A2 · Elementary · Travel · 87 words · ~2 min read

🚗 A Car Breakdown on the Motorway

Language focus: Past Continuous & Past Simple · timeline

Leo was driving home on the motorway when his car suddenly broke down. Smoke was rising from the engine, so he pulled over to the hard shoulder.

He phoned roadside assistance and waited safely behind the barrier. “A mechanic will arrive within the hour,” the operator told him.

Soon, a friendly mechanic checked the engine. “Your radiator was overheating,” she explained. “I can fix it here at the roadside.”

Twenty minutes later, the car was working again. Leo thanked the mechanic and set off carefully towards home.

Key vocabulary (8 words)

motorwaynoun
A wide, fast road for long journeys.
enginenoun
The part of a car that produces power to move it.
breakdownnoun
A sudden failure of a machine or vehicle.
mechanicnoun
A person who repairs vehicles.
radiatornoun
The part that keeps a car engine cool.
repairverb
To fix something that is broken.
spareadjective
Kept in case it is needed, like a spare tyre.
bonnetnoun
The metal cover over a car’s engine (UK).

Phrasal verbs in this story

  • break down — To break down means to stop working.
  • pull over — To pull over means to move a vehicle to the side and stop.
  • set off — To set off means to begin a journey.

Comprehension quiz

  1. Where was Leo driving?

    • On the motorway
    • In a tunnel
    • In a field
    Show answer

    On the motorway

  2. What happened to the car?

    • It broke down
    • It was stolen
    • It ran a race
    Show answer

    It broke down

  3. He ___ to the hard shoulder.

    • pulled over
    • sped up
    • turned back
    Show answer

    pulled over

  4. Who came to help?

    • A mechanic
    • A doctor
    • A teacher
    Show answer

    A mechanic

  5. What was overheating?

    • The radiator
    • The radio
    • The mirror
    Show answer

    The radiator

  6. “Break down” means to…

    • stop working
    • drive fast
    • park neatly
    Show answer

    stop working

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