This is the All Ears English Podcast. Context is connection. How to add on to your statements in English. Welcome to the All Ears English Podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection.
with your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, USA. To get real-time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Yours English app for iOS and Android. Start your seven-day free trial at allyoursenglish.com
app. Today learn a new way to add more information to what you've said to build context and be more clear in your conversations in English.
Hello, Michelle. How's it going today? Good. Lindsay, I am happy to be here with our listeners on a Saturday. I know. Always a good time on the weekend. Yeah. So, Lindsay, I'm wondering if since it's the weekend, do you have any plans later? Are you going to go hiking? Because I feel like you get outside a lot and in very active ways at that.
I really do, Michelle. Yeah. My last big hike was Mount Triglav in, uh, in Slovenia. Yeah. That was really the last, the last big hike I did. But even in here in Colorado, I like to go on small hikes, you know, on the weekends, get out there. Yeah. What's a small hike?
small hike. Because I feel like that might be my big. There's so many funny memes about non hikers getting dragged into hikes with our hiking friends. Oh my God, if you just look for it on Instagram, it's really funny. When the person says, Oh, it's just a short hike. No big deal. It's a five mile hike. And the and the person is just is so bad at their friend. So right? What's always that a small hike? Is that a small hike for you? Five miles?
Kind of. Yeah. Three to five miles. Like it's small to getting into a medium size hike would be like four to five miles. So all I could be like one in Slovenia. It would be in Slovenia. I don't even know either. It was 20, 25, but not in one day. We did it across four days. So yeah. Yeah. That's cool. That's good. That's good. Yeah. You said something interesting to me when you asked me that question or what you commented. What did you say?
Right. So I said, you get outside a lot in very active ways at that. Yes. Yeah. I wonder if our listeners have never heard this before. This is super native. It's not. You do hear it sometimes. You don't hear all the time, but it is an advanced marker of speech. It is advanced, I would say, for sure. I mean, but so what did I mean by that? Yeah. So you get out. So you meant,
more so, like you're further, you met furthermore, you're saying furthermore, you're saying and even more so, you know, you're compounding what you're saying. Right. I was adding something on. I was getting a little bit more specific. I could have just said, you get outside a lot. And then I'm saying, okay, now I want to add this on. I'm being a little bit more specific here. So that's what we're talking about today. This is going to be a fun one because I, this is one of my
I feel like we should call these episodes Michelle out in the wild. These are, this is one where I heard it and I said, ooh, ooh, ooh. And those are, it's a, I love planning episodes in that way. I love our listener questions, but I also love when I just hear something and I say,
That's a good one. So this is one of the Michelle out in the wild. Yeah. I mean, that's what we do. That's the connection method here. We find ways to bring you real English, whether it's from listening to English in our lives or whether it's from our amazing listener questions, guys. We want to show you that connection moment. And it's all based on real English. We're giving you the real stuff here. So I want to encourage our listeners, Michelle, by the way, to hit follow on the show. Why should they hit follow on the podcast right now?
Well, it makes it easier on you. You're never going to miss anything because every time we put something out, you are going to get it straight into your listening click queue. And that way you don't have to think, oh, I have to search for it. I'm looking around for it. So definitely hit that follow button. Yes. Go ahead, guys. We do five days a week on Allers English. So hit follow now and we'll drop right into your queue. So Michelle, how does this sound, this expression, by adding at that?
Yeah, well, to me, it sounds very smart. It doesn't have to be only casual or only professional. I think it can be either one, but to me, it sounds to use something we like to say a lot. It sounds very buttoned up. I know you haven't done it back. I mean, how does it sound to you? To me, it sounds pretty
I don't know. Nice. Yeah. I mean, I think it sounds, it just sounds emphatic, right? It's emphasizing even more what you're saying. Yeah. Yes. Right. Yeah. And there are a couple of different ways when I was looking around how it's used, but we're going to focus on this one particular one today. Um, so right using at that, it's, like I said, adding information, zeroing in on an important point. Um, so let's give some examples. Okay.
All right, here's the first example. So our listeners, guys, you might want to write these down. There aren't many coffee shops around here or any good ones at that. Okay, that's really interesting, right? So yeah, first of all, there aren't many coffee shops and there's definitely not any good ones, right? If there aren't any coffee shops, there are definitely no good ones.
