Before Pumping - Prepayment & Pump Number
The driver enters the convenience store to prepay for gas and needs to tell the attendant which pump number they are at and how much gas they want or if they want a full tank.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
pump
A 'pump' is the machine at a gas station where you put fuel into your car. In this context, 'pump 3' means the third gas pump.
prepay
To 'prepay' means to pay for the gas before you start pumping it. This is common at some gas stations to authorize the amount.
cash
'Cash' refers to physical money like bills and coins. It's one way to pay for gas, as opposed to using a card.
card
A 'card' here means a debit or credit card used for payment. It's a common, quick way to pay at gas stations.
insert
To 'insert' means to put something into a slot, like sliding your card into the card reader at the pump.
authorized
'Authorized' means the payment has been approved, so you can now use the pump up to the prepaid amount. It's a key term in prepayment systems.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
I'd like to put $40 on pump 3, please.
This sentence is a polite request to prepay for a specific amount of gas at a certain pump. Use it when entering a store to pay before pumping. 'I'd like to' is a polite way to make a request, and '$40 on pump 3' specifies the amount and location.
Are you paying with cash or card?
This is a question to ask about payment method. It's useful for service workers to clarify how the customer will pay. The structure 'Are you... with cash or card?' uses 'or' to offer two options.
Card, please.
A short, direct response to indicate payment method. It's practical for quick interactions. Adding 'please' makes it polite, and this phrase shows how to answer yes/no or choice questions simply.
You can just insert your card there.
This gives instructions on how to pay. 'Just' makes it sound easy and casual. Use this to guide someone on using a card reader; 'insert' is a command form for actions.
After this, I can just go out and start pumping?
This is a confirmation question to check the next step. It's useful to verify understanding. The rising intonation at the end turns it into a question, and 'after this' refers to after paying.
Pump 3 is now authorized for $40.
This informs the customer that the prepayment is approved. It's key for gas station scenarios to confirm authorization. 'Is now authorized' uses present perfect for recent actions with current results.