English Teacher Melanie Study Guide 19 My Car Died PDF

THIS GUIDE IS BASED ON 4 PRINCIPLES OF
HOW BEST TO LEARN A LANGUAGE
Focus on core vocabulary.

The story in this listening lesson is written using core vocabulary.
There are over 1 million words in the English language, but not all of
these words are equal. Some words you use all the time. Some you
never use. Ninety percent of everything that native speakers say and
write comes from just 7000 words. These are the most important
words in English. These are the words you should focus on learning.
Any words in this lesson that are not core vocabulary
are defined in the reference vocabulary section.
Learn English in chunks.

Memorizing individual words will not improve your English. You
need to know how to use those words in a sentence.In this study
guide you will learn collocations and sentence structure.
Collocations are words that go together in a way
that sounds natural and correct to a native speaker, like
a straight line or pay cash.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

The more times you hear & see a word, the easier it is to remember it.
This study guide is meant to be challenging, but not difficult.
The core vocabulary and collocations are used again and again in
different activities so that you remember the words and
you remember how to use them in a sentence.
Hear the word, then say the word.

The pronunciation of a word in English does not always match the
spelling of the word. In English, you cannot always look at a word and
know how it is pronounced. Listening to natural spoken English while
looking at the words will help you match the sounds to the words
and phrases. This will help you improve your listening skills and your
English pronunciation.
19
STUDY GUIDE | LISTENING LESSON 19 | MY CAR DIED!
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDEPage 4

PRE-LISTENING
Core Vocabulary & Activities Page 5

Collocation Activities & List of Collocations .................................................................................Page 8
Paragraph Activities Page 11
Phrasal Verbs Page 13
Idiom: on its last legs Page 15
Reference Vocabulary Page 16
Vocabulary Notes Page 18
LISTENING

Gap-fill Activities Page 19

A. Core Vocabulary

B. Core Vocabulary & Collocations

C. Core Vocabulary, Collocations & Phrases

Evaluation Page 25
POST-LISTENING

Listening Comprehension Activities Page 26

Core Vocabulary Review Page 27

Crossword Puzzle
Grammar Page 30

Have/get something done

Pronunciation Page 33

How to pronounce the AU vowel combination
ANSWERS Page 34
TRANSCRIPT Page 40
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

LISTEN. LEARN. REPEAT.
English learners need to know 90%-98% of a text (listening or reading) in order to understand it properly.
This study guide will help you learn the core vocabulary, collocations, phrasal verbs & idioms used in the
story. Once you understand the story, you can focus on learning natural, spoken American English!
You will notice a theme in all the activities: repetition. The more times you see & hear a word, phrase,
or sentence structure, the easier it is to remember it! This is the most effective way to learn English.
PRE-LISTENING
activities to do BEFORE listening to the story to help you
improve your core vocabulary & knowledge of collocations
LISTENING
activities to do WHILE listening to the story to practice
your listening skills
POST-LISTENING
activities to do AFTER listening to the story to check your
understanding of the story, and lessons that go deeper
into the story to focus on grammar and pronunciation
You dont have to (and should not) do the whole guide all at once, because youll forget everything
the next day! Do a little bit at a time. Follow the six-day study plan or work at your own pace.
When you have finished the lesson, celebrate your success
by telling your friends on Twitter, Facebook or Google+!
WHAT IS CORE VOCABULARY?
wheel
line
system
part
point
worth
cash
rest
condition
customer
happen
notice
move
turn
explain
connect
mean
control
fix
cost
sell
pay
buy
own
left
rod
mechanism
repair
interior
necessity
scrap
steer
tow
recycle
last
sad
surprised
hard
important
front
auto
another
used
around
slowly
also
completely
still
especially
everywhere
yet
something
own
(pronouns)
straight
safely
nowadays
underneath
(preposition)
brand new
wrong
Pay close attention to the categories. Many of these words can be used as more
than one part of speech. Look carefully at how the word is used in the story.
For example, left is also an adjective, but it is used as a noun in this story.
Repair is both a noun and a verb, but it is used in the story as a noun.
SUBTITLE OR DESCRIPTION
1. Words related to money
Make a list of all the words in the core vocabulary chart that are related to money.
2. Words used to talk about cars
List any words in the core vocabulary chart that could be used to talk about a car
2015 English Teacher Melanie
Study Guide 19 - My Car Died!
3. Synonym match
Read through the core vocabulary chart. Find the word that is a synonym (has the same meaning)
as the other words in the group.
a. drive, guide, direct, control
b. bar, pole, stick
c. join, link, attach
d. adjustment, improvement, replacement, change
e. buyer, purchaser, user
f. the remainder
g. pull, drag, move, take away
h. requirement, need
4. Choose the correct word
Circle the correct word that completes the sentence.

