MP3 Audio (Lesson) | MP3 Audio (Dialog)
Americans may start applying for their learner’s permit when they are15 year old, after completing a course, either online or in a class. After obtaining their permit, student drivers are typically taught the rules of the road by their parents. Once a student driver is 16 and has completed 30 hours of driving, they may get their driver’s license. The event is one of life’s most important slices of life.
| A: | Are you ready for your driving lesson? Tá pronta pra sua aula de direção? | |
| B: | Yeah. Let me just grab my sunglasses. Tô. Deixa só eu pegar meus óculos de sol. | |
| A: | Today we’re gonna practice driving on the highway. Hoje a gente vai treinar dirigir na estrada. | |
| B: | Are you sure? I don’t know if I’m ready for that. Tem certeza? Não sei se estou pronta pra isso. | |
| A: | Well, we can practice on a less busy street today if you want, but eventually we need to get you on the highway. Bom, a gente pode praticar numa rua mais tranquila hoje, se você quiser, mas um dia desses você vai ter que enfrentar uma estrada. | |
| B: | Okay, sounds good. Tá, tá bom. | |
| A: | Do you have your permit with you? Você tá levando a sua licença? | |
| B: | Yeah, I keep it in the car inside my wallet. Tô, eu deixo no carro, na minha carteira. | |
| A: | Okay. Where did I put my keys now? Tá. Agora, onde eu botei minhas chaves? | |
| B: | Oh no… not again… Ah, não... de novo não.... |
Another great lesson! However, I have to disagree with Orlando about a native speaker saying “Where did I put now my keys?” That doesn’t sound natural to me. How would you explain the meaning of “now” in this context to an English learner?
Hey Andrew, you are probably correct, it sounds rather weird as I read it here as well.
The point, for learners of English, is that adverbs in English have gigantic flexibility and can be placed almost anywhere in the sentence:
Now, where did I put my keys?
Where now did I put my keys?
Where did I now put my keys?
Where did I put now my keys?
Where did I put my keys now?
Some these only sound natural when we add intonation changes, but the point is that English allows for much flexibility with adjectives.
Thanks for the observation and correction Andrew.