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Returning a Borrowed Item

Checking on Item Condition Together

The lender and borrower briefly inspect the returned item together to ensure it's in good condition, and the borrower might offer a brief explanation of how it was taken care of.

Dialogue

Listen and follow along with the conversation

1
Emily (Female)
Hi David! Thanks again for letting me borrow your power drill. Here it is, good as new.
2
David (Male)
Oh, hey Emily! No problem at all. Let's just give it a quick once-over to make sure everything's in order.
3
Emily (Female)
Sure thing. I made sure to clean it thoroughly before bringing it back. The drill bits are all accounted for too.
4
David (Male)
Great, thanks! Hmm, everything looks perfect. The casing is clean, and the chuck seems to be turning smoothly.
5
Emily (Female)
Yeah, I was really careful with it. Kept it in its case and away from any dust. It worked perfectly for hanging those shelves.
6
David (Male)
That's good to hear. Glad it served its purpose! And it really does look like you just took it out of the box. Thanks for taking such good care of it.
7
Emily (Female)
Of course! I appreciate you lending it to me. It saved me a trip to the store and made the job so much easier.

Vocabulary

Essential words and phrases from the dialogue

borrow

To take something from someone temporarily with the promise to return it later; useful when asking for or discussing items like tools from friends.

lend

To give something to someone temporarily for them to use and return; the opposite of borrow, often used when offering help to others.

once-over

A quick and informal inspection to check something briefly; common in casual situations like returning borrowed items.

thoroughly

Completely and carefully, without missing anything; an adverb to describe doing a task well, like cleaning.

accounted for

All items are present and explained or included; useful for confirming nothing is missing, like parts of a tool.

casing

The outer protective shell or cover of something, like a tool; practical for describing the condition of objects.

smoothly

In an easy and problem-free way; often used for machines or actions that work well without issues.

served its purpose

Fulfilled the intended use or function; a polite way to say something was helpful as expected.

Key Sentences

Important phrases to remember and practice

Thanks again for letting me borrow your power drill.

This expresses repeated gratitude for allowing a loan; useful for starting a return conversation politely. 'Letting me' is a gerund phrase showing permission.

Let's just give it a quick once-over to make sure everything's in order.

Suggests a brief check together; practical for ensuring item condition. 'Let's' invites cooperation, and 'once-over' is an idiom for a fast look.

I made sure to clean it thoroughly before bringing it back.

Describes careful preparation before returning; shows responsibility. 'Made sure to' means ensured something happened, with 'thoroughly' as an adverb of manner.

Everything looks perfect.

A simple confirmation of good condition; easy to use after inspection. Present tense 'looks' describes current appearance.

I was really careful with it.

Explains how something was handled gently; useful for reassuring the owner. Past continuous 'was careful' emphasizes ongoing action during use.

Glad it served its purpose!

Shows happiness that the item was useful; a positive closing phrase. 'Served its purpose' is an idiomatic expression for meeting needs.

Thanks for taking such good care of it.

Thanks the borrower for maintenance; polite in return scenarios. 'Taking good care of' is a phrasal verb meaning to maintain well.