a. I was driving in a hard / straight / another line.
b. I finished my errands and got home yet / completely / safely.
c. Its hard to explain what went wrong / slowly / around with my car.
d. Buying a used car is more affordable than buying a another / last / brand new car.
e. There are small rods around / underneath / control the car
f. The steering wheel was slowly moving to the left / front / point on its own.
ANSWERS
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
COLLOCATION ACTIVITIES
WHAT ARE COLLOCATIONS?
5. Missing prepositions
Choose the correct preposition from the set below to complete the sentence.
about
of
for
in
to
on
apart
a. It happened _______ a Wednesday.

b. The steering wheel was slowly moving _______ the left.
c. I was driving _______ a straight line.
d. There are small rods underneath the car that are part _______ the steering system.
e. An auto recycling company pays cash _______ scrap cars
f. The rest _______ the car was still _______ great condition
g. The auto recycling company will take the car apart and sell the parts _______ other customers.
h. Im thinking _______ buying a used car.
6. Matching + definitions
First, complete the collocation by matching the first part in column A to the second part in column B.
Next, match the collocation with its definition.
Column A
Column B
Column C
a. work from
no point in
= without any help
b. on ones
meant that
= have someone else repair the car
c. there was
it fixed
= it caused or resulted in
d. no
own

e. which
= have learned a lot of information

about (something)
about cars
= true in the past, not true now
f. know a lot
longer
= no reason to do something
g. get
home
= do your job in your house instead

of an office
ANSWERS
LIST OF COLLOCATIONS
on a Wednesday (day of the week; any Wednesday, not a specific one)

drive around
steering wheel [compound noun]
to the left
on ones own
even though
(drive / walk / move etc.) in a straight line
a straight line
the last time
drive a car
hard (to do something)
go wrong
part of
(theres) no point in (doing something)
more than
pay cash
no longer
the rest of
in good/great condition
a sad day
tow (something) away
brand new
work from home / work at home
think about
buy (something)
a used car
a new car
COLLOCATIONS CONTINUED ...

Sentence Structure
know (that-clause)
notice (that-clause)
know a lot/something/nothing about (something)
not know much/a lot/anything about (something)
explain (something) to (someone)
which means that-clause
get/have (something) + past participle
sell (something) to (someone)
pay (someone) for (something) OR pay cash for (something)
the only _____________ (that-clause) It was the only car Ive ever owned.
love (something) you MUST say what you love, even if you just use it.
I love is not a complete sentence.

10
PARAGRAPH ACTIVITIES
There are 4 paragraphs in this story. There is a different activity for each paragraph.
If these paragraph activities are too challenging for you, do them while you listen to the story. Check the
collocations list for clues if you are stuck.
Paragraph 1
Complete the clause or sentence by matching the parts together.

a. My car died ____
b. I was sad, but ____
c. I knew my car was on ____
d. It happened on a Wednesday while ____

e. As I was driving, I noticed that ____
f. even though I was driving in a straight ____

g. I could also hear ____
h. I finished my errands ____
i. but I knew it was the ____
Paragraph 2
i.
its last legs.
ii.
line and the wheels werent turning.
v.
last October.
iii. and got home safely.
iv. last time I would ever drive my car.
vi. I was driving around doing some errands

vii. I wasnt surprised.
viii. the steering wheel was slowly moving to the

left on its own.
ix. something rattling underneath the car.
Put the sentences in order from 1-6.

_____ These rods are important, because they connect the front wheels to the steering mechanism.
_____ There was no point in getting it fixed because the repairs would have cost more than the car
was worth.
_____ There are small rods underneath the car that are part of the steering system.
_____ Heres what my dad explained to me.
_____ The rods underneath my car had rusted and part of one had broken off, which meant that I
couldnt completely control the front wheels with the steering wheel.
_____ Its hard to explain what went wrong with my car, because I dont know a lot about cars.
11
PARAGRAPH 3
Use your knowledge of grammar to fill in the missing function words.

Function words are prepositions, articles, conjunctions, pronouns, auxiliary/modal verbs, determiners
& qualifiers. They are the words that make a sentence grammatically correct.
In spoken English, these words are not stressed in a sentence. They are usually reduced, linked and contracted, so you will not actually hear them fully pronounced.
Knowledge of grammar will help you understand a sentence spoken naturally, even if you cant hear
some of the function words.
I sold the car ______(a) the scrapyard. Nowadays scrapyards ______(b) called auto recycling companies, ______(c) auto recyclers. They pay cash ________(d) scrap cars, which _______(e) broken-down cars
_________(f) can no longer be driven. The rest ________(g) the car was still ________(h) great condition,
especially ________(i) interior, so ________(j) scrapyard _______(k) take the car apart _________(l) sell the
parts _________(m) other customers.
PARAGRAPH 4
Complete the sentence with a word from the core vocabulary list. Use the correct verb tense if
necessary.
a. It was a sad day when my car was ___________ away to the scrapyard.
b. I loved my car. I bought it brand new in 2001 and I drove it _____________.

c. It was the only car Ive ever ______________.
d. I havent bought ______________ car yet.
e. I work from home, so a car isnt a ________________.
f. Im thinking about buying a one- or two-year-old _____________ car.

