Reporting on (car) conversations
What’s a different way to say…
“I recommend”
“I agree”
“I disagree”
Mr. Brown…
said
suggested
recommended
proposed
This is how to report on past conversations:
Mr. Red…
disagreed
was against it
opposed the suggestion
had a different idea
Mr. Blue…
agreed
supported the idea
was for it
backed the proposal
Can you report on this conversation I had with my friends? Recently we chatted about buying a car…
A: I think we should get the the Mini Aceman. It’s fully electric
M: That looks great. It has a stylish design.
J: I don’t know. The back seat is quite small. Do you really want an electric car?
M: It’s a good idea because gas prices are rising every year. I love my electric car.
A: Yes because we have solar panels and Japan plans to stop selling gas cars by 2035
J: That’s true but I bet the government will extend the ban. Also Japan will continue to sell hybrids. I’d prefer to get a hybrid because we can sell it at the end for a better price.
A: Maybe you’re right but if we get an electric car now we can get a ¥1.1 million subsidy which will make the price around the same as a hybrid.
Can you report on a conversation you had with someone recently?
After Trump lost the election in 2020, he called the Secretary of State for Georgia, Brad Raffensperger, a Republican.
Can you report on their conversation?
R: Mr. President, the problem with social media is people can say anything.
T: Oh, this isn’t social media. This is Trump media. Social media is Big Tech. Big Tech is on your side, you know. I don’t even know why you have a side, because you should want to have an accurate election. And you’re a Republican.
R: We believe that we do have an accurate election.
T: No, no, you don’t. Not even close. You’re off by hundreds of thousands of votes… All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes,
VW ID4 and Mini Aceman
Do you think it’s better to get a hybrid or an electric car?
price
charging stations
winter
Can you report on this conversation?
B: I think you should get a second-hand car. I never buy new cars because of the price.
A: That’s a good point but the tax is much higher on used cars and I would worry it would break down soon.
B: I understand but in Japan people really look after their cars so the quality is usually good
used = second-hand
second hand = the thinnest arm on a watch
Do you think it’s better to get a new car or a second-hand car?
What second-hand goods have you bought in the past?
Many Western people come to Japan and are surprised that compared to their countries, only a few people buy used things (cars, houses, divorced people). Do you think this is true?
What used goods do many people buy in Japan?
Now it’s popular for tourists to visit Japan to go thrift-shopping because Japanese people are famous for taking good care of their stuff. There are so many tik tok and YouTube videos of thrifting in Tokyo.
go thrifting = go thrift shopping = go shopping for used goods
Clothes, bags, vinyl
The Japanese government is disappointed by the low EV sales in Japan. Why do people hesitate to buy EV cars?
Currently all EV makers get the same subsidies in Japan mainly based on electricity mileage (between ¥650,000 - 850,000)
From next year Japan plans to evaluate other factors:
the number of charging points at dealers
how quickly makers respond to vehicle break downs
if makers will lend vehicles to local governments during natural disasters
This means that car makers will get different subsidies for exactly the same level of car.
Why do you think Japan is changing their subsidy policy?
They think this will help the EV eco-system in Japan to improve (more charging stations) and quick repairs
It will also prevent low-priced but low quality EV’s from succeeding in the market (short distances, slow repair time). If these are sold here, they may damage trust in the industry