English lessons and practice games are intended for people aged 13 and over.
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Lesson 10 / Problem solving
5 phrases · 12 minutes · Look, listen and try.
Describe the problem, find information, and continue work when changes occur.
Match words to pictures →Play What is She/He doing? →
A randomly assigned, fixed male or female synthetic voice for each phrase or sentence · Slow playback at 0.7× preserves pitch.
Our car broke down on the way to work.
Our car broke down on the way to work.
The lift sometimes breaks down in hot weather.
The lift sometimes breaks down in hot weather.
The meaning in the lesson is for machines. The past tense of “break” is “broke”.
Cambridge Dictionary · break down
I will find out what time the next bus leaves.
I will find out what time the next bus leaves.
We found out that the shop closes early today.
We found out that the shop closes early today.
This means discovering new information, rather than finding a lost object.
We need to deal with this problem today.
We need to deal with this problem today.
Who can deal with the broken printer?
Who can deal with the broken printer?
Do not separate the phrase: “deal with it”. The past tense of “deal” is “dealt”.
The noise stopped, and we carried on working.
The noise stopped, and we carried on working.
Please carry on. I am listening.
Please carry on. I am listening.
Use “carry on working” or “carry on with the work”, not “carry on to working”.
My friend turned up ten minutes late.
My friend turned up ten minutes late.
I hope everyone turns up for the meeting.
I hope everyone turns up for the meeting.
The meaning here is to come or appear, different from "turn the volume up" which means to increase the volume.
Cambridge Dictionary · turn up
The examples were written for this course. Usage was checked against Matt Errey’s book, pages 13, 45, 35, 19, 134. A2–B1 is the course’s intended level.
One step forward every day
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Sentences using suggestions are counted as needing more practice. Review schedule based on each phrase's meaning.
OBSERVE · UNDERSTAND · MATCH
Drag a wire from the dot beside a phrase to the dot beside its matching picture. You can also tap a phrase, then a picture. Drag again to change a pair before checking.
Read the picture descriptions for more context. Similar expressions are accepted when they fit the particular scene.
The car has stopped on a wide shoulder with its hood open; Minh checks the car while Linh calls for help from the outer side of the guardrail.
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Linh read the information board at the station and found the bus's departure time.
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Linh used a towel to catch water from the leaking faucet and called a repairman.
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After a call, Linh put down the phone and continued reading.
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A friend arrived late at the cafe; Linh at the desk waved.
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Choose a phrase to begin.
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Read the conversation and find the expressions you have learned.
Our car has broken down outside the village.
Our car has broken down outside the village.
I will find out whether the garage is open.
I will find out whether the garage is open.
Thanks. We can deal with the bookings while we wait for the mechanic to turn up.
Thanks. We can deal with the bookings while we wait for the mechanic to turn up.
Here “break down” describes a machine stopping, while “turn up” describes a person arriving. Neither sense needs a direct object immediately after the expression.
Try answering before revealing the suggested answer. This practice is not scored.
The answers below are models. Other answers can also work if they preserve the facts, meaning and structure requested in the task.
A freezer stops working before a school sale. Volunteers continue arranging tables while a repairer is on the way.
Describe the machine problem.
The freezer has broken down.
The freezer has stopped working, so it “has broken down”; this describes machine failure rather than someone arriving.
Give the past form: The repairer turns up at noon.
The repairer turned up at noon.
“Turn” takes regular “-ed” to become “turned”; keep “up” and the noon arrival time.
Write a practical message using carry on.
Carry on arranging the tables while we wait for the repairer.
The volunteers can continue arranging tables while waiting; “carry on arranging” uses the “-ing” form.
The usage comparisons are checked against the Cambridge Dictionary entries linked beside the compared expressions. The additional conversations and exercises are written for this course.
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