g. Thats more affordable than buying a _________________ car.
ANSWERS
12
PHRASAL VERBS
1. BREAK DOWN
= to stop working properly
If a machine or vehicle breaks down, it stops doing what it is supposed to do.
In the story, break down was used as a compound adjective:
They pay cash for scrap cars, which are broken-down cars that can no longer be driven.
If a machine or vehicle is broken-down (adjective) or has broken down (verb), it means that it is not in
good condition and it may not even work anymore.
Example sentences: break down

My car broke down on the highway yesterday. I had to wait for a tow truck
He doesnt want to drive his car too far. Its old and it might break down.
I was late for school because the bus broke down. We had to wait for another bus.
Example sentences: broken-down

There was a broken-down bus on the main road blocking traffic.
The trains arent running this morning because theres a broken-down train stuck on the tracks.
We had to push our broken-down car two miles to the nearest gas station!
This phrasal verb also has a noun form: a breakdown
13
2. BREAK OFF
= to separate or remove by force a piece of something from the main part
Someone may cause something to break off, or some other force may cause a piece to break off.
The rods underneath my car had rusted and part of one had broken off, which meant that I couldnt
completely control the front wheels with the steering wheel.
There was rust on the small rods underneath my car. The rust caused part of a rod to separate from
the wheel.
Example sentences
When I tried to open the car door, the handle broke off.
It was so windy outside, an entire limb broke off the tree and fell on my car.
3. TAKE SOMETHING APART

= to separate something into smaller parts, to remove pieces of something
The rest of the car was still in great condition, especially the interior, so the scrapyard will take the car
apart and sell the parts to other customers.
I couldnt drive my car because the steering system didnt work. It was too expensive to fix the steering
system. However, there were many other parts of the car that could still be used. The scrapyard will
separate the good parts from the rest of the car and sell those parts.
Example sentences
Its not easy to repair smartphones. Theyre difficult to take apart and the pieces are so small.
Help me take this computer apart.
Opposite phrasal verb: put something back together
He loves to take things apart and find out how they work, then put them back together.
14
IDIOM
(BE) ON ITS LAST LEGS
= something is in such bad condition that it is about to fall apart and stop working, and you will
most likely not be able to fix it or get it to work again.
My car died last October. I was sad, but I wasnt surprised. I knew my car was on its last legs.
My car was very old. It had been repaired many times. I knew there was a problem with the rods that
couldnt be repaired. I knew that when the rods broke off, I wouldnt be able to drive my car anymore.
I have read some online dictionaries & websites that say you can use this idiom to talk about people, but
I dont think this is true. I cant ever imagine describing a person as being on his/her last legs. That seems
very rude & disrespectful! Dont use this idiom to describe a person. Use it to describe things.
Example sentences:
The company was on its last legs until it was bought by a larger company.
Tiger Woods has been playing better lately, but it looks like his golf career is on its last legs.
My computer is on its last legs. I need to start looking for a new one.
15
REFERENCE VOCABULARY
These are not core vocabulary words, but they are words and phrases that you
need to know to understand the story.
errands [noun]
It happened on a Wednesday while I was driving around doing some errands.
= a short trip in your town or neighborhood to go to a store, (e.g., grocery shopping, going to the post
office to send a letter, buying things at a store, getting a coffee, delivering something to a friend or family
member)
steering wheel
I noticed that the steering wheel was slowly moving to the left on its own,
= a wheel inside a car (or other vehicle) that the driver uses to control the wheels and turn the car
rattle [verb]
I could also hear something rattling underneath the car.
= the word for the sound that occurs when things hit each other
I could hear metal parts knocking against each other under the car. It was a series of short, quick sounds.
steering system/steering mechanism
There are small rods underneath the car that are part of the steering system. These rods are important, because
they connect the front wheels to the steering mechanism.
= In the story, I used steering system to talk about everything from the steering wheel to the front
wheels & all the pieces in between. I used steering mechanism to mean just the steering wheel and the
steering column (separate from the front wheels and the rods).
16
rust
The rods underneath my car had rusted
= rust had formed on the rods underneath my car
Rust is a noun and a verb. The noun rust is the reddish-brown substance that forms on iron or steel.
The verb rust means the action of this substance forming on a surface.
scrapyard
I sold the car to the scrapyard.
= a place, usually outside a town or city in an open space, where you can sell or leave old cars or other
machines and buy parts for vehicles or other machines
affordable
Thats more affordable than buying a brand new car.
= not expensive, used to describe something that you are able to pay for, that you have enough money
for
17
VOCABULARY NOTES
1. scrapyard vs. junkyard

These two words are interchangeable. I used scrapyard because that is the more common & natural
word for me. While checking my vocabulary & grammar after I wrote the story, I learned that scrapyard
may be a British word, but one that is becoming more common in American English.
I consulted two American dictionaries. The Macmillan online dictionary (for English learners) gives a
standard definition for scrapyard, as for any other American word, while the Merriam-Websters Learners Dictionary says that scrapyard is the British word for junkyard.
2. work from home / work at home

These two expressions are interchangeable, however work from home is the most common way of saying
that you do your job, whatever your job is (self-employed or working for a company) in your home.
Recently I have seen some mothers on social media call themselves a work-at-home mom, meaning that
they run their own business from their house while looking after their children as well. (When a woman
stays home to raise her children & doesnt work outside the home, she is called a stay-at-home mom.)
This can be confusing, because work at home can also be used to talk about doing unpaid chores or tasks
around your house, like painting the garage doors or doing some work in the garden.

