car.

  9. True or false?

    You say this to a cab driver to make the car stop.

  10. What do you say?

    You need the cab driver to look at you before you speak.

Say it — tell the driver

Now you're Ana in the cab, then on the sidewalk. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap play first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. DriverWhere do you want to go?He asks the place you want to stop.
  2. Ana (you)Tell him to stop at the Blue Plate.

    Drop me off at ___, please.

    Tell the driver the exact place to stop.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

EnglishSimple English
I left something in the car.You forgot an item in the taxi.
Could you turn on the meter, please?Ask the driver to start the official fare clock.
Is there an extra charge for ___?Ask if this will cost more money.
What's the license plate number?Ask the car's ID so you can find it later.
Drop me off at ___, please.Tell the driver the exact place to stop.
Please slow down a little.Ask the driver to go less fast.
Next: lesson 102Hotel booking

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