A2 — Lesson 12

Transport & Pronouns

Modes of Transport · By / On / In · Get On / Get In · Indefinite Pronouns · Relative Pronouns · Pronoun Combinations
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Vocabulary: On the Move

Transport vocabulary — British English. The lesson covers vehicles, movement verbs, and boarding actions. Listen and repeat each word.

Vehicles — Превозни средства

Vehicle/ˈviː.ɪ.kəl/Превозно средство
Underground / Tube/ˈʌn.də.ɡraʊnd/Метро (UK)
Tram/træm/Трамвай
Ferry/ˈfer.i/Ферибот
Van/væn/Микробус / Ван
Lorry/ˈlɒr.i/Камион (UK) — "Truck" in US English
Scooter/ˈskuː.tər/Скутер
Coach/kəʊtʃ/Автобус за дълги разстояния

Movement Verbs — Глаголи за движение

To go by car/ɡəʊ baɪ kɑːr/Отивам с кола
To go by bus/ɡəʊ baɪ bʌs/Отивам с автобус
To go by plane/ɡəʊ baɪ pleɪn/Отивам със самолет
To go on foot/ɡəʊ ɒn fʊt/Вървя пеша — NOT "by foot"
To drive/draɪv/Шофирам — I am the driver
To ride/raɪd/Карам — bike, horse, scooter
To fly/flaɪ/Летя

Boarding Actions — Качване и слизане

To get on/ɡet ɒn/Качвам се — bus, train, plane, bike
To get off/ɡet ɒf/Слизам — bus, train, plane, bike
To get in/ɡet ɪn/Влизам — car, taxi, van
To get out of/ɡet aʊt ɒv/Излизам — car, taxi, van
To catch/kætʃ/Хващам — catch a bus / train
To miss/mɪs/Изпускам — miss a bus / train
Platform/ˈplæt.fɔːm/Перон
Fare/feər/Такса за превоз / Цена на билет
Traffic jam/ˈtræf.ɪk dʒæm/Задръстване
Passenger/ˈpæs.ɪn.dʒər/Пътник
📝 Exercise A: Choose the correct word for each description.
1. You use this word when you pay to travel on a bus or train.
2. This is what happens when you are too late and the bus leaves without you.
3. You stand on this at a train station while you wait for your train.
4. This is a large vehicle used to carry goods on the road (British English).
5. This boat carries passengers and sometimes cars across water.
🎯 Exercise B: Write the correct boarding verb: get on / get off / get in / get out of.
1. The bus has arrived at the stop — time to ___.
2. This is my stop — I need to ___ the bus.
3. Open the door and ___ the taxi.
4. We have arrived — let's ___ the car.
5. She ___ her bike and cycled to work.

Grammar Lab

Five grammar topics for this lesson. Work through each part in order — each one builds on the last.
1

Travel Prepositions: BY · ON · IN

How to say how you travel, and where you are right now

Use BY + vehicle name (no article) to say your method of travel. The one exception is walking — always say on foot, never by foot. When you want to say you are physically inside a vehicle right now, use ON (large vehicles) or IN (small vehicles).

BY + vehicle method of travel
  • I go to work by bus every day.
  • They travelled by train to Sofia.
  • She went by plane — it was faster.
  • He walked — he went on foot. ← exception
❌ Never: by the bus · with car · by foot
ON / IN + the vehicle inside right now
  • She is on the bus — she'll be here soon.
  • He is sitting on the train right now.
  • They are on the ferry — no signal.
  • I am in the car — I'll park and come in.
💡 IN = car / taxi / van · ON = bus / train / plane / bike
✅ I go by bus. (general habit — method)
✅ I am on the bus. (right now — location)
❌ I go by the bus.
❌ I travel with train.
📝 Exercise A — Easy: Choose the correct preposition.
1. I always go to school ___ bus.
2. She lives nearby — she goes ___ foot.
3. They flew to London — they went ___ plane.
4. Right now I am sitting ___ the train — I'll call you later.
5. He travels to work ___ car every day.
🎯 Exercise B — Harder: Fill in by, on, or in. Think: method of travel, or location right now?
1. We went ___ ferry to the island. (method)
2. She is ___ the taxi — she will be here in two minutes. (inside right now)
3. I never travel ___ train — I always take the bus. (method)
4. He is ___ foot today — his car is at the garage. (method — exception)
5. They are ___ the bus right now — they cannot answer the phone. (inside right now)
2

