JOYCE:
Should we take a taxi or a bus to the mall?
BILL:
Let’s take a bus. It’s impossible to get a taxi during
rush hour.
JOYCE:
Isn’t that a bus stop over there?
BILL:
Yes ... Oh! There’s a bus now. We’ll have to run to catch it.
JOYCE:
Oh, no! We just missed it.
BILL:
No problem. There’ll be another one in 10 minutes.
LANGUAGE NOTES
- Should we … or …? Is a way of asking “Which is better?” “Should” is used to ask
for an opinion. Note that we do not say “Will” here. - Take a taxi or a bus? The word “or” signals a choice here. Notice the rising
intonation on taxi (the first choice) and falling intonation on bus (the second choice). - Let’s (Let us) means “I think we should do this.”
- Rush hour is the time of day when most people are going to or from work. In most
American cities, rush hour is from about 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. and from about 4:30 to
6:30 p.m. Notice that “rush hour” is a compound noun, with the main stress on the
first word. - Isn’t that This is a negative question. The speaker expects an affirmative answer. It
is used to check information. - Bus stop is a compound noun, with the main stress on the first word.
- Oh! is an exclamation used to express alarm or surprise.
- Oh, no! is an expression used to express disappointment.
- We just missed it here means “We arrived a moment too late to get the bus.” Notice the emphasis on “just” to show the very recent past.
- No problem here means “It doesn’t matter.”
Souce: Embassy of the United States of America
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