English Listening: The Car Accident | Episode 32
01/24/25 • -1 min
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Listen to a story about a car accident I had many years ago!You’ll also learn how to say the modal verb phrases “should have” and “should not have” in fast, natural spoken English.
Welcome to the English Teacher Melanie Podcast, a podcast for intermediate to advanced English learners who want to improve their English listening and speaking skills!
Each episode includes a story and a pronunciation tip. In the story, I use core vocabulary, the most common words in English, to tell a real world story. The pronunciation tip will help you understand natural spoken English.
You’ll hear the story twice. The first time, the story is a little slower than normal. It sounds funny because I used editing software to change the speed of the story and make it slower. After the pronunciation tip, you’ll hear the story again, but at a regular speed.
THE STORY
I consider myself a good driver. I’ve been driving for over 20 years. I’ve only been in one accident and I’ve only gotten one speeding ticket. Still, I hate making left turns, because I got in an accident once making a left-hand turn. We drive on the right-hand side of the road in North America, so when you make a left turn, you’re driving in front of cars coming in the opposite direction.
Learn more: Use the present perfect to talk about your life experiences
The accident happened at a busy intersection. I’d been waiting a while in the left-hand turn lane at the traffic lights, and there was one car in front of me. The light turned amber and the car in front of me turned left. I followed the car hoping to beat the red light. I’d just assumed that the cars in the other direction had already stopped since the car in front of me was turning left.
Learn more: How to use I, me, myself, and my
I saw too late that a car had sped up and was trying to beat the red light. I was hit in the middle of the intersection. The car slammed into my passenger-side door. I completed the left-hand turn and pulled over to the side of the road. There was an off-duty police officer in the car behind me who witnessed the accident. I don’t remember who called the police, but an officer arrived at the scene. He explained that both drivers were at fault and he gave both of us tickets. I shouldn’t have tried to rush through the amber light. I should have checked that all the cars had stopped before I started the left turn.
I wasn’t hurt. The other driver wasn’t hurt, either. There was damage to the passenger-side door and it cost me a lot of money to repair the door! I didn’t fight the ticket in court. I paid the fine. Now, I avoid making left-hand turns as much as possible, especially at a busy intersection!
Listen:
My Car Died | Episode 19
My License Plate | Episode 08
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PRONUNCIATION TIP
HOW TO SAY “SHOULD HAVE” AND “SHOULD NOT HAVE” IN FAST NATURAL SPOKEN ENGLISH
This transcript uses IPA symbols to represent sounds and teach pronunciation. Learn more about the IPA here.
Listen to a sentence from the story:
I should have checked that all the cars had stopped
Did you hear the modal verb phrase should have in that sentence? In fast, natural spoken English, should have is pronounced /ʃʊɾəv/.
Should
The modal verb should is only 3 sounds: ʃ ʊ d
The L is silent. Don’t say the L. Should rhymes with good, wood/would, and hood.
Click here to see if your language has the vowel sound [ʊ]: (Wikipedia)
Have
Have, in this phrase, is an auxiliary verb. It’s a helping verb. The main verb is the verb after have.
To make the verb phrase easier to say, should and have are contracted. They form the spoken contraction “should’ve.”
“Should’ve” is an informal written contraction. In formal writing, like in an essay or in a report for work, it is better to write out should have. Both Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary and the Cambridge Dictionary list “should’ve” as a contraction of should and have. However, one of the grammar books that I use, Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, does not list “should’ve” as an accepted written contraction.
The helping verb have is reduced in this contraction. It becomes the sound /əv/. Yes, it sounds the same as the preposition of. There is no H sound and the vowel sound becomes the reduced vowel schwa sound [ə].
Learn more: The reduced form of the preposition of | Episode 09
The D is between two vowel sounds, and it’s at the beginning of an unstressed syllable. It becomes the alveolar flap sound. I talk about this sound in a few pr...
[smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/englishteachermelanie/The_Car_Accident__Episode_32_-_English_Teacher_Melanie.mp3′′ title=”32 The Car Accident” artist=”English Teacher Melanie” social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” social_pinterest=”true” ]
Listen to a story about a car accident I had many years ago!You’ll also learn how to say the modal verb phrases “should have” and “should not have” in fast, natural spoken English.
Welcome to the English Teacher Melanie Podcast, a podcast for intermediate to advanced English learners who want to improve their English listening and speaking skills!
Each episode includes a story and a pronunciation tip. In the story, I use core vocabulary, the most common words in English, to tell a real world story. The pronunciation tip will help you understand natural spoken English.
You’ll hear the story twice. The first time, the story is a little slower than normal. It sounds funny because I used editing software to change the speed of the story and make it slower. After the pronunciation tip, you’ll hear the story again, but at a regular speed.
THE STORY
I consider myself a good driver. I’ve been driving for over 20 years. I’ve only been in one accident and I’ve only gotten one speeding ticket. Still, I hate making left turns, because I got in an accident once making a left-hand turn. We drive on the right-hand side of the road in North America, so when you make a left turn, you’re driving in front of cars coming in the opposite direction.
