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Buying a Car

Learn English with this Car English Lesson

Date: Nov 12 2012

Themes: How To, Travel

Grammar: Plural vs. Possessive "S"

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Intro

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game of chance

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Buying a car is stressful. First of all, it’s expensive. Then there are all the technical details about how a car works. Finally, there are many decisions to make: used or new? Four door or two door? The list is endless.

The best thing you can do before buying a car is to talk to your friends who have done it before. That way you can hear about their experiences, and avoid going home with a lemon. Listen to Mason get advice from Jason in this English lesson.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Jason

Mason: I am super worried that I might have to buy a car sometime soon. Both of my cars, mine and my wife’s, are giving me trouble. It’s no good.

Jason: It’s kind of a game of chance, buying a car. A used car, especially.

Mason: Sure.

Jason: I like to buy cars from their owners, as opposed to from a dealer. I just feel like you get a better price that way.

Mason: And you can look them in the eye and be like, “Is this car a lemon or not?”

Jason: Right. But sometimes they just don’t know, you know, what’s about to go wrong with it.

Mason: Well what are some of the things that you look for? Probably the price range, but what else?

Jason: You can always look at the tires. That’s always a bonus, if the tires are in good shape, you won’t have to spend a bunch of money on that soon. And another big thing is to look for rust. You definitely don’t want any rust. So far I’ve bought two cars that way, and in one case, it went really well, and I got this amazing car that my mechanic was like, “This is in great shape!” And the other time, it was a complete disaster, and I got this car that was held together with paper clips and stuff, that I somehow just didn’t detect.

Mason: Missed all that?

Jason: Yeah. It made me feel real dumb. I might go to a dealer, but I’m a little bit afraid of the salespeople.

Mason: There’s so much built up around that. They put you in this room, and make you sit there for hours.

Jason: Yeah. It’s not my style.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Mason is worried because he probably has to buy a car. Both of his are giving him trouble. Jason knows that buying a car, especially a used car, can be risky.

Jason shares some of his car-buying experience. He likes to buy cars from an owner, rather than a dealer, because you get a better price from an owner. Mason points out that you might be able to find out more information about the car that way, too.

Mason asks Jason for some more advice about what to look for when buying a car. Jason suggests checking the tires, and, especially, making sure that there’s no rust. Jason has had good luck and bad luck buying cars. Once, he got a great car. The other time, the car was in terrible shape, and he ended up feeling stupid.

Jason might be ready to go to a dealer this time, but he’s not sure. He doesn’t feel comfortable with everything you have to go through that way.

Have you ever bought a car? Where did you buy it? What would you do if you bought a car and it turned out to be a lemon?

Comments

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Moriza

Ukraine

Although,nowadays,there is a huge choice of different cars (models and prices),not everyone can afford to buy it.But when someone decides to buy a car,he/she should to learn a lot of information in advance from different sources(internet,friends,sellers,relatives,etc.)

In general,I like driving,but give preference to walking (more healthier).

wuzhenhong

China

I am still a college student in China and has never thought about buying a car.But mountain bike is always come to my mind.I want to go a cycle touring with that。

Ya Nina

Kazakhstan

I’ve never bought the car. Because our family have only one car and this car was chosen my husband. He asked my advice only one time – when chose the color:) Then he made order from Japan and after some months we got our car!

MimKun

Yemen

I didn’t buy one yet, and I don’t really know how to drive ! Just a lil be in the Automatic cars :D

I wont buy a used car, even if I can’t afford a new one .. My car should be new and cool with a great sound system :P

julito

Argentina

Years ago I thought that it was about time that i bought a car , I started making monthly payments for a brand new car and after three years or so, finally I received a letter from the dealer inviting me to go to the agency to sign up the papers and take my car home. Unfortunately, right then, my mother was ill and because I had to take care of her I wasn´t working .i had to sold my car without even having seeing my baby rolling out of the dealership´s ramp. .After that , It never came to my mind to own a car, I prefer to ride on my friends´cars , soooo cheap for me

-Benny-

Thailand

used cars are good for the price. my first car is a used car too. my mom bought it for me when i graduated from high school. it’s more less cost for first driving and learn how to drive by myself. a year after that I sold it. and bought a brand new car.

mojtaba

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

yes we bought a car 3 years ago and it is verey good beacuse we use of it for go the form and until now even once don’t damaged

partybird

China

I have a car for two year ,it’s convenient.

MinhThuy

Viet Nam

but if you buy the car in VietNam, very cost hight.for tax….......

MinhThuy

Viet Nam

my father just bought a car , my family very happy.

huyndai i 20

julywidiawati

Indonesia

My hubby just bought a car, used one from his kind of nephew, and it’s completely a lemon, damn! So many things to fix, the last trouble was the tires. OMG I feel so dummy reading this lesson!