- Anyway, what’s wrong with the car this time?
- Well, I was just driving over the East Hill bypass when I noticed that the red light was flashing on the temperature gauge, but as I had just had the radiator replaced, I thought it couldn’t be overheating and just assumed that the gauge must be giving a faulty reading.
- And was it?
- Unfortunately not. When I got to the traffic lights on Long Lane they were on red. That’s when I realised that steam was pouring out of the bonnet. I released the bonnet catch and got out of the car to take a look under the bonnet. As I opened it, a huge cloud of steam billowed out, almost scalding my face. I thought, “Blasted thing, why do you keep doing this to me?” and in my frustration I kicked the passenger door and the wing mirror fell off.
- I’ve told you to get rid of it. If you were to do any more repairs on it, you’d just be throwing good money after bad.
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Situation: Martha explains how even though the car has just had a new radiator, it still overheated at some traffic lights.
Style: Informal
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Functions:
1. Returning to the main subject: Anyway, so what’s wrong with the car this time? (note: please copy the tone and emphasis carefully here.)
2. Giving an unavoidable negative answer: Unfortunately not. (note: please copy the tone and emphasis carefully here.)
3. Expressing frustration: I thought, “Blasted thing, why do you keep doing this to me?” (note: please copy the tone and emphasis carefully here.)
4. Giving an opinion: If you were to do any more repairs on it, you’d just be throwing good money after bad.
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Notes:
1. bypass = road that goes past a town or city
2. the red light was flashing = the red light was going on and off (phrasal verb) intermittently (as a warning)
3. the temperature gauge = the instrument for indicating the temperature of the engine
4. I had just had the radiator replaced = Somebody had recently replaced the radiator for me
5. overheating = getting too hot
6. the gauge must be giving a faulty reading = the gauge can’t be working properly
7. the traffic lights = the traffic signals, with 3 lights (red, amber and green)
8. they were on red = the red light was on (phrasal verb)
9. steam was pouring out (phrasal verb) of = a large amount steam was coming out (phrasal verb) of
10. steam = water vapour
11. the bonnet = the cover to the engine compartment
12. a huge cloud of steam billowed out (phrasal verb - more descriptive) = a huge cloud of steam came out (phrasal verb)
13. scalding = burning (with a hot liquid)
14. Blasted thing (expressing frustration) = Stupid thing / Useless thing
15. In my frustration = because I was so frustrated
16. I kicked the passenger door = I hit the passenger door with my foot (note: we never actually say it like this!)
17. the wing mirror = the side mirror (on a car)
18. fell off (phrasal verb) = became detached / separated and fell to the ground
19. get rid of it (phrasal verb) = throw it away (phrasal verb)
20. throwing good money after bad (idiom) = wasting even more money on something that you have already wasted money on