Yeah. Right. Emphasizing. Right. Or he bought her a beautiful engagement ring, a very expensive one at that. Yeah. And it's almost more than just emphasizing it's deepening what you're saying. It's like adding a little bit more information that deepens the original statement. Right. Getting a little bit more specific, giving a little more information exactly. Yeah. She exercises every day and with very heavy weight to that.
Yeah, these feel very normal, very natural. It just gives you a little bit more context, which is great to describe someone, a lifestyle. I like that, giving more context. I mean, if you don't use at that, it's fine. This allows you to add that extra information, or maybe even an afterthought, an important point, lots of different things that it does here.
Yeah, and if we don't use at that, we could still construct the sentence differently. It just might be a little more mediocre kind of boring. So for example, she exercises every day and she uses very heavy weights. Yeah, sure. I can get away with that. And maybe sometimes I do say it that way, but this just gives you another resource. Another tool.
Yeah, or there aren't many coffee ships shops around here or any good ones at that. I could say there aren't many coffee shops around here, but definitely not any good ones. That's another way you can say it's fine too. We're just giving you another tool. Yes. And we like our listeners, especially at the B2 pushing into the C1 level this month, month, month, month we're talking about.
That's much. We're talking about the C1 RC1 fluency course that just opened and we want to push you guys into that B2 to C1 level. That's where we're all headed. And so this is a good resource for that. Yeah.
Okay, Michelle, what else do we need to know here? Okay, so let's talk about other ways we can use this. So we already talked about furthermore, we mentioned that was kind of the first one that popped into our head. That to me is also kind of formal sounding. You know, if you say, Oh, it's a great hotel. And furthermore, the rooms are beautiful. So that's another way to add something on. If you wanted to use at that with a with this, let's see, could you do it? It's a great hotel.
And the rooms are beautiful at that. That feels weird. That's a little hard to me. It feels weird. I don't know. This is one of those. And not all of these are going to work with every situation. You kind of have to play around with them. And my recommendation is because is.
is to start off and think of something, think of how open that brain box we talk about. Think of something that you would want to be more specific about. Think of the example ahead of time. And then try and use it because it does take it to me this at that requires an extra step of thinking.
Yeah, this is a high fluency skill. So rehearsing for the right situation, the first time you use it, and then the second time you rehearse a little less, and then eventually you're delivering it spontaneously. Okay. But for me, it's a great hotel, and furthermore, the rooms are beautiful. It feels more like something someone would say in a speech, or if someone's giving a tour. We used to, when we went to national parks,
to travel used to always book tours of the lodges because they go back to like the 1900s the early 1900s and you know the bourgeoisie would go there as we talked about last week on the show and yep visit these lodges and it was like a sign of high society to go to these national parks and that feels like something someone would say on a tour a little more elevated or more.
Yes, I agree. Another thing is, and this is also for certain situations, would be at least. So this is a little bit more negative. So let's go with the coffee shop example. So you could say there aren't many coffee shops around here. You could say at least not, at least any good ones. Interesting. I've never used this construction.
Do you mean at least not any good ones? I meant at least not any good ones. At least not any good ones. Here you're getting a little bit more specific. Another thing to play with when you're giving your opinions. And then I might add also feels kind of high society, but here's an example. She's so friendly and a hard worker, I might add.
Yeah, this one might be an historical, more of a historical phrase. I don't know if people use this anymore. Do you think so, Michelle? I mean, maybe in certain contexts, certain circles, it feels high society again, feels fancy to me.
I could hear it if people are being interviewed on the news, maybe the talking head situation. Maybe. Yeah. So, but again, I see it in the movies. Right. Exactly. But these are these are all it's not necessarily that these are all interchangeable.
Yes. It's more that all of these show adding on something deeper, getting a little bit more specific. Just add ons, really. Add ons, exactly. It's always good to add more context. If the person's listening to you and they're interested, go for more, right? Be more descriptive. Descriptive. Love it. And why is it good for connection? I mean, that's why the context creates connection. Don't you think, Michelle?
Absolutely, and I think that this also keeps the conversation moving. The first part is kind of a little taste, and then you're giving a little bit extra information. Maybe you're adding your opinion there more. Maybe first is a fact, and then you're showing your opinion.
So lots of different things that you can do here. And again, I wouldn't use it all the time, but open that brain box, try and play with it. Think of a couple. I mean, use the coffee example. Are there good coffee shops in your neighborhood? Think about it like that. Think of how you might share it, who you're going to be talking to soon, and what you might use this for.
