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Ticket On The Train Mini-Story Lesson

Hello there. Welcome to the mini-story lesson for the conversation “Ticket On The Train.” Let’s get started with the story.

Brian the dog has a chip on his shoulder. He just got fired from his job as a bus driver. Then, to top it off, he locked his keys in his car.

He had been saving money because he wants to go to Thailand. It costs a pretty penny to buy a plane ticket to Thailand. So he’s been racking his brain trying to think of how to pay for the ticket.

Then his brother Frankie called him. He told him about a job. The job was working at a café owned by Carla the cat. Carla the cat did not like dogs. Brian thought that it was a total long shot but he asked Carla about the job. Carla really liked Brian, so she offered him a job.

Later that week Brian had enough money to buy the plane ticket. He was no longer angry that he was fired from his job as a bus driver. It’s just water under the bridge now.

Okay, so that brings us to the end of the story. Now, as always, I will begin at the start of the story and I will ask questions this time when I read the story. Please answer the questions out loud. If you need a little more time then you can press pause on your computer or your mp3 player and then you can press play again when you’ve had enough time. And, of course, if you just feel like listening and not answering the questions out loud, well then that’s fine, too.

Okay, let’s get started.

Brian the dog has a chip on his shoulder.

Does Brian the dog have a chip on his shoulder?

Yes, he does. He has a chip on his shoulder.

Who has a chip on his shoulder? Does Freddie the frog or Brian the dog have a chip on his shoulder?

Brian the dog, Brian the dog has a chip on his shoulder.

Does Freddie the frog have a chip on his shoulder?

No, it’s not Freddie the frog.

Does Brian the dog have a chip on his shoulder?

Yes, he does. Brian the dog has a chip on his shoulder.

Is Brian the dog happy?

No, no, he’s not. He has a chip on his shoulder. That means he is not happy.

Is Brian the dog angry?

Yes, yes, he is. He has a chip on his shoulder which is the same thing as saying he is angry. If you have a chip on your shoulder then you are angry.

What type of animal is Brian? Is he a cat or a dog?

A dog, Brian is a dog.

He just got fired from his job as a bus driver.

Did he just get fired from his job as a bus driver?

Yes, he did. He just got fired from his job as a bus driver.

What happened to him? Did he get fired from his job or set his house on fire?

He got fired from his job.

Did he set his house on fire?

No, he didn’t set his house on fire.

Did he get fired from his job?

Yes, yes, he did. He got fired from his job.

Who got fired from his job? Did Brian’s father get fired from his job?

No, it wasn’t Brian’s father.

Did Brian get fired from his job?

Yes, yes, he did. Brian got fired from his job.

What was Brian’s job? Was his job an airplane pilot or a bus driver?

A bus driver, his job was a bus driver.

Did Brian get fired from his job as a bus driver?

Yes, he did. He got fired from his job as a bus driver.

Then, to top it off, he locked his keys in his car.

Did he lock his keys in his car?

Yes, he did. He locked his keys in his car.

What did he do? Did he lock his house?

No, he didn’t lock his house.

Did he lock his keys in his car?

Yes, that’s what he did. He locked his keys in his car.

Did he lock his keys in his car in addition to being fired?

Yes, he did. He locked his keys in his car in addition to being fired. To top it off, he locked his keys in his car.

To top it off means in addition to.

Who locked his keys in his car? Did Brian lock his keys in his car?

Yes, yes, he did. Brian locked his keys in his car.

Where were his keys? Where his keys in his car?

Yes, yes, they must have been in his car because he locked them in his car.

Did he lock his keys in his car?

Yes, he did. He locked his keys in his car.

He had been saving money because he wants to go to Thailand.

Was he saving money because he wants to go to Thailand?

Yes, yes, he was. He had been saving money because he wants to go to Thailand.

What had he been doing?

Well, he had been saving money.

Had he been saving money?

Yes, yes, he did. He had been saving money.

Who had been saving money? Had Brian or Pablo been saving money?

Brian did, Brian had been saving money.

Why had he been saving money?

Because he wants to go to Thailand, that’s why he’s been saving money.

Had he been saving money because he wants to buy a car or go to Thailand?

Go to Thailand, he’s been saving money because he wants to go to Thailand.

Where does he want to go? Does he want to go to Paris?

No, he doesn’t want to go to Paris.

Does he want to go to Thailand?

Yes, he wants to go to Thailand.

Had he been saving money because he wanted to go to Thailand?

Yes, that’s exactly true. He had been saving money because he wants to go to Thailand.

It costs a pretty penny to buy a plane ticket to Thailand.

Does it cost a pretty penny to buy a plane ticket to Thailand?

Yes, it does. It costs a pretty penny to buy a plane ticket to Thailand.

What costs a pretty penny?

A plane ticket to Thailand, it costs a pretty penny to buy a plane ticket to Thailand.

Does a boat ride to Thailand cost a pretty penny?

No, we’re not talking about a boat ride here.

Does a plane ticket to Thailand cost a pretty penny?

Yes, yes, it does. It costs a pretty penny to buy a plane ticket to Thailand.

Does a plane ticket to Thailand cost a lot of money?

