Sharing a Seat
Two passengers find themselves sharing a bench or a double seat on a bus or train, leading to an initial polite acknowledgement and possibly a brief comment on the crowdedness.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
excuse me
A polite phrase used to get someone's attention or ask a question without being rude, like when approaching a seat on public transport.
taken
Means occupied or already in use, often used for seats or places; for example, 'Is this seat taken?' checks if someone is sitting there.
crowded
Describes a place with too many people, making it hard to move; common in public transit during busy times.
peak hour
The busiest time of day for travel, usually morning or evening when many people commute to work or school.
commute
The regular daily journey to and from work or school, often by bus, train, or car.
squeeze
A situation where space is very tight and people are pressed together, like on a full bus.
tell me about it
An informal expression to show strong agreement with what someone said, often about a shared problem like traffic.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Excuse me, is this seat taken?
This is a polite way to ask if a seat is available; use it in public places like buses or trains to start a conversation. The question form uses 'is' for present tense.
No, it's all yours. Please, have a seat.
A friendly response offering a seat; 'it's all yours' means you can use it completely. Useful for being polite and welcoming in shared spaces.
It's quite crowded today, isn't it?
This comments on the situation to make small talk; 'isn't it?' is a tag question that invites agreement and softens the statement for conversation.
Peak hour commute, I suppose.
Explains why it's busy using 'I suppose' to give an opinion politely; great for casual chats about daily routines like commuting.
Tell me about it.
An idiomatic way to agree emphatically; use it when someone complains about something you also experience, like crowded transport, to build rapport.
True, you've got a point there.
Shows agreement and acknowledges the other's idea; 'you've got a point' means their comment is valid. Useful for polite, positive responses in conversations.