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Lesson 170 of 240

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A trip that went wrong in English

Tasha sits with Ana at the Blue Plate and tells a weekend trip story. The trip did not go as planned.

A late bus, a wrong turn, and a long walk. She still made it by dinner.

By the end, you can tell a past mishap in a few short lines.

Start with what went wrong. End with what you would do next time.

By the end of this lesson

Tell what went wrong on a trip and how you got through it.

  • The trip didn't go as planned.The trip did not happen the way I wanted.
  • On the way there, the bus was late.While we were going, the bus did not come on time.
  • I got lost, but I found my way back.I did not know where I was, then I found the way.
  • It was more tiring than I expected.I got more tired than I thought I would.
  • We still made it by dinner.We arrived in time to eat anyway.
  • Next time, I would leave earlier.On the next trip, I will go sooner.

Scene — the booth by the window

Saturday afternoon at the Blue Plate. Ana and Tasha share a booth by the window. Dee refills the coffee without asking.

Murray sits on two stools at the end of the counter. His coffee is still unfinished. The jukebox by the door stays quiet.

Tasha talks with her hands. She is already in the middle of a weekend trip that went wrong.

Ana and Tasha sit in the Blue Plate window booth as Dee refills their coffee.

Learn — a trip that went wrong

Six lines help you tell a trip story. You start with what went wrong.

Then you say how you got through it, and what you would do next time.

  1. Tasha spreads her hands as she describes how the trip went wrong, and Ana listens.

    The trip didn't go as planned.

    The trip did not happen the way I wanted.

    When to use it: Use this to start a story about a trip that went wrong.

    Didn't is did not said as one piece.

    Say it: Didn't ends with a quick t sound.

  2. Tasha recalls waiting for a bus that did not arrive on time.

    On the way there, the bus was late.

    While we were going, the bus did not come on time.

    When to use it: Say this when a bus was late during the trip.

    On the way there means while you were going.

  3. Tasha traces a route on the table and taps the place where she found her way back.

    I got lost, but I found my way back.

    I did not know where I was, then I found the way.

    When to use it: Use this when you were lost and then you got back.

    Got lost is past tense meaning I did not know where I was.

  4. Tasha slumps with fatigue as Dee passes by carrying the coffee pot.

    It was more tiring than I expected.

    I got more tired than I thought I would.

    When to use it: Use this when something was harder than you thought.

    Tiring describes something that makes you tired.

    Say it: The stress in tiring is on the first part.

  5. Tasha gestures toward the food as she tells Ana they arrived in time to eat, while Murray nods at the counter.

    We still made it by dinner.

    We arrived in time to eat anyway.

    When to use it: Use this when you arrived late but still in time to eat.

    Made it means you arrived or succeeded.

    Say it: Made and it can link.

  6. Tasha points toward the diner door as she resolves to leave sooner on her next trip.

    Next time, I would leave earlier.

    On the next trip, I will go sooner.

    When to use it: Use this when you say how you would do the next trip better.

    Would leave talks about a better plan for next time.

Story — she still made it

Listen to Tasha tell her weekend trip. Ana asks what happened next.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned.

  1. Tasha sets down her coffee. Ana leans in.
  2. TashaSo, the trip didn't go as planned.The trip did not happen the way I wanted.
  3. AnaWhat happened next?What was the following thing in the story?
  4. TashaOn the way there, the bus was late.While we were going, the bus did not come on time.
  5. AnaThen what? Did you wait long?She asks if Tasha waited a long time after that.
  6. TashaYeah. Then I got lost, but I found my way back.I did not know where I was, then I found the way back.
  7. Dee walks by with the coffee pot. She does not slow down.
  8. TashaIt was more tiring than I expected.I got more tired than I thought I would.
  9. AnaHow did you feel about it?What was your feeling then?
  10. TashaTired, I mean. We still made it by dinner.She was tired, but they arrived in time to eat anyway.
  11. Murray nods over his unfinished coffee. The jukebox stays quiet.
  12. MurrayWell, you got back. That's something.He says getting back was already a good result.
  13. DeeSafe travels next time, hon.She wishes Tasha a safe trip next time.
  14. AnaSo what would you change?She asks what Tasha would do better next time.
  15. TashaNext time, I would leave earlier. And I'm still talking, you know.On the next trip, I will go sooner, and she is not done telling it.

Practice — late bus and dinner

Eleven 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 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    English

    The trip didn't go as planned.Drop the Simple English here
    I got lost, but I found my way back.Drop the Simple English here
    It was more tiring than I expected.Drop the Simple English here
    We still made it by dinner.Drop the Simple English here

    Simple English

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

  3. What does it mean?

    On the way there, the bus was late.

  4. What do you say?

    You tell a friend you were lost on a trip, then you got back.

  5. Fill the gap

    I got more tired than I thought I would.

    It was more tiring ____ I expected.

  6. Build the line

    We arrived in time to eat anyway.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Pick the reply

    Tasha says:

    What would you do differently next time?

    She asks how you would change the next trip.

    And you reply with:

  8. True or false?

    This line asks for the next part of a story.

  9. Swap the word

    You tell a friend the bus did not come on time.

    On the way there, the bus was ____.

  10. What do you say?

    A friend just finished a trip story. You want her feeling.

  11. Which one doesn’t belong?

Say it — tell the mishap

Now you're Ana at the booth. 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. TashaSo, how was your weekend?She asks if your weekend was good.
  2. Ana (you)Tell her the trip did not happen the way I planned.

    The trip didn't go as planned.

    The trip did not happen the way I wanted.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

EnglishSimple English
The trip didn't go as planned.The trip did not happen the way I wanted.
On the way there, the bus was late.While we were going, the bus did not come on time.
I got lost, but I found my way back.I did not know where I was, then I found the way.
It was more tiring than I expected.I got more tired than I thought I would.
We still made it by dinner.We arrived in time to eat anyway.
Next time, I would leave earlier.On the next trip, I will go sooner.
Next: lesson 171Planning a weekend trip

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these trip lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your mishap story ready to tell.

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