This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 430.
This is a fantastic episode, if you will.
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That's letter B, number 2.
Hello, Aubrey. How are you today?
I'm great, Lindsay.
How are you? Aubrey, how was your Mother's Day?
It just happened, I guess, a few months ago.
Yeah, it was so nice.
I try to be a really hands -on mom, if you will, but on Mother's Day, I take the day off.
No cleaning, no cooking.
I was super lazy. That's amazing.
You deserve it. All mothers deserve to do whatever they want to do on Mother's Day.
I agree. Right. If you want a day off, you should be able to get a day off.
Totally. Oh my gosh.
Guys, before we get any further into what we're talking about today, hit follow right here on the podcast because we go deep into English and how to build relationships at work through English.
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Yes, absolutely. You guys may have noticed I said, if you will, in my answer, we got a great question about this.
I'm excited to get into it.
Yes, this is great.
This is a question from Mateus.
I'll just go ahead and read the question.
I was watching a movie and there's this manager who would always say to their employees, do that if you would.
Today, I was reading an article about Snow White that said, it's a real fairy tale ending, if you will.
I kind of understand the meaning, but I'm sure I'm not able to use them in conversations.
Could you help me out?
Thanks in advance, Mateusz.
Great questions. This is always interesting when this happens, because you would think these are related.
It really seems like they would be, if you would, if you will.
They're actually not at all.
They're used in very different ways and have very different meanings, right, Lindsay?
Very, yeah, very different.
Exactly. I mean, they could have have been two separate episodes even, but this is great.
I'm glad that we're getting them both in today.
So let's start with if you would.
Tell us about this, Aubrey.
Yeah. So this is added to a request in order to be more polite.
It's very similar to saying, please, right?
You might say, draft the contract this morning if you would.
Yeah. And maybe it's even catching yourself if you're being too bossy and it's tacking on if you would, at the end.
There's a scenario in which the person could have just said, draft the contract this morning if you would.
They're just adding it because they forgot to be polite.
Yes. You can tack it on at the end if you find yourself.
We do this a lot. We're in a hurry.
We don't realize how things are coming off.
We're doling out commands.
Then we realize, okay, I actually should be requesting a little more politely.
Exactly. We have to be very careful with our words here's another example if you would draft the contract this morning that'd be awesome and this is where we're thinking a bit more about it we're putting it at the beginning and then we're we're making a bit more of a complex sentence aren't we yes exactly and this is interesting that you could of course just say please draft the contract this morning that means the same thing right but it's interesting when we have more chunks at our disposal like this We can switch it up.
We sound more comfortable.
We're more friendly.
So this just gives you another way to request something in a polite way.
Yes. Very interesting.
All right. So that is if you would, it's just kind of making something sound, making a request sound more polite.
Exactly. Just like in Mateus's example.
Right. Someone asking employees, you know, do this if you would do that, if you would.
They're just adding if you would to be more polite.
And it's instead of please.
you could say please do this if you would but it's almost redundant you kind of just do one or the other Mm -hmm exactly exactly and so now I want to move on to if you will this could have been its own episode it's a great one um it's what do we need to know here if you will not the same thing as if you would exactly this is very different it's interesting so we use this when we want to say that a particular expression or a phrase that we're using is one way way of saying something that not everybody will necessarily agree with, or maybe they would choose a different way to say it, right?
So it might imply that what you're saying is not strictly accurate or is unconventional, or it's like a stretch or an adjustment of a literal meaning, right?
So there's kind of a lot that might be going on here.
And then for like replacements, it has a similar meaning to if you wish to call it that, or like if you agree with that way of of saying this or that terminology.
Right, or if you will stretch your mind to go, to follow what I'm saying, kind of, in a way.
If you will entertain this way of using this term.
Exactly, which it could be that shortened, right?
If you will entertain this choice of words for saying this, all of that shortened to if you will.
I know, it's a good question.
What does come after if you will?
Like what is supposed to be the rest of the phrase, right?
Right? Exactly. Let's give some examples here.
You might say, the film was mediocre, if you will.
So what you're saying here is like you're calling something mediocre and you're recognizing not everybody would agree with this exact terminology.
There are definitely different opinions here.
You're leaving room for others to interpret something differently.
Yeah. So it's kind of like, also the speaker is kind of asking permission to use the word mediocre in this context in a way right right it's almost like a back and forth like an invitation for you to agree with me and then they could say yeah they're not going to say like no i won't but they might push back and be like i didn't think it was mediocre right great but that would just be even more and that would just be more about the context of what the person is right not so much like i disagree with the use of that word no no exactly here's another example when it comes to decoding.
He's something of a modern day wizard, if you will.
Yeah. So this is interesting because if you're going to use the word wizard, right, call someone a modern day wizard. This is kind of a perfect example.
You're saying like he's clearly not technically a wizard. He's not literally a wizard. Like I'm using this sort of metaphorically.
I'm being playful with my vocabulary.
And that's why sometimes you'll tack on, if you will, a modern day wizard, if you will.
Yes. I love that. And it's fun.
This is a way to start to get creative with your word choices, analogies maybe, and then sort of show that maybe not everyone's aware of that analogy.
It just makes your speaking more complex and interesting.
Yes, exactly, right?
Because you do want to be creative.
And sometimes, you will say things that you've actually never heard anyone say it that way or describe it that way before.