18
LISTENING ACTIVITIES
GAP-FILL ACTIVITIES
A. CORE VOCABULARY
My car died ____________________ (1) October. I was _____________ (2), but I wasnt _______________ (3).
I knew my car was on its last legs. It _______________ (4) on a Wednesday while I was driving around
doing some errands. As I was driving, I _______________ (5) that the steering wheel was _______________
(6) moving to the left on its _________________ (7), even though I was driving in a _______________ (8) line
and the _______________ (9) werent turning. I could also hear something rattling _______________ (10) the
car. I finished my errands and got home _______________ (11), but I knew it was the last time I would ever
drive my car.
Its hard to _________________ (12) what went _______________ (13) with my car, because I dont know a
lot about cars. Heres what my dad explained to me. There are small _______________ (14) underneath
the car that are part of the _______________ (15) system. These rods are _______________ (16), because
they _______________ (17) the front _______________ (18) to the steering mechanism. The rods
_______________ (19) my car had rusted and _______________ (20) of one had broken off, which meant that
I couldnt _______________ (21) control the _______________ (22) wheels with the steering wheel. There
was no _______________ (23) in getting it fixed because the _______________ (24) would have cost more
than the car was _______________ (25).
19
I __________ (26) the car to the scrapyard. _______________ (27) scrapyards are called _______________ (28)
recycling companies, or _______________ (29) recyclers. They pay _______________ (30) for scrap cars,
which are broken-down cars that can no _______________ (31) be driven. The _______________ (32) of the
car was still in great _______________ (33), especially the _________________ (34), so the scrapyard will take
the car apart and sell the parts to other _______________ (35).
It was a sad day when my car was towed away to the scrapyard. I loved my car. I bought it brand
______________ (36) in 2001 and I drove it ___________________ (37). It was the only car Ive ever
______________ (38). I havent ______________ (39) another car yet. I work from home, so a car isnt a
______________ (40). Im thinking about buying a one- or two-year-old ______________ (41) car. Thats
more affordable than buying a brand new car.
ANSWERS
20
B. CORE VOCABULARY & COLLOCATIONS
My car died ____________________ (1). I was sad, but _________________________ (2). I knew my car was on
its last legs. It happened ________________________ (3) while I was ____________________ (4) doing some
errands. As I was driving, I noticed that the ____________________ (5) was slowly ____________________ (6)
on its own, even though I was ________________________ (7) and the wheels werent turning. I could also
____________________ (8) rattling underneath the car. I finished my errands and ____________________ (9),
but I knew it was ____________________ (10) I would ever ____________________ (11).
Its
_______________________
(12)
what
____________________
(13)
with
my
car,
because
_________________________ (14). Heres what my dad _____________________ (15). There are small
rods underneath the car ____________________ (16) the steering system. These rods are important,
____________________________ (17) the front tires to the steering mechanism. The rods underneath my
car had rusted and part of one had broken off, _____________________ (18) I couldnt completely control
the tires with the steering wheel. ____________________ (19) getting it fixed because the repairs would
have ____________________ (20) the car was worth.
21
I ______________________ (21) the scrapyard. Nowadays scrapyards are called auto recycling companies, or auto recyclers. They ____________________ (22) scrap cars, which are broken-down cars that can
____________________ (23) be driven. The ____________________ (24) was still ____________________ (25),
especially the interior, so the scrapyard will _________________________ (26) and sell the parts to other
customers.
It was _________________ (27) when my car was _____________________ (28) the scrapyard.
______________________(29). I bought it brand new in 2001 and I drove it everywhere. It was
______________________ (30) owned. I havent bought another car yet. I _____________________(31),
so a car isnt a necessity. Im ____________________________ (32) buying a one- or two-year-old
_________________________ (33). Thats more affordable than buying ____________________ (34).
ANSWERS
22
C. CORE VOCABULARY, COLLOCATIONS & PHRASES
___________________________ (1). I was sad, but I wasnt surprised. I knew_____________________________