Boarding Verbs: GET IN · GET OUT OF · GET ON · GET OFF

The verb depends on the type of vehicle — not its size

English uses two different sets of phrasal verbs for entering and leaving vehicles. The choice is based on whether the vehicle is enclosed like a box (car, taxi, van) or something you step up onto (bus, train, plane, bike).

GET IN · GET OUT OF enclosed — box-like
  • 🚗 Car — get in / get out of
  • 🚕 Taxi — get in / get out of
  • 🚐 Van — get in / get out of
  • 🚛 Lorry (cab) — get in / get out of
GET ON · GET OFF step up onto
  • 🚌 Bus — get on / get off
  • 🚆 Train — get on / get off
  • ✈️ Plane — get on / get off
  • 🚲 Bike / Scooter — get on / get off
✅ Get in the taxi — we're late!
✅ She got out of the car slowly.
✅ Get on the bus — it's leaving!
✅ He got off the train at Sofia.
❌ Get on the taxi.
❌ Get out of the bus.
❌ Get in the train.
❌ Get off of the car.
📝 Exercise A — Easy: Choose the correct boarding verb.
1. The bus is here — let's ___.
2. Open the door and ___ the car.
3. This is my stop — I need to ___ the train.
4. Don't ___ the van — it's already full!
5. She ___ her bike and cycled away.
🎯 Exercise B — Harder: Type the correct phrasal verb in the right tense: get in / get out of / get on / get off.
1. He ___ the taxi and paid the driver. (past tense — he was leaving)
2. The flight is boarding — it is time to ___ the plane. (present — entering)
3. She couldn't ___ the lorry — the door was broken. (trying to enter the cab)
4. Don't ___ the bus before it stops completely. (leaving — dangerous!)
5. We ___ the car and walked the rest of the way. (past tense — leaving)
3

Indefinite Pronouns: SOME- · ANY- · NO- · EVERY-

Use when you don't know exactly who, what, or where

Each prefix has three forms: -one / -body for people, -thing for things, and -where for places. The prefix tells you when to use it.

PrefixPersonThingPlaceUse when…
SOME- someone / somebodysomethingsomewhere Positive statements & offers — you expect the answer is yes
ANY- anyone / anybodyanythinganywhere Questions and sentences with not — open or uncertain
NO- no one / nobodynothingnowhere Negative meaning — verb must stay positive
EVERY- everyone / everybodyeverythingeverywhere All — 100% of people, things, or places
✅ SOME- examples
  • There is someone at the door.
  • I need to go somewhere quiet.
  • She said something interesting.
⚠️ NO- = negative meaning, positive verb
  • ✅ Nobody was there. (correct)
  • ❌ Nobody wasn't there. (double negative)
  • ✅ There is nothing to worry about.
  • ❌ There isn't nothing. (double negative)
📝 Exercise A — Easy: Choose the correct pronoun.
1. There is ___ waiting for you outside — she says she knows you.
2. I can't find my ticket ___! I've looked in every pocket.
3. ___ on the bus had a valid ticket — the inspector was happy.
4. Is there ___ here who speaks Bulgarian? We need help.
5. The platform was empty — there was ___ there at all.
🎯 Exercise B — Harder: Fill in the correct indefinite pronoun. Think about the meaning carefully.
1. I have ___ to tell you — it's very important. (positive statement — a specific thing)
2. The bus broke down — we are stuck and can go ___. (negative meaning — no place available)
3. The station was very busy — ___ was rushing to catch a train. (all people — 100%)
4. Did ___ call while I was on the underground? (question — uncertain)
5. She looked ___ for the platform but couldn't find it. (every place — all around)
4

Relative Pronouns: WHO · WHICH · THAT · WHERE

Connect two sentences about the same noun

A relative pronoun introduces a relative clause — extra information about a noun. The clause comes directly after the noun it describes. Choose the pronoun based on what kind of noun it is.