This is an interesting thing to tack on, if you will, meaning like, I recognize I'm being a little creative with my words here.
Maybe this doesn't quite make sense.
Right. Kind of a way of staying in touch with who you're talking to, in a sense, like keeping a barometer on things.
Like, are you okay that I just use that word?
Exactly. Yeah. And these are both quite formal, fairly rare in everyday conversations.
conversations, we do use them at work some or when writing articles, when we're trying to up -level our language, right?
What do you think, Lindsay?
I don't know that these are super common in just everyday conversations, but I do hear them.
Yeah. I mean, I think you would be okay to use it.
It wouldn't be a language crime if you did.
There are no language crimes.
I think it would be okay.
You could get away with it.
You probably sound quite articulate.
it you know and so it does come back to the conversation who are you around how do you want to sound but I think I don't think this is a scenario where you'll separate yourself too much because it literally is keeping track of who's in front of you like are we on the same page are we okay that I just use that expression that's a good point and I do love that it's not uncommon we do hear this a lot we use it a lot so I think this is going to be one of those things that now that we've highlighted it you are probably going to hear it on on podcasts, on TV shows, as you're surrounding yourself with English, or you
might even hear it at work.
A native English speaker might use it or a language learner and you are now going to know what they mean.
You'll be familiar.
It's going to be interesting if you start hearing it everywhere.
Yeah, that's so true.
Once we've become aware of something, we see it everywhere.
It's true. Absolutely.
All right, good stuff.
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Oh, do you like negotiations?
How do you feel about negotiations?
I am terrible at negotiations.
What about you, Lindsay?
Oh, I don't really engage in them very much, but I actually took a class in my graduate school program about intercultural negotiation, but it was really just about negotiation in general.
So I kind of have a framework for thinking about it, but I don't think I do a very good job once I get into them.
I have had to negotiate lately, Absolutely.
Especially when we go to Rocky Point, there are a lot of vendors that expect you to negotiate.
They're setting prices really high and it's a cultural thing that everyone's haggling, like they'll say.
Oh, haggling. Yeah.
And I'm really terrible about it.
I'm just either quickly paying exactly what they're asking for, or maybe I'll try to bring it down a little bit.
I think I'm always overpaying because I hate negotiating.
That's so funny. I love that.
I love that. All right.
Here is our role play.
So, how did the negotiations go yesterday?
Good, I think. I'd love for you to tell me about it if you would.
We did a sort of dance, if you will, trying to outmaneuver each other.
I wish I could have been there.
You haven't received their decision yet?
No, but I expect to hear from them soon.
Really hoping it works out.
That company has become a tech giant, a digital empire, if you will.
For sure. Hopefully they'll agree to our terms. Okay.
So, we don't know what the results were.
Usually, you kind of know right away in a negotiation, right.
They accept it or they don't, but sometimes I guess – Sometimes you have to wait to hear back, right?
Sometimes you have to wait.
Okay. So, you said, I think it went well and then I said, I'd love for you to tell me about it if you would.
So, again I'm kind of using a few ways of being polite here.
I'd love for you to and if you would.
Yeah, and you could stop.
I'd love for you to tell me about it, but then you've kind of felt that, oh, I need to tack on this.
Like it's not required.
You don't have to. You're definitely adding just a little bit to make sure that I know, no pressure, right?
Maybe it's something that you think I won't feel comfortable sharing details about for some reason.
So you're adding that extra politeness.
Exactly, and then you said, Aubrey.
I said, we did a sort of dance, if you will, trying to outmaneuver each other.
So this is a good example for when this would be used right I'm calling it a dance this negotiation and I'm recognizing not everybody would call it that or see it that I'm definitely using a creative term here so then I throw in if you will we did a sort of dance if you will exactly and then you probably wouldn't hear it used again in that same conversation but for the sake of teaching here we did it right I said really hoping it works out meaning I'm really hoping it works out that companies become a tech giant a digital empire if you will and we're using tone of voice too with if you will that's
important aubrey absolutely right it would be strange if you just monotone straight through that a digital empire if you will right the pausing where's the comma before if you will and then changing your voice right so you're calling it a tech giant and then you've thought of this other creative phrase to say that a digital empire so you add that a digital empire empire, if you will.
Yeah, I'm saying it with a little bit of energy, a little bit of enthusiasm because I'm kind of making up a new term.
It's kind of fun, right?
Exactly. Yeah. So when you're saying something that's a little bit fun, your intonation definitely needs to be a little bit fun too to match. Yes, exactly.
All right. Where should we leave our listeners here on the show?
Yeah, this is interesting.
You know, when you're describing something in a way that not everyone would, it's good to flag it, to have kind of this assigned post like this, because it would be strange in this role play, for example, if I said we did a sort of dance trying to outmaneuver each other.
You could, but it's good to have this recognition that I'm saying this in a way that's a little bit outside of the box.
Yes. These are really high -level skills just to refine your English at the B2C1 level, make it more complex, and most importantly, make it more connected.
It's all about that that connection at work and in the professional space.
All right. Absolutely.
Yes. Such a great vocabulary today for doing that.
Excellent. Aubrey, I'll see you back here very soon.
You have a good day.
You too. See you next time.
All right. Bye -bye.
Bye. Thank you for listening to Business English, a podcast just for you, the high -achieving global professional.
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