___________________(2). It happened on a Wednesday ____________________________ (3) some errands. As
I was driving, __________________________ (4) was slowly ____________________________ (5), even though
I was ________________________________ (6) and the wheels werent turning. ______________________ (7)
rattling underneath the car. I finished my errands and got home safely, but I knew it was ______________
_____________________ (8).
___________________ (9) what went wrong with my car, because _________________________ (10) cars.
Heres what my dad explained to me. There are small rods _________________________________ (11)
the steering system. These rods are important, because they connect the front wheels to the steering
mechanism. The rods underneath my car had rusted _____________________________ (12), which meant
that ______________________________ (13) the front wheels with the steering wheel. There was no point
in getting it fixed because the repairs _________________________________ (14) the car was worth.
23
________________________ (15) the scrapyard. Nowadays scrapyards are called auto recycling
companies, or auto recyclers. __________________________ (16), which are broken-down cars
______________________________(17). The rest of the car was ____________________________________ (18),
so the scrapyard ___________________________ (19) and sell the parts to other customers.
__________________________ (20) my car was towed away to the scrapyard. ______________________ (21).
I bought it brand new in 2001 and I drove it everywhere. It was ____________________________________
____________ (22). I havent bought another car yet. I work from home, ______________________________
__________________ (23). Im thinking about buying ______________________________________ (24). Thats
more affordable than _________________________________ (25).
ANSWERS
24
EVALUATION
How did you do on the gap fill activity? Did you miss some words? Did you spell some words wrong? Take
some time now to think about those words.
Did you miss a word because you thought it was pronounced differently? Listening and pronunciation are
closely related. You need to know the correct pronunciation of a word in order to hear that word.
Did you miss some of the smaller words, like articles and prepositions? You wont always hear these words
clearly in natural spoken English. That is why grammar is important. The smaller function words need to
be included in a sentence for the sentence to be grammatically correct, and you need to know them in
order to understand what someone is saying, but you wont always hear them fully pronounced.
Take some time to study the pronunciation or the sentence structure of the things you didnt hear.
If you are looking for another challenge, try the activity I describe on my website in the post How to
Practice Listening.

25
LISTENING COMPREHENSION
1. Listening comprehension questions
a. What was I doing when my car died?
b. Was it a surprise that my car died?
c. What were the signs that something was wrong with my car? How did I know that my car wasnt
working properly?
d. What did my dad say was wrong with my car?
e. Why didnt I have the car repaired?
f. What did I do with the car?
g. Whats a scrapyard?
h. When did I buy my car?
i. Was this my first car?
j. Why havent I bought another car yet?
2. Put the sentences in order

Put these sentences in the order they occur in the story. Number the sentences from 1 9.
_______ The rods that connected the wheels to the steering mechanism had rusted and broken off.
_______ I want to buy a used car.
_______ I didnt get the car repaired because the repairs would have cost more than the car was worth.
_______ The steering wheel started moving on its own and there was a rattling sound underneath
the car.

_______ My car died.
_______ The scrapyard will take the car apart & sell the parts to other customers.
_______ I dont have another car yet.
_______ The car was towed to the scrapyard.
_______ I was driving around doing some errands.
ANSWERS
26
CORE VOCABULARY REVIEW

Fill in the blank spaces with a word from the story. Pay attention to the collocations. The collocations
will give you clues about the missing words.
Vocabulary:
mechanic = someone who can fix/repaircars and other vehicles
garage = a place where a mechanic repairs cars
Conversation #1
A: Did you _____________ a new car?I just saw you last week and you had
a different car.

B: I justgot it yesterday! Isnt it awesome?
A: It looks expensive!How much did you _________________ for it?
B: Lets just say I got it for a good price.
A: What happened to your old car?
B: I _________________it to my neighbor for $2000.
A: Was the car _________________ $2000?
B: It was ______________ more than that, but it needed some _____________.
Hes a mechanic so he can fixit.
Conversation #2
A: Whats _________________ with your car?
B: I dont know. I dont know much ________________ cars. I think theres a
problem with the _________________wheel.
A: Did you take it to a mechanic?
B: Not yet. I dont have enough money to payfor the _________________.
A: How much do you think the ______________will _________________?
B: Too much! I cant drive it, so I need to have it ________________to the garage.
That will be expensive.
ANSWERS
27
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Instructions
Complete the crossword puzzle from the clues given.

A crossword puzzle is a word game. You are given clues, which are pieces of information that will help
you find the answers. You need to write the answer in the squares across or down according to the number of the clue.
All the answers are words & phrases from the core vocabulary OR the story. You may need to pay attention to verb tense or the plural form of a noun.
There are four different kinds of clues:
IPA transcriptions of words (What is the IPA?)
words with letters rearranged (you must rearrange the letters to spell a word)
synonyms (words that have similar meanings) and antonyms (words that have
opposite meanings)
sentences with missing words or phrases
Example
Clue #1 across is TYNICSEES. You need to rearrange these letters to spell a word from either the story
or the core vocabulary list. When you know the answer, look for a horizontal row of squares that starts
with the number 1. Write one letter in each square.
ANSWERS
28
Complete the crossword below.