Learn more: Use the present perfect to talk about your life experiences
The accident happened at a busy intersection. I’d been waiting a while in the left-hand turn lane at the traffic lights, and there was one car in front of me. The light turned amber and the car in front of me turned left. I followed the car hoping to beat the red light. I’d just assumed that the cars in the other direction had already stopped since the car in front of me was turning left.
Learn more: How to use I, me, myself, and my
I saw too late that a car had sped up and was trying to beat the red light. I was hit in the middle of the intersection. The car slammed into my passenger-side door. I completed the left-hand turn and pulled over to the side of the road. There was an off-duty police officer in the car behind me who witnessed the accident. I don’t remember who called the police, but an officer arrived at the scene. He explained that both drivers were at fault and he gave both of us tickets. I shouldn’t have tried to rush through the amber light. I should have checked that all the cars had stopped before I started the left turn.
I wasn’t hurt. The other driver wasn’t hurt, either. There was damage to the passenger-side door and it cost me a lot of money to repair the door! I didn’t fight the ticket in court. I paid the fine. Now, I avoid making left-hand turns as much as possible, especially at a busy intersection!
Listen:
My Car Died | Episode 19
My License Plate | Episode 08
[the_ad id=”6010′′]
PRONUNCIATION TIP
HOW TO SAY “SHOULD HAVE” AND “SHOULD NOT HAVE” IN FAST NATURAL SPOKEN ENGLISH
This transcript uses IPA symbols to represent sounds and teach pronunciation. Learn more about the IPA here.
Listen to a sentence from the story:
I should have checked that all the cars had stopped
Did you hear the modal verb phrase should have in that sentence? In fast, natural spoken English, should have is pronounced /ʃʊɾəv/.
Should
The modal verb should is only 3 sounds: ʃ ʊ d
The L is silent. Don’t say the L. Should rhymes with good, wood/would, and hood.
Click here to see if your language has the vowel sound [ʊ]: (Wikipedia)
Have
Have, in this phrase, is an auxiliary verb. It’s a helping verb. The main verb is the verb after have.
To make the verb phrase easier to say, should and have are contracted. They form the spoken contraction “should’ve.”
“Should’ve” is an informal written contraction. In formal writing, like in an essay or in a report for work, it is better to write out should have. Both Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary and the Cambridge Dictionary list “should’ve” as a contraction of should and have. However, one of the grammar books that I use, Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, does not list “should’ve” as an accepted written contraction.
The helping verb have is reduced in this contraction. It becomes the sound /əv/. Yes, it sounds the same as the preposition of. There is no H sound and the vowel sound becomes the reduced vowel schwa sound [ə].
Learn more: The reduced form of the preposition of | Episode 09
The D is between two vowel sounds, and it’s at the beginning of an unstressed syllable. It becomes the alveolar flap sound. I talk about this sound in a few pr...
Previous Episode
English Listening: My Passport! | Episode 28
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Listen to a story about a problem I had with my passport!You’ll also learn how to say and hear the words “used to” in fast, natural spoken English.
Welcome to the English Teacher Melanie Podcast, a podcast for intermediate to advanced English learners who want to improve their English listening and speaking skills!
Each episode includes a story and a pronunciation tip. In the story, I use core vocabulary, the most common words in English, to tell a real world story. The pronunciation tip will help you understand natural spoken English.
You’ll hear the story twice. The first time, the story is a little slower than normal. It sounds funny because I used editing software to change the speed of the story and make it slower. After the pronunciation tip, you’ll hear the story again, but at a regular speed.
THE STORY
I used to work as a tour guide in Europe. For five summers starting in 2002, I led tours all over Europe. I crossed a lot of borders during that time, so I had a lot of entry and exit stamps in my passport plus a few visas. By the middle of 2005, my passport was full and there was no room for more stamps. I went to the Canadian embassy in London to apply for a new passport. It was going to take too long to get a new passport and I couldn’t wait because I only had a few days before my next tour. The woman at the embassy added extra pages to my passport and told me to get a new one when I was back in Canada.
Learn more: How to use “used to”
I flew home a few weeks later. I arrived at the Toronto airport and went to customs & immigration as usual. The border agent didn’t say anything while he looked at my passport, but I don’t think he had ever seen a passport full of stamps with extra pages in it. He made a mark on my declaration card, but the agents always do that, so I didn’t think anything of it. Before I could leave the customs and immigration area to go get my bags, I had to hand my card to another agent, and that was when I discovered the mark on my card meant something.It meant that I had to go to the immigration office, where they decide who gets into the country and who doesn’t.
Learn more: How to talk about transportation
I didn’t know why I was there, and that made me nervous. The immigration officer didn’t say anything while he was looking through my passport. I guess he just wanted to make sure it was legitimate. He started asking me questions about Canada and my life, but the questions were hard and I couldn’t answer some of them! I started panicking thinking I wasn’t going to be allowed into the country! He ended the investigation with an easy question that I could answer, and then he smiled and told me to go get a new passport.
