How Do You Go to Work? Transport Vocabulary in English
Learn to talk about how you travel to work, school, and other places. This free A1 English lesson for adult beginners introduces transport vocabulary, useful travel prepositions, and simple schedule phrases. Its 12 interactive slides include a map warm-up, a transport video and quiz, audio vocabulary cards, and a listening activity about everyday journeys.
What you will learn
- Name common forms of transport, including buses, trains, and taxis.
- Answer questions about how you travel.
- Use by with transport names and on foot for walking.
- Practice get on and get in with different vehicles.
- Understand simple information about departure times, arrivals, and fares.
English transport vocabulary
The opening question asks How do you go to work? The pictures show four possible answers: by car, by bus, by train, and on foot. Choose the answer that matches your journey.
The video introduces more transport words, including bike, scooter, motorcycle, taxi, plane, boat, ship, and subway. Listen to the names and repeat them aloud. A bicycle can also be called a bike, and a motorcycle can also be called a motorbike.
By bus, by train, and on foot
Use by + transport name to explain how you travel. In these phrases, use the transport name without a or the: by bus, by car, by train, or by bike.
- I go to work by bus.
- I go to school by bike.
- I go to the supermarket by car.
- I visit my friends by train.
When you walk, say on foot: I go to work on foot. You can also say I walk to work. Practice changing the destination and transport to make sentences about your own routine.
Get on and get in
Use get on with a bus, train, plane, bike, or motorcycle. Use get in with a car or taxi. For example: I get on the bus at the bus stop. I get in the taxi. Listen for these phrases in the video and answer the quiz questions.
Bus, train, and taxi vocabulary
The audio cards introduce words for people, places, and items you may need during a journey. Look at the pictures, listen to each word, and repeat it.
- Bus stop: a place where people wait for a bus.
- Bus driver: the person who drives a bus.
- Passengers: people traveling in a vehicle.
- Platform: a place at a station where people wait for a train.
- Conductor: a train staff member who helps passengers.
- Ticket: something that shows you have paid for a journey.
- Taxi driver: the person who drives a taxi.
- Meter: a device in a taxi that shows the fare.
Understanding simple transport schedules
Practice the schedule sentences in the New Language slide. Listen for the vehicle, the time, and whether the sentence describes leaving, arriving, or waiting. These are example sentences for language practice.
| Example | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| The bus leaves at 8:00 AM. | The departure time. |
| The train arrives at 9:15 PM. | The arrival time. |
| Bus number 5 comes every 30 minutes. | How often the bus comes. |
| The next train is in 20 minutes. | How long you wait for the next train. |
| Arrival time is 11:45 AM. | When a service reaches its destination. |
| The fare is two dollars. | The price of the journey. |
Use at before a clock time, every to describe a regular interval, and in to say how long until the next service. Practice saying one sentence for each pattern.
Listening practice: everyday journeys
Listen to Lena, Paul, and Holly describe how they travel to work, college, shops, and other towns. Identify who uses each form of transport and listen for reasons such as distance, cost, convenience, and weather. Choose the correct person for each question, then replay the audio and read the script to check your understanding.
Speaking practice: your journey to work
Partner: How do you go to work?
You: I go by bus.
Partner: What time does the bus leave?
You: It leaves at eight o'clock.
Take turns asking and answering. Change the transport and time to match your routine. If you study, use How do you go to school? or How do you go to college?
Practice with the interactive lesson
- Review places and location phrases in the map warm-up.
- Answer the opening question about traveling to work.
- Watch the transport video, then watch again and complete the quiz.
- Listen to and repeat the bus, train, and taxi vocabulary.
- Practice schedule and fare phrases.
- Complete the listening activity and talk about your own journey.
Teachers can model an answer before learners interview a partner. For self-study, repeat the audio examples and describe two journeys you regularly make.
Review asking for directions in Lesson 7, or browse more free A1 English teaching materials.