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Level 4: High Intermediate Daily Audio Lessons

DailyStep-4_problem-car-tow-002_GB-03

Mike: How could you possibly not have noticed your car was not outside

your house for ten whole days?

Justine: Well, I was going on holiday the next morning and it just slipped

my mind. It wasn’t until a few days after I got back that I noticed it was

gone.

Mike: So, what did you do?

Justine: Well, I rushed straight down to the spot where I had left the car

and there was no sign of it. At first, I thought it must have been stolen,

then I realised what must have really happened. It dawned on me that it

must have been towed away because it was illegally parked.

..
Situation: Mike can’t believe that Justine didn’t notice that her car was missing.

Style: Surprised and exasperated

Functions:
1. Expressing exasperation: How could you possibly not have noticed your car
was not outside your house for ten whole days? (note: please copy the tone and
emphasis carefully here.)
2. Explaining that you forgot: I was going on holiday the next morning so it just
slipped my mind (note: please copy the tone and emphasis carefully here.)
3. Talking about assumptions: At first, I thought it must have been stolen, then I
realised what must have really happened. (note: please copy the tone and
emphasis carefully here.)
4. Describing a moment of realisation: It dawned on me that it must have been
towed away (note: please copy the tone and emphasis carefully here.)

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Level 4: High Intermediate Daily Audio Lessons

Notes:
1. How could you possibly not have noticed..? = Why on earth did you not realise…?
2. Ten whole days (more emphatic) = ten days, which is a long time
3. it just slipped my mind (idiom) = I simply forgot about it
4. I got back (phrasal verb) = I returned
5. I noticed = I realised / it dawned on (phrasal verb) me
6. it was gone = it wasn’t there
7. I rushed straight down to = I went immediately and as fast as I could to
8. the spot = the location / the place
9. there was no sign of it = it was nowhere to be seen / I could not see it anywhere
10. it must have been stolen = somebody must have stolen it / I assumed it had
been stolen (more formal)
11. I realised = I noticed
12. It dawned on me (phrasal verb) = I realised
13. It must have been = The only thing that could have happened was that it was
14. towed away (phrasal verb) = removed / pulled by another vehicle or by a lorry
with a crane to another location
15. it was illegally parked = I had parked it somewhere that was not allowed
.
Audio file name: DailyStep-4_problem-car-tow-002_GB-03
..

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DailyStep English, London, UK. © DailyStep Ltd. www.dailystep.com
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step