Learn more: Planning a trip
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PRONUNCIATION TIP
HOW TO HEAR AND SAY USED TO IN FAST, NATURAL SPOKEN ENGLISH
This transcript uses IPA symbols to represent sounds and teach pronunciation. Learn more about the IPA here.
In the first sentence in the story, I used the verb “used to.” Listen to the sentence:
I used to work as a tour guide in Europe.
Did you hear the words used or to in that sentence?
There are four things that you need to know to hear used to in a spoken English.
This is a different verb than the verb use, even though they are spelled the same.
The S in used to is pronounced with the S [s] sound. This is different from the verb use, where the S is pronounced with a Z [z] sound.
The -ed at the end of used is pronounced with a T sound.
Used ends with a T sound, and to begins with a T sound, so you can link these two words together, and you only need to say the T sound once:
used to /ˈjustu/
Learn more: Episode 23: Linking same consonant sounds
The preposition to is a function word. It’s a grammar word. It needs to be in the sentence to make the sentence grammatically correct, but it’s not an important word. In fast, natural speech, the vowel in to is reduced to the sound /ə/. That sound is called the schwa and it’s the vowel sound in reduced syllables.
The preposition to is pronounced /tə/.
In fast, natural speech, used to is pronounced /ˈjustə/
Listen to the first part of the sentence again:
I used to work ...
Learn more: Episode 10: The reduced pronunciation of the preposition to
QUESTION
Do you have a fun travel story? A story about something that happened to you when you traveled to another city or country?
Leave me a comment below!
Next Episode
English Listening: Garage Sales | Episode 18
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Listen to a story about a couple garages sales I had this summer!You’ll also learn how to hear the difference between “can” and “can’t.”
Welcome to the English Teacher Melanie Podcast, a podcast for intermediate to advanced English learners who want to improve their English listening and speaking skills!
Each episode includes a story and a pronunciation tip. In the story, I use core vocabulary, the most common words in English, to tell a real world story. The pronunciation tip will help you understand natural spoken English.
You’ll hear the story twice. The first time, the story is a little slower than normal. It sounds funny because I used editing software to change the speed of the story and make it slower. After the pronunciation tip, you’ll hear the story again, but at a regular speed.
THE STORY
How do you get rid of things you don’t want anymore? You can sell them on the internet, you can give them to family or friends, you can donate them to charity, or you can have a garage sale. A garage sale is an event held in the driveway of a home, usually on a Saturday morning, where people sell things that they don’t need anymore. This kind of shopping is a popular hobby. Some people look for specific things, like baby clothes or electronics. Other people just like to browse. You never know what you’re going to find at a garage sale!
Listen: Shopping for a New Dress | Episode 15
I held my first garage sale in the summer of 2011. It was somewhat of a success. I made good money, but I got so annoyed with people. I didn’t have a problem with people trying to bargain and get a good deal. That’s what people do at garage sales! Here’s what annoyed me: I priced an item at $5. A woman offered me $4 for it & I accepted her offer. Then she gave me a $5 bill & I had to give her change. If she had a $5 bill, why didn’t she just pay $5 for the item? It was a small thing, but it really bothered me.
I decided to have another garage sale in September 2013. This time, I priced things at odd amounts, like $7, so that a buyer could give me a $5 bill and still feel like he got a good deal. It was raining the day of the garage sale, not pouring rain, but enough that I had to keep everything in the garage. I wanted to put signs up around the neighborhood advertising our garage sale, but the rain would have destroyed them. I had put an ad in the local paper, so people still came even though it was raining! I made more money at this garage sale than at the one I had in 2011!
Garage sales are fun. They usually happen from late spring to early fall in Canada. The weather is beautiful during that time, so it’s a nice way to spend a Saturday morning. I enjoy talking to all the different people who come to garage sales. You don’t become rich from a garage sale, but it’s a nice way to earn some pocket money. Anything that doesn’t sell, I donate to charity.
NOTES: Sometimes a garage sale is also called a yard sale. Also, Canadian money includes: 5 cent, 10 cent, 25 cent, $1 & $2 coins, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 bills.
PRONUNCIATION TIP
Listen carefully to these two sentences. Can you hear the difference?
You can give them away.
You can’t give them away.
Can you hear the difference between can and can’t in natural spoken English? It’s not the T at the end of can’t that’s the difference, it’s the way that can is pronounced.
The modal verb can is a function word, so it’s not stressed in a sentence. It’s not fully pronounced. It’s said very quickly, and the vowel is reduced to the schwa sound /ə/. Can is pronounced /kən/ in natural spoken English.
Listen again, and try to imitate the sound I make: /kən/
Can’t is NOT a function word. It’s a stressed word in a sentence, so it’s always fully pronounced.
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