Practical English for Travel & Daily Communication

Making Recommendations and Suggestions

To recommend or suggest something, you can use the structure: I (would/may/might/can) + recommend/suggest + noun (or phrasal noun) / -ing form.

Examples of Recommendations:

• I recommend/suggest going to the Italian restaurant on the corner. They say the food's delicious.
• Why don't you try taking the sightseeing bus? You'll see the most important sites.
• How about hiring a bicycle? It's great fun.
• What about going for a walk around the old part of the town?
• Have you thought of renting a car? You can see more like that.

Giving Directions

Here are common phrases used when giving or asking for directions:

• Turn right (at…) / Turn left (at…)
• Take the first street on your right.
• Take the second turning on the left.
• Go straight on (for 200 metres) (past a hospital) (over the pedestrian crossing).
• Go along the road.
• Go right / Go left.
• Go up / down the street.
• It's on your/the right / left.
• Until you get/come to…
• It's on the corner.
• It's round the corner on the right.
• At the end of the street.
• Keep going until you get to…
• Take the first exit at the roundabout.
• You'll see it on the left.
• You can't miss it.

Understanding the Passive Voice

The passive voice is used when the focus is on the action rather than the doer of the action. It is formed with a form of to be + the past participle.

Examples of Passive Voice:

• Most trips were sold by the new travel agent.
• The soup is heated to boiling point.
• Many buildings have been destroyed by the tornado.
• The car must be delivered with a full tank of petrol.
• The castle was begun in 1305.
• The hotel will be refurbished next year.
• The rooms are cleaned every day.
• The agency has been closed.
• The tourists were taken to a restaurant.
• The boarding card must be shown to the cabin attendant.
• The flight could be delayed.

Active vs. Passive Voice Examples:

• Active: They have built a new swimming pool.
  Passive: A new swimming pool has been built.
• Active: They cancelled all the flights because of the fog.
  Passive: All the flights were cancelled because of the fog.
• Active: The agency employs ten people.
  Passive: Ten people are employed by the agency.

Car Hire: Essential Expressions

When renting a car, these expressions will be useful:

1. Enquiries: Is it possible to rent a car from here?
2. Length of Rental: How long would you like to hire the car for?
3. Terms: Where can I pick up/collect the car?
4. Prices: The price per day is…
5. Make: What make of car would you like?
6. Insurance: Does it include full insurance?
7. Documents: Have you got a current driving licence?

Using "Should Have Done"

The modal verb should is used with the perfect infinitive (have + past participle) to talk about things that would have been a good idea but didn't happen, or to express regret or criticism.

Examples:

• It's raining; I should have taken an umbrella.
• The guest is very angry; the receptionist should have apologised.

The negative form (should not have + past participle or shouldn't have + past participle) is used to refer to unwanted things that happened.

Example:

• The chambermaid shouldn't have left the door unlocked.