Yes, yes, it does. It costs a pretty penny, which is the same as saying it costs a lot of money because a pretty penny means a lot of money.

Is it expensive to buy a plane ticket to Thailand?

Yes, yes, it is. It costs a pretty penny, which means it costs a lot of money, which is the same thing as saying it is expensive.

Is a plane ticket to Thailand cheap?

No, it’s certainly not cheap. It’s expensive. It costs a pretty penny. It costs a lot of money.

Does a plane ticket to New York cost a pretty penny?

No, it’s not New York.

Does a plane ticket to Thailand cost a lot of money?

Yes, a plane ticket to Thailand costs a lot of money. A plane ticket to Thailand costs a pretty penny.

So he’s been racking his brain trying to think of how to pay for the ticket.

Has he been racking his brain to think of how to pay for the ticket?

Yes, he has. He’s been racking his brain trying to think of how to pay for the ticket.

What has he been doing?

Well, he’s been racking his brain.

Has he been thinking about how to pay for the ticket?

Yes, that’s correct. He’s been racking his brain thinking of how to pay for the ticket which is the same thing as saying he’s been thinking about how to pay for the ticket. When you say racking his brain, it’s the same thing as saying he’s thinking about.

Who has been racking his brain? Has Brian or Frankie been racking his brain?

Brian has, Brian has been racking his brain.

What is he racking his brain about? Is he racking his brain about how to pay for the ticket or how to buy a new car?

How to buy the ticket. He’s racking his brain trying to think of how to pay for the ticket.

Then his brother Frankie called him.

Did his brother Frankie call him?

Yes, he did. His brother Frankie called him.

What did Frankie do?

He called him. Frankie called him.

Did Frankie watch a football game or call him?

He called him.

Who called him? Did Frankie or Pablo call him?

Frankie, Frankie called him.

Who did Frankie call? Did he call Pablo?

No, he didn’t call Pablo.

Did he call Brian?

Yes, yes, that’s correct. He called Brian.

What is Brian’s brother’s name? Is Brian’s brother’s name Pablo or Frankie?

It’s Frankie, his brother is named Frankie.

Is Brian’s cousin named Frankie?

No, not his cousin.

Is Brian’s brother named Frankie?

Yes, he is. Brian’s brother is named Frankie.

He told him about a job.

Did he tell him about a job?

Yes, he did. He told him about a job.

What did he do?

Well, he told him about a job.

Who told him about a job? Did Pablo tell him about a job?

No, it wasn’t Pablo.

Did Frankie tell him about a job?

Yes, that’s who it was. It was Frankie who told him about a job.

Who did he tell about a job? Did he tell Pablo about a job?

No, Frankie didn’t tell Pablo about a job.

Did he tell Brian about a job?

Yes, yes, he did. He told Brian about a job.

What did Frankie tell Brian about? Did he tell him about a new car or a job?

A job, he told him about a job.

Did Frankie tell Brian about a job?

Yes, yes, he did. Frankie told Brian about a job.

The job was working at a café owned by Carla the cat.

Was the job working at a café owned by Carla the cat?

Yes, it was. The job was working at a café owned by Carla the cat.

Where was the job? Was the job at a café or a club?

A café, the job was at a café.

Who owned the café? Did Frankie own the café?

No, Frankie did not own the café.

Did Carla the cat own the café?

Yes, she did. Carla the cat owned the café.

What type of animal is Carla? Is she a cat or a dog?

She is a cat. Carla is a cat.

Did a cat own the café?

Yes, a cat owned the café. Carla the cat owned the café.

Carla the cat did not like dogs.

Did Carla the cat like dogs?

No, she did not. Carla the cat did not like dogs.

Who did not like dogs? Did Freddie’s mother not like dogs?

No, it’s not Freddie’s mother.

Did Carla not like dogs?

Yes, that’s correct. Carla did not like dogs.

What did Carla not like? Dogs or cats?

Dogs, she did not like dogs.

Did Carla the cat like dogs?

No, no, she did not. Carla the cat did not like dogs.

Brian thought that it was a total long shot

Did Brian think it was a total long shot?

Yes, he did. He thought it was a total long shot.

Did Brian think it was very unlikely?

Yes, he thought it was a total long shot which is the same thing as saying he thought it was very unlikely. A total long shot is something that is very unlikely.

Did Brian think that getting the job was a total long shot?

Yes, that’s correct. That’s what Brian thought was a total long shot. He thought getting the job was a total long shot.

Did Brian think that getting the job was very unlikely?

Yes, he did. He thought that it was a total long shot which means that he thought it was very unlikely. A total long shot is something that is very unlikely.

Did Brian think he would get the job?

No, no, he did not. He thought it was a total long shot. He thought it was very unlikely that he would get the job.

Did Brian think that Carla the cat would hire him for the job?

No, he didn’t. He thought it was a total long shot. He thought it was very unlikely that she would hire him for the job.

Who thought it was a long shot? Did Frankie or Brian think that it was a total long shot?

Brian did, Brian thought that it was a total long shot.

Why did Brian think that it was a total long shot?