1
3
4
5
6
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Created on TheTeachersCorner.net Crossword Maker
Across
Down
1. Can you _______ [1 word] to me what went wrong

with your car?
4. The car was in great _______. [1 word] It didnt look
14 years old.
6. /fkst/
8. partially (antonym)
11. essential, critical (synonym)
12. AHNERETUDN
13. /spli/
14. carefully, cautiously (synonym)
18. TYNICSEES
20. ignore (antonym)
29
2. There was ______ [3 words] getting angry that my

car died. I knew it was going to happen sometime.
3. /kndn/
5. MURSOECTS
7. put back together (antonym) [2 words]
9. almost dead (synonym) [4 words]
10. ORNEIITR
15. I prefer to _______ [2 words] for purchases instead
of using my credit card.
16. by itself (synonym) [3 words]
17. separate (antonym)
19. /w/
GRAMMAR
HAVE / GET SOMETHING DONE
There was no point in getting [my car] fixed because the repairs would have cost more than the car
was worth.
In the story, I talked about why I didnt have my car fixed, or have my car repaired. I cant fix a car by
myself. I dont know how! I have to pay someone else to do it, in this case a mechanic. However, in the
story I didnt say WHO would fix my car because that wasnt important.
This is a form of the passive.
have (something [object]) + past participle
get (something [object]) + past participle
It means to have someone else or pay someone to do something for you. The past participle is the same
form of the word used in perfect tenses.
Compare these sentences:
I fixed my car.
= I did the repairs myself
I had my car fixed.
= someone else did the repairs for me
Be careful! Make sure you put the words in the correct order.
I had my car fixed.
= correct structure, have (something) done
I had fixed my car.
= the past perfect
30
Have or get?
In this grammar structure, the two verbs are interchangeable. Have is more formal. Get is often used in
informal, spoken English.
Example sentences

When are you going to get your hair cut?
~ Im getting my hair cut this weekend.
[Using the present continuous to talk about future events.]
Jane & Michael are getting ready to sell their house. They had the walls painted, the roof repaired, and
they had the house professionally decorated.
When we were on vacation in California, we had our photo taken with George Clooney!
I went shopping at IKEA, but I couldnt fit all the boxes in my car. I had everything delivered to my house.
This structure is also used to talk about a crime or something bad that happens to you or your
possessions:

If you come here and cause trouble again, Ill have you arrested!

Nick cant drive because he had his license taken away.

= the police or the government said that Nick cannot drive anymore because he committed a
crime (for example, he may have been in a car accident, or he may have been driving while he was
drunk)
31
Practice Activity
1. Use have/get something done to complete the sentences. Use the correct verb tense.
Say the sentence first, then write it.
a. Alannah is at the eye doctor. She _________________________ (her eyes/check) today.
b. Ken _______________________________ (his wallet / steal) on the bus yesterday.
c. Jenny is _____________________________________ (hair / cut) tomorrow.
d. Why is Melissa ___________________________________ (photo / take) right now?
e. When did Alice _________________________________ (her car / repair)?
2. Use the structure have/get something done to answer the question, What did you do today?
a. coat / clean
______________________________________________.
b. new television / deliver
______________________________________________.
c. new windows / install
______________________________________________.
d. the invitations to my party / make
______________________________________________.
e. my car / wash
______________________________________________.
ANSWERS
32
PRONUNCIATION
TRANSCRIPT
In the story, I used the word auto. This is a great opportunity to look at how to pronounce the vowel
combination AU.
Many of my students try to say the sound /a/ when they see this vowel combination. They say things
like August /agst/ instead of August /st/.
Here are a couple of things to remember:
The vowel combination AU is almost never pronounced /a/, so if youve been pronouncing it
that way, youll need to relearn a few words!
When you see two vowels next to each other within a syllable, they make one sound (most of
the time). Together, the vowels make the sound of the first letter, while the second vowel is
silent.
The vowel combination AU is pronounced //.
This is a very easy sound to make. Your mouth opens from your jaw, as if you are yawning. Your lips are
relaxed & not rounded. Your tongue is flat on the bottom of your mouth. //
Here are some words with the AU vowel combination at the beginning of a word:
August, audience, author, autumn, automatic, audition and, of course, auto (which is short for
automobile)
Here are some words with the AU vowel combination in the middle of a word:
laundry, daughter, caught (past tense of catch), taught (past tense of teach), haunt,
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule in English. There are some words where the AU vowel
combination is not pronounced //, for example, the words laugh & laughter, and dinosaur. However,
these are exceptions and most of the time, the vowel combination AU is pronounced //.

33
ANSWERS
Pre-listening activities
3. Synonym Match
a. steer
b. rod
c. connect
d. repair
e. customer
f. the rest
g. tow
h. necessity
1. Words related to money

a. worth
b. cash
c. cost
d. sell
e. pay
f. buy
2. Words used to talk about cars

a. wheel
b. system
c. part
d. rod
e. mechanism
f. repair
g. steer
h. tow
i. auto
j. used
k. brand new
l. condition
m. interior
4. Choose the correct word

a. straight
b. safely
c. wrong
d. brand new
e. underneath
f. left
RETURN TO PRE-LISTENING ACTIVITIES
Collocation activities
5. Missing Prepositions
a. ON a Wednesday
b. TO the left
c. IN a straight line
d. part OF
e.
f.
g.
h.
pay cash FOR (something)

the rest OF / IN great condition
sell the parts TO (someone)
thinking ABOUT/OF
RETURN TO COLLOCATION ACTIVITIES
34
6. Collocation Matching & Definitions

