This is an All Ears English podcast episode 2022.
How to answer an unasked question in English.
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Native speakers sometimes answer a question before it's even asked, using a unique and super advanced construction.
Find out what it is and how to do it today.
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Hey there, Michelle.
How's everything today?
How you doing?
Hey, yeah.
Are we going to be done by three?
Not that I have to leave early, but I just want to know for my schedule.
Oh michelle, i'm just not quite sure.
It depends on how quickly we record today.
All right, all right, it's fine, it's fine either way.
It's not that i need to leave early okay no, it's okay, it's okay.
But today we have a great listener question.
Yes, and we're going to get into that listener question.
Michelle, i love it when we get questions from our listeners.
It is really the coolest thing in the world just to see where you guys are at, see what you are hearing out in the world and help you connect better.
That's our goal.
But michelle, first we do want to let our listeners know about something.
What is that?
Guys, we want you to hit follow wherever you are listening to all ears english, because we publish four days a week.
We never miss a week.
We never miss one of those four days.
Um, and you want to hit follow so that you don't miss anything from us?
Let us come to you and let you know there's a new episode.
Yeah, exactly so if you don't hit follow, you won't see it drop down into your queue Right for the episodes that you could listen to that week.
So hit follow, make it easy on yourself.
Reminders from All Ears English from Lindsay, Michelle, and Aubrey, and let's go for it.
So Michelle, should I go ahead and read the question from the listener?
Yes, this is from Asami.
Go ahead and read it.
Okay.
So this student, Asami, by the way, has taken all of our courses, which is amazing.
She or he is a longtime loyal listener.
And here's the question.
I've heard Michelle saying, not that I can think of right now, several times in this podcast.
I also heard Lindsay saying, not that I ever clean for anyone.
In episode 1791, Michelle, that's a very interesting contrast between you and me.
I'm not quite sure what they mean if the sentence starts with not that.
Yes.
I'd love you to break it down and give some more examples.
Love you guys.
Asami.
We love you too, Asami.
Amazing to hear from our listeners.
Yeah, I thought that would give you a giggle, Lindsay.
That is funny.
I love it.
So I love how specific this question is and how Asami has several examples.
That really helps us plan the episode and it shows that Asami is really really listening very closely.
So this episode, yeah, we're going to talk about it.
This episode is about saying not that I or not that you, he, she, whatever, something, right?
So we're also going to direct you over to episode 1916 for fun is get out of here.
How to respond appropriately when someone shares news in English.
So listen to that one.
Very cool, very cool.
I'm excited for this little construction, this little kind of uh function, language function.
So here are some examples to get in.
So, just so we know that exactly what we're talking about today right, michelle?
Here's the first one.
Not that i can think of right now.
This is what you said right, bringing back what you said.
Another way to say this would be i can't think of any right now.
Like any examples yeah right right, i can't.
So that would be the other way to say it.
Right, like that might be you know how seems like the most natural, like i can't think of any, but not that i can think of right now is a very specific construction, and here's yours.
Not that i ever clean for anyone.
Oh my gosh, i don't remember saying that at all.
It's so funny.
It is funny.
Um, i could say that too.
Um, but another.
The other way to say this would be i don't clean for anyone.
So that's what it's saying.
Yeah, I know.
Right.
Exactly.
But it is quite advanced and native and natural.
Right.
Right.
Yeah.
Why would we say this instead of just the simple way of saying I can't think of anything right now?
I feel like it's just a. different, unique structure.
It has a little personality, like especially the cleaning example.
Like, I feel like if you had just said, oh, I don't clean for anyone.
It's I don't know, saying, oh, not that I clean for anyone.
But also that example from the beginning, I said, not that I have to leave early.
Yeah, I could say it's not that I have to leave early, but we basically cut off that it's right.
Yeah, I think it's also a linking function, you know.
So i have no idea what we were talking about not cleaning for anyone but it definitely comes at the end of a statement right, like i might have said michelle, do you have any examples of a time that you needed to use this preposition and you might say, you know, not that, i can think of any now or it just comes at the end.
It doesn't come as a separate sentence, right?
Kind of an answer, like.
It's kind of an answer with personality right, like if you you, you might have.
I mean, i imagine the beginning of your um sentence may have been something like oh, i need to like, i need to get some, i need to buy a new vacuum not that i ever clean for anyone right, it gives some con.
It gives a lot more context, a lot more meaning, you know, it just adds so much color to your english guys and that creates connection, which is what we're, why we're here.
Do you think it makes things more or less formal or not?
Really, it doesn't really.
I think it makes things a little less formal, a little more informal, a little more personal, i would say.
Would you say so?
Yeah, i agree, i agree.
All right, i think we need to dig into more examples here, just to make sure our listeners fully understand what we're talking about.
All right, so you want to do the first one?
Yeah, i need to pick up my dinner Not that I'm gonna eat it now, but it's right by my work.
So this isn't really personality insertion.
It's more, you're giving more context.
Like, okay, maybe it's three o'clock.
