ENGLISH FOR REAL LIFE
English For: Taxi Drivers
If you drive people every day, you need simple, friendly English. In my lessons, we practise the exact phrases you’ll use: greetings, directions, small talk, prices, receipts, and what to say when something goes wrong — all clear, natural and polite.
Find the words you needUseful Phrases and Idioms (Taxi Communication)
- Starting the ride: “Hi there — where to today?” / “Hop in! Do you have a postcode?”
- Checking the route: “Do you prefer the motorway or the scenic route?” / “Traffic’s heavy — is the faster route okay?”
- Clarifying directions: “Left here, right?” / “Straight on for two more streets?”
- Polite small talk: “Busy day for you?” / “Are you visiting or local?”
- Payment: “That’ll be £12, please.” / “Do you need a receipt?”
- Ending politely: “Here we are. Have a great day!” / “Thanks — take care.”
Phrasal Verbs for Drivers
- Pick up: collect a passenger. “I’m picking up on King Street.”
- Drop off: leave a passenger at their destination. “Where should I drop you off?”
- Fill up: put fuel in the car. “I need to fill up after this job.”
- Run out of: have no more. “We’ve run out of change — is card okay?”
- Get stuck (in): be delayed by traffic. “We might get stuck on the ring road.”
- Slow down: reduce speed. “I’ll slow down — speed camera ahead.”
- Head for: go towards. “We’ll head for the A1 — it’s quicker.”
IN CONVERSATION
Example Conversation (Driver–Passenger)
Driver: Hi! Where to today?
Passenger: King’s Cross Station, please.
Driver: No problem. Would you like the faster route or the cheaper one?
Passenger: Faster, please. I’ve got a train at 5.
Driver: Got it. We might hit traffic near Euston, but I’ll keep an eye on it.
Passenger: Thanks. By the way, do you take card?
Driver: Yes, card is fine. Do you need a receipt at the end?
Passenger: Yes please, that would be great.
Driver: All set. We’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.
03 / YOUR TURN
Make it
your conversation.
Discussion Practice
- How do you ask for a clear destination politely?
- What do you say if the passenger wants a different route?
- How do you explain a delay caused by traffic or roadworks?
Mini Writing Tasks
- Write a short message confirming a pre‑booked pick‑up (time, address, car model).
- Write a polite text when you’re running five minutes late.
- Write a quick receipt note (price, date, job number).
Vocabulary You’ll Hear
| Word / Phrase | Meaning | Natural Example |
|---|---|---|
| Fare | The price of the journey. | “Your fare today is £12.” |
| Meter | Device that calculates the fare. | “I’ll start the meter when we set off.” |
| Base | Taxi company office/dispatcher. | “I’ll check with base about fixed prices.” |
| Rank | Official taxi waiting area. | “There’s a rank outside the station.” |
| Ring road | Road that goes around a city. | “The ring road is quicker at this time.” |
| Roadworks | Maintenance that may slow traffic. | “Delays due to roadworks on the A6.” |
| Surge pricing | Higher prices when demand is high. | “There’s a bit of surge pricing after concerts.” |
| Pre‑book | Arrange a ride in advance. | “You can pre‑book for tomorrow morning.” |
| Contactless | Tap‑to‑pay with a card/phone. | “We accept contactless payments.” |
How I Teach This (and Why It Works)
In my lessons, I keep everything friendly, clear and practical. We practise real taxi English — asking for the destination, checking the route, explaining delays, and handling payment smoothly. I’ll help you sound natural, polite and confident with every passenger.
If you want focused speaking practice, join my online English lessons with a native speaker. My English speaking course is designed for real conversations on the road. You can make fast progress with English lessons online from a native speaker online, wherever you are.
Put these words into a real conversation.
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