a. work from home = do your job in your house instead of an office
b. on ones own = without any help
c. there was no point in = no reason to do something
d. no longer = true in the past, not true now
e. which meant that = it caused or resulted in
f. know a lot about cars = have learned a lot of information about (something)
g. get it fixed = have someone else repair the car
RETURN TO COLLOCATION ACTIVITIES
Paragraph 1
a. v
b. vii
c. i
d. vi
e. viii
f. ii
g. ix
h. iii
i. iv
last October.
I wasnt surprised.
its last legs.
I was driving around doing some errands.
the steering wheel was slowly moving to the left on its own,
line and the wheels werent turning.
something rattling underneath the car.
and got home safely,
last time I would ever drive my car.
Paragraph 2
Dont worry if you didnt get all the sentences in the right order. This is not a test! Its just an activity to
help you understand the story before you hear it.
1. Its hard to explain what went wrong with my car, because I dont know a lot about cars.
2. Heres what my dad explained to me.
3. There are small rods underneath the car that are part of the steering system.
4. These rods are important, because they connect the front wheels to the steering mechanism.
5. The rods underneath my car had rusted and part of one had broken off, which meant that I
couldnt completely control the front wheels with the steering wheel.
6. There was no point in getting it fixed because the repairs would have cost more than the car
was worth.
35
Paragraph 3
I sold the car TO (a) the scrapyard. Nowadays scrapyards ARE (b) called auto recycling companies, OR (c)
auto recyclers. They pay cash FOR (d) scrap cars, which ARE (e) broken-down cars THAT (f) can no longer
be driven. The rest OF (g) the car was still IN (h) great condition, especially THE (i) interior, so THE (j)
scrapyard WILL (k) take the car apart AND (l) sell the parts TO (m) other customers.
Paragraph 4
a. towed
b. everywhere
c. owned
d. another
e. necessity
f. used
g. brand new
RETURN TO PARAGRAPH ACTIVITIES

A. Core Vocabulary Gap Fill
1. last
2. sad
3. surprised
4. happened
5. noticed
6. slowly
7. own
8. straight
9. wheels
10. underneath
11. safely
12. explain
13. wrong
14. rods
15. steering
16. important
17. connect
18. wheels
19. underneath
20. part
21. completely
22. front
23. point
24. repairs
25. worth
26. sold
27. Nowadays
28. auto
29. auto
30. cash
31. longer
32. rest
33. condition
34. interior
35. customers
36. new
37. everywhere
38. owned
39. bought
40. necessity
41. used
RETURN TO GAP-FILL ACTIVITIES
36
B. Core Vocabulary & Collocations Gap Fill

1. last October
10. the last time
2. I wasnt sur11. drive my car
prised
12. hard to explain
3. on a Wednesday
13. went wrong
4. driving around
14. I dont know a
5. steering wheel
lot about cars
6. moving to the
15. explained to me
left
16. that are part of
7. driving in a
17. because they
straight line
connect
8. hear something
18. which meant
9. got home safely
that
19. There was no

point in
20. cost more than
21. sold the car to
22. pay cash for
23. no longer
24. rest of the car
25. in great condition
26. take the car
apart
27. a sad day
28. towed away to

29. I loved my car
30. the only car Ive
ever
31. work from home
32. thinking about
33. used car
34. a brand new car

C. Core Vocabulary, Collocations, & Phrases Gap Fill
1. My car died last
something
October
8. the last time I
2. my car was on its
would ever drive
last legs
my car
3. while I was driv9. Its hard to exing around doing
plain
4. I noticed that
10. I dont know a
the steering
lot about
wheel
11. underneath the
5. moving to the
car that are part
left on its own
of
6. driving in a
12. and part of one
straight line
had broken off
7. I could also hear
13. I couldnt com-
pletely control
14. would have cost
more than
15. I sold the car to
16. They pay cash
for scrap cars
17. that can no longer be driven
18. still in great condition, especially
the interior
19. will take the car
apart
20. It was a sad day
when
21. I loved my car.
22. the only car Ive
ever owned.
23. so a car isnt a
necessity
24. a one- or twoyear-old used
car.
25. buying a brand
new car.

37
Listening Comprehension Questions

a. I was driving around doing some errands
b. No. I knew that my car was on its last legs.
c. The steering wheel was moving to the left on its own & I could hear something rattling underneath the car.
d. Small rods underneath my car had rusted and part of one had broken off. The rods are important
because they are part of the steering system.
e. The repairs would have cost more than the car was worth.
f. I sold it to a scrapyard.
g. Its an auto recycling company. They pay cash for scrap cars and then take those cars apart & sell
the parts to other customers.
h. I bought it in 2001.
i. Yes.
j. I work from home, so a car isnt a necessity.
Put the Sentences in Order
1. My car died.
2. I was driving around doing some errands.
3. The steering wheel started moving on its own and there was a rattling sound underneath the car.
4. The rods that connected the wheels to the steering mechanism had rusted and broken off.
5. I didnt get the car repaired because the repairs would have cost more than the car was worth.
6. The car was towed to the scrapyard.
7. The scrapyard will take the car apart & sell the parts to other customers.
8. I dont have another car yet.
9. I want to buy a used car.
RETURN TO LISTENING COMPREHENSION ACTIVITIES