You wanna make sure the person knows you're not eating dinner at three o'clock.
Right, so that's why you might use it.
So it's just kind of like, yeah, it's elaborating.
It's elaborating in a linking way, in a way that doesn't break up the information.
Because what's the other alternative?
I need to pick up my dinner.
I'm not going to eat it right now.
It's right by my work.
It's kind of boring and repetitive and robotic.
Yeah, right.
It's choppy.
It's choppy.
We try to get away from choppy.
Let's show another example.
Okay.
Another example is I'll get there a few minutes early.
Not that she'll be there, but I like to get myself situated before meetings start.
Right.
And so what would be the other way, the more standard choppy, boring way to say it?
Michelle, i'll get there a few minutes early.
She won't be there, but i like to get myself situated right, which it's fine.
You could say that too, but this gives you other alternatives, maybe a little more personality.
Yeah right right right, should we do another one?
Yes, i lost my place.
Okay, we have to clean the place.
Not that anyone's coming, but it's filthy in here.
Yeah, Kind of what you're doing here is you're heading off or hedging on what you think the other person's going to think.
Right.
Yeah, that's true.
That's true.
You are kind of like thinking ahead.
You're kind of thinking ahead.
Like if you said to me, we have to clean the place, I would say, oh, is someone coming over?
And instead you prevent that by saying oh, not that anyone's coming over, but it is filthy in here.
Yes yes yes yes yes, yes.
Um, so i mean, people might also say something like oh, there's no way this is happening.
Like oh, there's no that way that i'll ever clean for someone so, or clean for anyone so that's another way you could use it.
But this, i really like this construction and i and i, i just this is just like one of those examples of one of my favorite questions, you know, because it's so specific, it's so unique.
It brings up something in language that lindsay, do you think this is in the textbooks?
No way.
No way.
The textbooks can't cover this.
No way.
It's too nuanced.
Yeah.
If it were in the textbooks, I think it would be in the B2 textbook, by the way.
We just opened our B1 course back in April, which was super exciting.
And our listeners here are getting ready for B2.
They were working their way through B1 to be ready for B2.
So this is the kind of thing, Michelle, we may put into the B2 course.
But yeah, I don't think a textbook could handle it.
I don't think so.
No.
Yes, only all ears English.
So but yeah, this is just an example of a great question.
She saw me came to us with examples of her own really unique fun structure.
So guys, keep your questions coming, send them on over.
And if you can think of examples like that you've heard.
Yeah, choose something from the podcast and write it down, send it to us.
We'll explain it.
Yeah, that would be fun.
That would be fun.
Should we do a role play just to get more context?
It's all about context, right?
Let's do it.
So we are friends going shopping.
All right.
Okay.
Is there anything else we need?
Nothing I can think of.
Yeah, I think we're done.
Let's try to get to the register quickly.
Not that we're in a rush, but I just hate waiting.
I get it.
Yeah, you get it.
I hate waiting too.
Oh man.
Okay.
So what did we say here?
You said, I said, okay, is there anything else we need?
You said, hmm, not that I can think of.
That's your famous phrase.
Yes.
Yes.
I guess so.
You said, yeah, I think we're done.
Let's try to get to the register quickly.
Not that we're in a rush, but I just hate waiting.
So you're kind of like, Yeah, because it's what you said before.
You could say, let's try to get to the register quickly.
And then I could say, well, wait, like, are we are we rushing somewhere?
Are we going somewhere like, you know, or at least I might I might wonder.
Right, exactly.
So it's almost like you're saving the person, you're covering the person, you're making them feel more secure, in a way.
It's just strategic connection skill, because you are making them, you're answering their questions in one statement, kind of yes yes, exactly so um, this is good, I mean, today I I think the takeaway is what we've really been talking about here.
Lindsay, you really hit on it.
You know, this idea of making.
It's really kind of making things easier for the listener.
You're giving the answer to a, an unasked question, because you realize That they might have that question, whether they're going to ask it to you, whether they were going to actually ask you a question or they're just wondering something in their head.
Like with the lunch example, oh, I'm going to go pick up my lunch.
It's three o'clock.
So the person might, I mean, my dinner, it's three o'clock.
The person might wonder, why does she eat dinner at 3 p.m.?
And then they're like, no, no, not that I've.
So it is kind of, you know, showing how to link things together in a way that might make it easier for the listener.
And that brings about connection in itself.
100%, Michelle.
I love it.
So well said.
I mean, that's it.
That's it.
How to answer an unasked question.
You know, that's really the function here.
And that makes it a connection skill.
So good.
Yeah, guys.
So go and use this.
It's also very high level.
Like I said, probably would fall into that B2 upper intermediate low advanced level.
So you would really build that connection with native speakers if you were to insert this.
So go for it.
So good.
Okay.
Love it.
All right.
Well, thank you for this question.
And thanks for hanging out, Lindsay.
And thanks for listening, everyone.
Thank you.
All right.
I'll see you soon, Michelle.
Take care.
Bye.
Bye.
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