PronounUsed forExample sentence
WHO People only The driver who brought us here was very friendly.
WHICH Things & animals The train which goes to Sofia is on platform 3.
THAT People or things (informal — replaces who/which) The ticket that I bought was very expensive.
WHERE Places The station where we met is in the city centre.
💡 How it works
  • "I saw a man." + "He drives the night bus." → The man who drives the night bus.
  • "I missed a bus." + "It goes to the airport." → The bus which/that goes to the airport.
  • "I know a café." + "Drivers stop there." → A café where drivers stop.
❌ Common mistakes
  • The bus who goes to Sofia. → things use WHICH/THAT
  • The driver which helped us. → people use WHO/THAT
  • The station which I work. → places use WHERE
📝 Exercise A — Easy: Choose WHO, WHICH, or WHERE.
1. The man ___ drives the bus is called Peter.
2. This is the station ___ we always say goodbye.
3. The ferry ___ crosses the river is very old.
4. The passenger ___ lost his bag was very worried.
5. That is the road ___ the accident happened.
🎯 Exercise B — Harder: Fill in WHO, WHICH, THAT, or WHERE. More than one answer may be correct — any correct pronoun is accepted.
1. She is the inspector ___ checks the tickets on this train.
2. I missed the bus ___ goes to the airport.
3. The city ___ I grew up had excellent public transport.
4. He is the only person ___ knows how to fix this lorry.
5. The ticket ___ I found on the floor was not mine.
5

Pronoun Combinations: SOMEONE WHO · SOMETHING THAT · SOMEWHERE WHERE

Parts 3 and 4 together — the full pattern

Combine an indefinite pronoun (Part 3) with a relative pronoun (Part 4) to add detail about an unknown person, thing, or place. The two pronouns must match — person + WHO, thing + THAT, place + WHERE.

Person + WHO
  • I need someone who can drive.
  • Is there anyone who has a map?
  • There is no one who knows the way.
  • Everyone who got on paid the fare.
Thing + THAT
  • I want something that is fast.
  • Do you have anything that helps?
  • There is nothing that I can do.
  • Everything that he said was true.
Place + WHERE
  • Let's find somewhere where we can sit.
  • Is there anywhere where we can park?
  • There is nowhere where I can hide.
  • She has been everywhere — every country.
Formula: indefinite pronoun + relative pronoun + rest of clause  →  "I need someone who speaks English."
Think: What am I looking for? → a person → SOMEONE. What does that person do? → add WHO + the clause.
📝 Exercise A — Easy: Choose the correct combination.
1. I need ___ can fix my car tonight.
2. Do you have ___ I can read on the train?
3. Let's find ___ we can wait out of the rain.
4. There is ___ I can do — the train has already left.
5. Is there ___ speaks English at the ticket office?
🎯 Exercise B — Harder: Fill in the full combination. Think: person, thing, or place?
1. I am looking for ___ can tell me which platform it is. (a person)
2. There is ___ he doesn't know about this route. (no thing)
3. Is there ___ we can leave the luggage while we eat? (a place)
4. ___ took a taxi arrived on time. (all people)
5. She couldn't find ___ was travelling in the same direction. (any person)

Reading: The Daily Commute

Five diary entries about travelling in the city. Each text contains grammar patterns from this lesson — look out for them as you read.
🚌

Entry 1: Monday Morning Chaos

Monday, 8:00 AM. I usually go to work by car, but today my car broke down. I had to take the bus. The bus stop is the place where I wait every morning. There was someone who was sleeping on the bench. I didn't have anything that I could read, so I just watched the traffic. When the bus arrived, everyone tried to get on at the same time. It was very busy.

