Everyday Dialogues

Going to a
Petrol Station
In this lesson, you will learn useful vocabulary
and expressions for talking to a petrol pump
attendant in an English-speaking country.

Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions

1. W
 hat is the difference between a full-serve
and self-serve pump at a petrol station?

2. What services are offered at a petrol station?

3. W
 hich types of vehicles use
unleaded petrol and which use diesel?

B. Vocabulary Preview

Match the words on the left with the correct meanings on the right.

1. regular a) the wide glass window at the front of a vehicle

2. premium b) to leave or go somewhere, to begin a journey
3. passenger’s side c) normal, unleaded fuel/petrol
4. petrol tank d) a plastic card used for paying for something later
5. windscreen e) high-quality or cleaner petrol, costs more than regular
6. oil f) physical money that you can hand to someone
7. road trip g) the money leftover after you pay a bill with cash
8. head off h) a long, wide road that you can drive fast on
9. cash i) the liquid that keeps an engine running smoothly
10. credit card j) a journey in a motor vehicle
11. change k) the compartment that holds the petrol in a vehicle
12. motorway l) the side of the vehicle where the non-driver (in the front seat) sits

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 Going to a Petrol Station
Everyday Dialogues

Dialogue Reading
Read the dialogue with your partner a few times. Take turns
being each character. Practise your intonation and pronunciation.
Circle any new words or phrases that you need to practise.

Customer: Hello. Fill it up, please.

Gas Attendant: Sure. Would you like regular or premium?

Customer: Regular, please.

Gas Attendant: I’m afraid you’ll have to turn your car around. Your petrol tank is on the passenger’s side.

Customer: Oh, sorry! It’s a rental. I’m used to it being on the driver’s side.

(A few seconds later...)

Gas Attendant:
That’s more like it. Can I interest you in a car wash today?

Customer: Maybe just a quick windscreen wash. The mirrors could use a little cleaning, too.

Gas Attendant: Sure. Can I check your oil?

Customer: That would be great. I’m heading off on a road trip.

My pleasure.
Gas Attendant: (Later...)
You’re all set here. Will that be cash or credit card?

Customer: Cash, please.

Gas Attendant: Okay. The total today is £55.43.

Customer: Here’s £60. Keep the change.

Gas Attendant: Thank you very much.

Customer: Thank you. Oh. Can you tell me how to get back to the motorway?

Yep. Take a left out of the petrol station. The junction is about two minutes
Gas Attendant:
down the road. If you’re heading east, it will be on your right. Have a safe trip.

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 Going to a Petrol Station
Everyday Dialogues

Practice
Work with your partner. Role-play the dialogue on page 2,
substituting the different expressions below. Then switch roles.

1. Fill it up, please. 6. Keep the change.

• Can you fill the tank, please? • The rest is yours.

• Can you put £20 in, please?
• Just half a tank, please.
• Fill ‘er up, please.
2. Would you like regular or premium?
• Do you want regular or premium?
• Will that be regular or premium today?
3. Can I interest you in a car wash today?
• Does your car need a wash today?
• Can we wash your vehicle for you?
• Can we give your vehicle a wash?
4. Can I check your oil?
• Do you want me to check your oil?
• Do you need your oil checked?
5. You’re all set here.
• I don’t need any change, thank you.
7. C
 an you tell me how to
get back to the motorway?
• Where’s the motorway from here?
• How do I get back on the motorway?
• What’s the best way to get
back to the motorway?
8. T
 he junction is about
two minutes down the road.
• The motorway is a few miles down the road.
• The slip road is about five minutes from here.
9. If you’re heading east, it will be on your right.
• If you’re heading west, it will be on your left.
• If you’re heading north, go right.
• If you’re going south, take a left.

• You’re all ready to go.

• Everything is ready.

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 Going to a Petrol Station
Everyday Dialogues

Listening Practice
Listen to the recording of the dialogue from page 2. Fill in the missing
words as you listen. Listen again. Now look back at page 2 and check your
work. Did you fill in the correct words? Did you spell everything correctly?

Customer: Hello.             , please.

Gas Attendant: Sure. Would you like regular or             ?

Customer: Regular, please.

I’m afraid you’ll have to turn your car around.

Gas Attendant:
Your petrol tank is on the             side.

Customer: Oh, sorry! It’s a rental. I’m used to it being on the driver’s side.

(A few seconds later...)

Gas Attendant:
That’s more like it. Can I             in a car wash today?

Maybe just a quick             wash.

