English · Bac pro · B1 to B2

Session 3: Commuting in London and New York

Recap
  1. Place the adverb: I take the bus. (usually)
  2. Ask the question: It takes me thirty minutes.
  3. Say it in English: « la moitié de la classe vient en bus ».
Answer key
  1. I usually take the bus.
  2. How long does it take you to get to school?
  3. Half of the class comes by bus.
Key question: How do Londoners and New Yorkers get to work?
What you need to say

In this session, you need to read real information about the London Underground and the New York subway, use British and American words, and compare the two cities with France.

To compare, we use: both... and..., whereas, while, unlike, similar to, different from.

Document A · London

Sources: TfL, 10 January 2023, TfL, Tube and rail fares, TfL, Adult rate prices 2026.

Document B · New York

Sources: MTA, 27 October 2024, MTA, New York City Transit, OMNY, Fares.

Document C · Paris and France

Sources: RATP, Navigo monthly travel card, Service Public, remboursement des frais de transport.

Building your vocabulary

WordMeaningExample
the Tube / the Underground (UK)the subway (US)I take the Tube to work.
a single (UK)a one-way ticket (US)A single to Oxford, please.
a return (UK)a round-trip ticket (US)Can I have a return ticket?
a queue (UK)a line (US)There is a long queue at the ticket office.
a timetable (UK)a schedule (US)The timetable is on the wall.
a carriage (UK)a car (US)The first carriage is full.
the way out (UK)the exit (US)Follow the signs to the way out.
to touch in / touch outto put your card on the reader at the start / endDon't forget to touch out.
to tapto touch a card or phone on a reader quicklyTap your phone at the gate.
peak / off-peakthe busy time / the quiet timeOff-peak fares are cheaper.
a farethe price of a journeyThe fare is three dollars.
a capthe maximum you payThe daily cap is £8.90.
Point prof · comparing two systems
both... and...
Both London and New York have a contactless system.
whereas / while (contrast between two facts)
The Tube opened in 1863, whereas the New York subway opened in 1904.
unlike + noun
Unlike New York, London has peak and off-peak fares.
similar to / different from
OMNY is similar to contactless in London. The Navigo pass is different from a cap.
British and American English
Same language, different words: the Tube / the subway, a queue / a line, a return / a round trip.

Quick check. Join with whereas: London has zones. New York has one price for a ride.

Answer keyLondon has zones, whereas New York has one price for a ride.

Exercises

1. UK or US?Entryrecognition

Say if the word is British or American, then give the other word.

  1. subway
  2. queue
  3. round-trip ticket
  4. timetable
  5. exit
  6. carriage
Answer key
  1. US / the Tube, the Underground
  2. UK / line
  3. US / return
  4. UK / schedule
  5. US / way out
  6. UK / car

2. True or false?Entryreading

Use documents A, B and C. Correct the false sentences.

  1. The Tube is older than the New York subway.
  2. In London, you only touch your card at the start of a Tube journey.
  3. Peak fares in London start at 06:30.
  4. In New York, one subway ride costs $3.00.
  5. The New York subway has 28 stations today.
  6. In France, employers pay for half of the pass or more.
Answer key
  1. True (1863 and 1904).
  2. False: you touch in at the start and touch out at the end.
  3. True: from 06:30 to 09:30.
  4. True.
  5. False: it had 28 stations in 1904; it has 472 today.
  6. True: at least 50 %.

3. Find the informationCorereading

  1. When did the first Tube journey take place?
  2. How many people rode the New York subway every day in 2024?
  3. What is the most you pay for one day in Zones 1 and 2 in London?
  4. How much do you spend in seven days in New York before you stop paying?
  5. How much is a Navigo Mois pass for all zones?
Answer key
  1. On 10 January 1863.
  2. About 3.4 million.
  3. £8.90.
  4. $35.
  5. €90.80.

4. Listening: Kate's first jobCorelistening

Watch: Top Tips for Better Journeys to Work: Flexible Fares, Ticketing and Caps (46 seconds), Transport for London channel

  1. Who is Kate?
  2. Why does every penny count for her?
  3. Why is her new way of paying more affordable?
  4. What does her work allow her to do?
Answer key
  1. She is new to London and has just started her first job.
  2. She wants to save money.
  3. Because of the cheaper caps on her fares.
  4. To travel off-peak (flexible hours), so she saves even more.

5. CompareCoreguided

Write one sentence for each pair with both, whereas or unlike.

  1. London: Oyster or contactless / New York: OMNY
  2. London: opened in 1863 / New York: opened in 1904
  3. London: peak fares / New York: one price per ride
  4. Paris: monthly pass / London: daily and weekly caps
Answer key
  1. Both London and New York have contactless payment.
  2. The Tube opened in 1863, whereas the New York subway opened in 1904.
  3. Unlike New York, London has peak fares.
  4. Paris has a monthly pass, whereas London has daily and weekly caps.

6. At the ticket officeCoreinteraction

Role-play in pairs. A is a tourist in London, B works at the station. A asks: how to pay, the price for the day, peak times. Then change roles and do it in New York, with American words.

Answer key

Model: A: Excuse me, how can I pay for the Tube? B: You can use a contactless card or an Oyster card. Touch in and touch out. A: How much will I pay today? B: In Zones 1 and 2, you won't pay more than £8.90 a day. A: When are peak times? B: From 06:30 to 09:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00, Monday to Friday.

7. And in your town?Coreyour own production

Write 60 to 80 words to compare transport in your town or region with London or New York. Use both, whereas, unlike.

Answer key

Model: In my town, there is no metro, unlike London and New York. Both my town and New York have buses, but our buses are not as frequent. In London, you pay with your bank card, whereas we use a bus pass. I would like a contactless system like OMNY because it is fast and simple.

Stretch · B2

Check today's exchange rate on the European Central Bank website. Convert the London weekly cap (£44.70) and the New York seven-day amount ($35) into euros, and compare them with a Navigo Semaine pass (€32.40, Île-de-France Mobilités, 2026). Write a short paragraph: which city is the most expensive for a week of commuting, and why can't we compare exactly?

Model

The answer depends on the rate of the day. In general, the London cap is the highest. We can't compare exactly because the systems are different: zones in London and Paris, one price per ride in New York, and the London cap only covers Zones 1 and 2.

Homework
  1. Learn the six pairs of British and American words.
  2. Find the official map of the Tube on the TfL website and write the names of three lines and their colours.