Core Vocabulary Review
Conversation #1
I. buy
II. pay
III. sold
IV. worth
V. worth
VI. repairs
Conversation #2
I. wrong
II. about
III. steering
IV. repairs
V. repairs
VI. cost
VII. towed
RETURN TO CORE VOCABULARY REVIEW

38
Crossword puzzle
Across
1. necessity
4. worth

7. safely

8. explain

10. especially
11. underneath
13. condition
17. take apart
18. interior
Down
2. completely
3. important
5. fixed
6. connect
9. on its last legs
12. on its own
13. customer
14. no point in
15. pay cash
16. notice
RETURN TO CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Grammar
1. Complete the sentence [If you used get in your answers, thats fine.]
a. is having her eyes checked
b. had his wallet stolen
c. having* her hair cut
d. having her photo taken
e. have her car repaired?
*Remember, you can use the present continuous to talk about a future event.
2. Answer the question
a. I had my coat cleaned.
b. I had my new television delivered
c. I had new windows installed.
d. I had the invitations to my party made.
e. I had my car washed.
RETURN TO GRAMMAR SECTION
39
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
My car died last October. I was sad, but I wasnt surprised. I knew my car was on its last legs. It happened on
a Wednesday while I was driving around doing some errands. As I was driving, I noticed that the steering
wheel was slowly moving to the left on its own, even though I was driving in a straight line and the wheels
werent turning. I could also hear something rattling underneath the car. I finished my errands and got
home safely, but I knew it was the last time I would ever drive my car.
Its hard to explain what went wrong with my car, because I dont know a lot about cars. Heres what my dad
explained to me. There are small rods underneath the car that are part of the steering system. These rods
are important, because they connect the front wheels to the steering mechanism. The rods underneath
my car had rusted and part of one had broken off, which meant that I couldnt completely control the front
wheels with the steering wheel. There was no point in getting it fixed because the repairs would have cost
more than the car was worth.
I sold the car to the scrapyard. Nowadays scrapyards are called auto recycling companies, or auto recyclers.
They pay cash for scrap cars, which are broken-down cars that can no longer be driven. The rest of the car
was still in great condition, especially the interior, so the scrapyard will take the car apart and sell the parts
to other customers.
It was a sad day when my car was towed away to the scrapyard. I loved my car. I bought it brand new in
2001 and I drove it everywhere. It was the only car Ive ever owned. I havent bought another car yet.
I work from home, so a car isnt a necessity. Im thinking about buying a one- or two-year-old used car.
Thats more affordable than buying a brand new car.
40

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THIS GUIDE IS BASED ON 4 PRINCIPLES OF

HOW BEST TO LEARN A LANGUAGE

Focus on core vocabulary.

Learn English in chunks.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Hear the word, then say the word.

STUDY GUIDE | LISTENING LESSON 19 | MY CAR DIED!

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDEPage 4

Core Vocabulary & Activities Page 5

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

WHAT IS CORE VOCABULARY?

1. Words related to money

2. Words used to talk about cars

2015 English Teacher Melanie

Study Guide 19 - My Car Died!

4. Choose the correct word

Circle the correct word that completes the sentence.

2015 English Teacher Melanie

Study Guide 19 - My Car Died!

WHAT ARE COLLOCATIONS?

a. It happened _______ a Wednesday.

= without any help

= have someone else repair the car

= have learned a lot of information

= do your job in your house instead

Study Guide 19 - My Car Died!

on a Wednesday (day of the week; any Wednesday, not a specific one)

2015 English Teacher Melanie

Study Guide 19 - My Car Died!

COLLOCATIONS CONTINUED ...

RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

2015 English Teacher Melanie

Study Guide 19 - My Car Died!

Complete the clause or sentence by matching the parts together.

b. I was sad, but ____

c. I knew my car was on ____

d. It happened on a Wednesday while ____

f. even though I was driving in a straight ____

h. I finished my errands ____

i. but I knew it was the ____

its last legs.

line and the wheels werent turning.

iii. and got home safely.

iv. last time I would ever drive my car.

vi. I was driving around doing some errands

viii. the steering wheel was slowly moving to the

Put the sentences in order from 1-6.

2015 English Teacher Melanie

Study Guide 19 - My Car Died!

Use your knowledge of grammar to fill in the missing function words.

b. I loved my car. I bought it brand new in 2001 and I drove it _____________.

e. I work from home, so a car isnt a ________________.

f. Im thinking about buying a one- or two-year-old _____________ car.

Study Guide 19 - My Car Died!

Example sentences: break down

Example sentences: broken-down

This phrasal verb also has a noun form: a breakdown

2015 English Teacher Melanie

Study Guide 19 - My Car Died!

3. TAKE SOMETHING APART

2015 English Teacher Melanie

Study Guide 19 - My Car Died!

(BE) ON ITS LAST LEGS

_ (1). I was sad, but I wasnt surprised. I knew___