Customer:
The             could use a little cleaning, too.

Gas Attendant: Sure. Can I check your oil?

Customer: That would be great. I’m             on a road trip.

My pleasure.
Gas Attendant: (Later...)
You’re             here. Will that be cash or credit card?

Customer: Cash, please.

Gas Attendant: Okay. The total today is £55.43.

Customer: Here’s £60. Keep the             .

Gas Attendant: Thank you very much.

Customer: Thank you. Oh. Can you tell me how to get back to the             ?

Yep. Take a left out of the petrol station.

Gas Attendant: The             is about two minutes down the road.
If you’re             east, it will be on your right. Have a safe trip.

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 Going to a Petrol Station
Everyday Dialogues

At the Pump
A. Complete the Questions

Complete the unfinished questions with the words on the right.

1. Did you tighten the a) petrol cap?

2. Do you want a b) nozzle all the way?
3. Did you insert the c) pump?
4. Do the tires need d) receipt?
5. Did you turn off the e) petrol cap cover?
6. Do we pay at the f) air?
7. Do we pay g) engine?
8. Did you tip the h) inside after dark?
9. Do you have a i) attendant?
10. Did you close the j) points card?
11. Do we need unleaded k) or diesel?
l 12. Did you choose l) regular or premium?

B. Practice with a Passenger

Work with a partner. Imagine that you are heading on a road trip
and you are at a self-serve petrol pump. One of you is the driver and the
other is a passenger. Practise asking each other the questions above.

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 Going to a Petrol Station
Everyday Dialogues

Write Your Own Dialogue

Write a dialogue with a partner using phrases from page 3.
One of you will be a customer and one of you will be a petrol pump
attendant. Practise and present the dialogue to your class.

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 Going to a Petrol Station
Everyday Dialogues

Review

Task 1 Task 2

LISTEN & ANSWER VOCABULARY CHECK

Listen to the conversation again and answer the questions. List five nouns and five verbs
Your teacher will tell you if you have to write or say the answers. that you may need to use when
talking to a petrol pump attendant.
1. What does the customer need for her car?
Nouns

1.

2.
2. What mistake did the customer make, and what was her excuse?
3.

4.

5.

3. What other two car services did the customer receive?

Verbs

1.

2.

4. W
 hat does the customer do to show 3.
her appreciation for the attendant’s service?
4.

5.

5. What helpful information does the attendant provide?

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 Going to a Petrol Station
Everyday Dialogues

Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: Low Int

In this lesson, a customer goes to a full-serve petrol TIME: 1.5 hours

station. The customer and the petrol pump attendant have
TAGS:  dialogues, petrol, petrol station, fuel, petrol pump atten-
a conversation at the pump. Students learn vocabulary
dant
and expressions to use when tanking up.

Pre-Reading Listening Practice

A. WARM-UP QUESTIONS Have students complete the dialogue by listening

to the recording or by having two students read
Discuss as a class or in small groups. Answers will vary.
the completed dialogue from page 2.

B. VOCABULARY PREVIEW
Write Your Own Dialogue
1. c 3. l 5. a 7. j 9. f 11. g
2. e 4. k 6. i 8. b 10. d 12. h Encourage your students to use vocabulary from the model.

Dialogue Reading At the Pump

Give your students time to read the dialogue in pairs. A. COMPLETE THE QUESTIONS

1. a 3. b 5. g 7. h 9. j 11. k
Practice
2. d 4. f 6. c 8. i 10. e 12. l

Have your students read the dialogue again and

(continued on the next page...)
practise subbing in some of the different expressions.

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 Going to a Petrol Station
Everyday Dialogues

Answer Key cont.

Review (Assessment Tasks)

The following tasks can be used for assessment purposes

and/or review practice. You can save all of the tasks until
the end or assess your students throughout the lesson.

TASK 1

Play the audio from this lesson. Then assign the questions. You
can decide if you want your students to say or write the answers.

1. T he customer needs regular petrol for his car.

2. T he customer parked on the wrong side
of the petrol pump. She said it was a rental car.
3. T he attendant gave the car a quick wash and checked the oil.
4. T he customer gave the attendant a tip.
5. T he attendant provided directions to get back on
the motorway.

TASK 2

Ask your students to provide a list to you orally or in writing,

depending on which skill you want to assess. Possible answers:

Nouns: petrol, windshield, petrol pump, vehicle,

tires, change, debit card, credit card, total

Verbs: fill up, wash, clean, top up, pay

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 Going to a Petrol Station
Everyday Dialogues

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