Well, he knew that Carla the cat hates dogs and he is a dog, so he thought that she would not want to hire him because he is a dog. So he thought it was a total long shot that she would hire him.

but he asked Carla about the job.

Did he ask Carla about the job?

Yes, he did. He asked Carla about the job.

What did he do?

Well, he asked Carla about the job.

Did he drink some coffee or ask Carla about the job?

He asked Carla about the job.

Who asked Carla about the job? Did Freddie ask Carla about the job?

No, it wasn’t Freddie who asked.

Did Brian ask Carla about the job?

Yes, yes, he did. Brian asked Carla about the job.

What did he ask her about?

The job, he asked her about the job.

Did he ask her about the weather or the job?

The job, he asked Carla about the job.

Carla really liked Brian,

Did Carla really like Brian?

Yes, she did. She really liked Brian.

Did Cara dislike Brian?

No, she didn’t dislike him, she really liked him.

Did Carla only like Brian a little bit?

No, she didn’t like him only a little, she liked Brian a lot, she really liked Brian.

Did Carla like Brian a lot?

Yes, yes, she did. She really liked him, she liked him a lot.

Who really liked Brian? Did Freddie really like Brian?

No, it’s not Freddie we’re talking about.

Did Carla really like Brian?

Yes, that’s correct. Carla really liked Brian.

Who did Carla really like? Did she really like Freddie or Brian?

Brian, she really liked Brian. Carla really liked Brian.

so she offered him a job.

Did she offer him a job?

Yes, she did. She offered him a job.

What did she do?

She offered him a job.

Did she ask him to have dinner with her or offer him a job?

Offer him a job, she offered him a job.

Who offered him a job? Did Frankie offer him a job?

No, it wasn’t Frankie.

Did Carla offer him a job?

Yes, that’s correct. Carla offered him a job.

Who did Carla offer a job to? Did she offer a job to Pablo?

No, she didn’t offer a job to Pablo.

Did she offer a job to Brian?

Yes, that’s correct. She offered a job to Brian.

What did she offer him? Did she offer him some coffee or a job?

A job, she offered him a job.

Later that week Brian had enough money to buy the plane ticket.

Did Brian have enough money to buy the plane ticket?

Yes, he did. He had enough money to buy the plane ticket.

What did Brian have enough money to buy?

The plane ticket, he had enough money to buy the plane ticket.

Did he have enough money to buy a car or the plane ticket?

The plane ticket, he had enough money to buy the plane ticket.

Did he have enough money to buy a plane ticket to Paris?

No, it’s not Paris.

Did he have enough money to buy a plane ticket to Thailand?

Yes, that’s where he wanted to go. He wanted to go to Thailand so he wanted to buy a plane ticket to Thailand.

Who had enough money to buy a plane ticket? Did Frankie or Brian have enough money to buy a plane ticket?

Brian did, Brian had enough money to buy the plane ticket.

When did Brian have enough money to buy the plane ticket? Did he have enough money later that day?

No, it wasn’t that soon, it wasn’t later that day.

Did he have enough money later that week?

Yes, that’s correct. Later that week he had enough money to buy the plane ticket.

Later that week did Brian have enough money to buy the plane ticket?

Yes, he did. Later that week Brian had enough money to buy the plane ticket, the plane ticket to Thailand.

He was no longer angry that he was fired from his job as a bus driver.

Was he still angry that he got fired from his job as a bus driver?

No, no, he wasn’t. He was no longer angry that he was fired from his job as a bus driver.

Was Brian still angry?

No, no, he wasn’t. He was no longer angry.

Did Brian still have a chip on his shoulder?

No, no, he didn’t. He was no longer angry which means he didn’t still have a chip on his shoulder.

Remember, to have a chip on your shoulder means to be angry.

Was Brian ever angry about being fired from his job as a bus driver?

Yes, yes, he was. He had a chip on his shoulder at first which means he was angry but now he was no longer angry which means he was angry but he’s not angry anymore.

It’s just water under the bridge now.

Is it just water under the bridge now?

Yes, it is. It’s just water under the bridge now.

Is it something that happened and cannot be changed?

Yes, yes, that’s correct. It’s water under the bridge which means that it is something that has happened and cannot be changed because water under the bridge means something that has happened and cannot be changed.

What is water under the bridge now? Is Brian being fired from his job as a bus driver water under the bridge now?

Yes, yes, that’s what’s water under the bridge now, Brian being fired from his job as a bus driver. It’s now water under the bridge. It happened and it cannot be changed.

Is Brian being fired from his job as a bus driver something that happened and cannot be changed?

Yes, it is. It’s water under the bridge now, which means it is something that happened and cannot be changed.

Okay, that brings us to the end of our story which means we have finished the mini-story lesson for the conversation “Ticket On The Train.” Now it’s time for you to tell this story by yourself. Remember, you do not need to memorize every single word but you should try to use all the idioms that we used. Okay, so here are the idioms that were used in this story: “chip on his shoulder,” “to top it off,” “a pretty penny,” “racking his brain,” “total long shot,” and “water under the bridge.” So remember to tell the story using these idioms now.

Okay, good luck and we’ll see you next time.