Yeah, I might imagine a context where you have a friend come and visit you in your city and you're taking them around for a little tour, telling them about the coffee shops in your neighborhood, what you have as resources in the neighborhood, commenting on restaurants, things like that. That could be a really good context for it. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. So lots of ways we can use it. So, you know, choose
Choose a way, a conversation that you know you're going to be having soon. A friend is visiting you. You're going to dinner with your family members and think, how can I just try and put this one in there? That's the only way we can get to fluency with these expressions is by using them, right? This is your first step, guys. But your next step is on you, right? Unless you're in one of our courses and then we actually bring you through the step, step by step. But if you're not in one of our courses, then it's on you to go out and start using this, right?
Yes, exactly right. All right. Okay. So here we are friends and you just moved to my town. Okay. So that's kind of similar to having a friend visit town. Right? Yes. Exactly. Okay. All right. Here we go. So where's the best place to shop around here? Oh, we have great shopping and affordable shopping at that. Definitely check out Blue Jay Street.
I will. I need some new clothes. And furthermore, I have no sweaters yet for the winter. Oh, okay. Get on that. What about the best brunch place? We have good brunch spots with the best eggs too. Awesome. I didn't have many brunch spots in my old neighborhood. Not any good ones, at least. I know. That's why I'm so happy you moved here. Oh, and your friendship, I might add.
And for your friendship. Yeah. For your friendship by my dad. Yes. I'm really all about my little town here. Yes. Yes. Definitely. Yes. Exactly. All right. All right. And of course, some of these examples we're going to go through, they sound a little bit too formal. But yes, we're going to go through. So the first thing was you said, oh, we have great shopping and affordable shopping at that. So that's an add-on. You're getting a little bit more specific, a little bit deeper.
more context, telling me more and more with each line, right? And then I, you said, I will, I need some new clothes. And furthermore, I have no sweaters yet for the winter. I agree. I think in a conversation, yeah, you might draw furthermore, but I think you tend to hear it more in a speech, a tour, a paper that you write, right, a presentation work.
Yeah, I agree. So guys, think of that one more use like that. But if you wanted to use it here, sure, this is how you would do it. And then I asked about brunch spots and you said, we have good brunch spots with the best eggs too. So here is a situation where you could have said at that, you could have said with the best eggs at that, right? Yes.
Yes, giving more context, furthering almost an argument that your town is great, right? That you said, awesome. I didn't have any brunch spots in my old neighborhood, not any good ones at least. And again, this is doing the exact same thing that that does is just furthering. You didn't have any brunch spots and they weren't any, and any that you did have weren't any good. Yeah.
Um, and then you said, that's why I'm so happy you moved here. Oh, and for your friendship, I might add. Yes. Nice. And sometimes, and we were saying that I might add and furthermore, are a little more fancy, but sometimes we use fancy terms in a more sarcastic way. Yes. Wouldn't you say Michelle? And I see that happening here.
Right. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I think I might add might be more. It might be easier to throw in a conversation than further more. Yeah. Because I think it has a cute. It sounds cute. It's like, Oh, I might add. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a little different.
When I hear I might add, I think of the movie Titanic when a Jack Dawson put on the tuxedo and changed everything about himself, his language, the way he spoke, the way he held his hands behind his back. And I feel like he must have used something like, I might add. He changes everything going from a man in a more lower class class and into the high society of the,
upper decks of the Titanic, right? Yeah, super interesting. So we think about that a lot. But for sure, I think in this context, also using it to kind of in an endearing way with your friend, for sure, 100%. It's not upper class in this way, right? Yeah, no, no.
So yeah, we have a bunch of ways here for you to just go out more specific, narrow in, add something on. So Lindsay, any episode that we think that our listeners should also listen to coming up, go over to episode 2290 guys right now and check it out. It's called more likely versus most likely in English.
And Michelle, what would you say is the takeaway? I mean, we've touched on the fact that giving more context in further building your statement builds connection, right? Because it gives people more information.
Yeah, absolutely. I think just using this really can help you. It's also good if you forgot something. You say you make the statement and then you're like, Oh, I want to add something on. Yeah, that could be good for this as well. So it's a good way to kind of give you a little bit more space to speak.
something that you weren't gonna say originally, but this is all very useful. I think that these are very useful words for really giving a lot of information to someone, giving recommendations, sharing information about your neighborhood, sharing just really anything. So I would say try these out today, go for one of them and stick it in a conversation and let us know how they're doing.
All right, good stuff. And guys, don't forget to hit that follow button right now on the podcast. We'll see you in our next episode. All right. Bye. Bye.
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