Questions:

1. Why did he take the bus today?

2. What was the person at the bus stop doing?

3. "There was someone who was sleeping." — What grammar pattern is this? (Language focus)

4. What did he do while waiting for the bus?

🚉

Entry 2: The Lost Ticket

Tuesday, 5:30 PM. I was at the train station. I looked everywhere for my ticket, but I couldn't find it anywhere. I asked the lady who works at the ticket office for help. She said, "There is nothing that I can do without a receipt." Luckily, I found the ticket in a pocket which I never use. I ran to platform 9 and just managed to catch the train.

Questions:

1. Where did he find his ticket?

2. What did the lady at the ticket office say?

3. "A pocket which I never use" — why WHICH and not WHO? (Language focus)

4. Did he catch his train?

🚕

Entry 3: A Chatty Driver

Wednesday, 9:00 PM. I went to a party and decided to go home by taxi. The driver was someone who loved to talk. He told me everything that happened in his life that day. He knew a shortcut which was very fast. We didn't hit any traffic jams. When I got out of the taxi, I realised I had left my umbrella inside. There was nowhere where I could go back to get it.

Questions:

1. What kind of person was the taxi driver?

2. What did he leave in the taxi?

3. "Got out of the taxi" — why OUT OF and not OFF? (Language focus)

4. Did they have a slow journey because of traffic?

🚇

Entry 4: Underground Silence

Thursday, 8:45 AM. I love the Underground because it is fast. Today the tube was completely full. There was nowhere where I could sit. I stood next to a man who was reading a newspaper. Nobody was talking — it was completely silent. Suddenly, the train stopped in a tunnel. The driver announced: "Is there anybody who is a doctor?" Someone had fainted in the next carriage. Everything that followed was very dramatic.

Questions:

1. Why did the train stop in the tunnel?

2. What was the atmosphere on the tube before the train stopped?

3. "Is there anybody who is a doctor?" — What pattern is this? (Language focus)

4. Was there a seat available for him?

🚲

Entry 5: Weekend Freedom

Sunday, 10:00 AM. On Sundays I never go anywhere by car. I get on my bike and ride. Today I went to a park where people walk their dogs. I saw something that was very strange — a man riding a unicycle! Everybody who saw him started laughing. It was a perfect day. I am used to travelling on foot or by bike at the weekend. It is nice to go somewhere where there is no traffic and no fare to pay.

Questions:

1. How does he usually travel on Sundays?

2. What strange thing did he see in the park?

3. "Somewhere where there is no traffic" — why WHERE here? (Language focus)

4. What does he enjoy most about weekend travel?

Text 1 / 5

Cloze Text

Choose the correct word or phrase from each drop-down menu. Think about prepositions, pronouns, and vocabulary from this lesson.

Maria goes to work (1) bus every morning. She lives (2) the buses run very frequently. She always tries to (3) the 8:15 bus.

This morning, there was (4) was standing in the middle of the road. (5) knew what was happening. The driver asked: "Is there (6) can help?"

Maria got (7) the bus to see what happened. She found there was (8) she could do to help — luckily it was not serious. She walked to the next stop (9) another bus (10) goes the same way was already waiting.

She got (11) the new bus and sat down. She paid the (12) and arrived at work only five minutes late. (13) in the office had heard about the delay — there was (14) to worry about.

Exercises

15 exercises covering transport prepositions, boarding verbs, indefinite pronouns, relative pronouns, vocabulary, and mixed grammar.

Tense Writing Practice

Five exercises, 10 sentences each — all mixed tenses in every exercise. Tenses: Present Simple · Present Continuous · Past Simple · Present Perfect · Will · Be Going To
Read each sentence carefully and put the verb in brackets into the correct tense.

Gerund or Infinitive?

Five mixed exercises. Some verbs are followed by the gerund (verb + -ing), others by the infinitive (to + verb). In each exercise the sentences are mixed — read carefully and choose.
Key verbs with gerund: enjoy · finish · like · love · hate · avoid · mind · stop · practise · keep · suggest · consider · start · begin
Key verbs with infinitive: want · need · decide · hope · plan · try · forget · remember · learn · manage · would like · would love · help · agree · refuse · promise · expect · offer