You look lovely today.
Compliments.
Some of us love them and some of us hate them.
My name's Oliver and welcome to the Easy English Podcast.
The best place to learn English through slow and clear listening practice, where I teach you vocabulary while talking about interesting topics.
Today we are going to talk about a simple yet powerful way to connect with people, spread a little bit of positivity, and that is giving a compliment.
A compliment is quite a powerful expression of praise or admiration, so generally it's when we say something nice to someone about them and it can truly make someone's day.
It can improve or change how their day feels.
Knowing how to give a compliment isn't just about good manners or being polite.
It's also about building relationships and sharing positive energy.
Let's learn how to do it effectively and politely.
As always, we are going to learn some key focus vocabulary for today's episode.
So I want you, as usual, to listen out for these words in the episode and try some active listening.
Before that, I want to remind you that if you would like to support this show, you can check out the Patreon link in the description below.
I post bonus episodes of the podcast there every week and you can also ask me any question you want and participate in discussion.
This week's episode it should already be up today is about expressing complicated emotions in English.
So, like this topic, I like to do more advanced topics on Patreon.
And in that episode, I'm gonna teach you how to express simple emotions in a more complicated way.
I had a similar episode about emotions on the main podcast, but with this episode I want to take it deeper, to a more advanced level.
So if you'd like to support, you can check out that link in the description below and you can check out my new book as well.
And if that's not for you or you can't support at the moment, don't worry.
The best thing that you can do for me is follow or subscribe to this podcast and rate us five stars.
It's completely free.
Okay, let's get into our key focus vocabulary for today's episode.
So, here are five useful words that you will hear during this episode.
The first is praise, praise.
Or my pronunciation is a little bit more like praise, praise, because I'm from the north of the UK.
But praise, praise.
This is the act of expressing approval or admiration.
So it is when you think, wow, that's amazing.
Great job.
That's fantastic.
You're saying that something is great.
You're giving a positive expression of your approval that you agree or think it's good.
And a compliment is a form of praise, right?
Our second word today is genuine.
Genuine.
And this is an adjective which is truly what something is said to be.
Sincere is another word for this.
So a good compliment should always be genuine.
In its simple form, it means true.
It's something that you actually believe.
So if I say to you, I think that you look amazing today.
I actually believe it.
It is a genuine compliment.
Our third word is specific.
Specific.
And this means clearly defined or identified.
It's better to give a specific compliment rather than a general one.
Fourth word, acknowledge.
Acknowledge.
And this is to accept or admit the existence of the truth of something.
So when someone gives you a compliment, you should acknowledge it.
You should say great thank you, i appreciate it.
So you're recognizing something.
To acknowledge something is to recognize it, to accept it right.
And finally this is a great word subtle.
Subtle and that's an adjective, so it means um, delicate or precise, something that is delicate or precise, so it's it's difficult to analyze or describe.
It's subtle, it's quite difficult to describe or see.
It's not obvious, it's not super clear.
Okay, a subtle compliment can be very powerful.
Don't worry if some of these words are still not clear.
They are very difficult words today.
So very difficult.
But these should be the most difficult words that you will hear in this episode.
But you will hear them in context and get more practice with understanding them.
So don't stress if they are quite hard today.
We are going to push ourselves and do some extra hard work in today's episode.
So I hope you are ready.
So first off, why bother giving compliments?
Well, compliments are a small act that have a big impact, so a very big impact or effect on someone.
When you give someone sincere praise, so whenever you say something genuine, something that you really believe, that is positive about someone else, it makes them feel valued.
Feel valued and seen and it can brighten their mood.
It can boost their confidence and strengthen your relationship with them.
Think about how you feel when someone says something nice about you.
You probably feel great.
And for some of us, we don't receive compliments very often.
And we can actually remember most of the times in the last, let's say, six months when you have been complimented.
It can really impact your day, your week, and even perhaps your own view of yourself.
So we have that power to be able to express positive things about other people and help improve their mood and their day too.
That's one way to think about it.
And a good compliment is always genuine.
It's always something that you actually believe, and people can usually tell if a compliment isn't genuine, if it isn't sincere, and then it won't have the same positive effect.
So the first rule of complimenting, even in english, is only compliment something that you truly admire or appreciate.
Something that you really actually do believe or think is great or good.
It doesn't have to be a big thing.
Sometimes the most impactful compliments are small and subtle, showing that you have noticed something very specific.
So you've noticed something that not everyone notices, and those can have a big impact on how someone feels.
For example, let's say you notice or you see a nice ring that your friend had recently bought.
This is quite subtle.
It's not clear or super obvious or visible, but you noticed it and you think it is great.
So you say that looks, that ring looks lovely to them, it's a big thing because they just purchased it, they just looked for it and they feel good to hear that someone else likes it, and that can have a big impact.
Another example instead of just thinking or saying to someone you look great.
You could say, you know, I love your hairstyle or the outfit you're wearing is fantastic.
These are more specific and it's creating more of a connection between people.
So you can compliment many different things in English.
The key is to be specific, like I said, so to really target and choose what you're complimenting.
At the start of the episode, I said, you look amazing or you look good, something like that.
That is not a great compliment.
It's very general and it's not specific.
It doesn't show that i have been thinking about um what i like or what i am impressed by, it's just very general.
But here are some common examples um for areas that you can complement, and you can do it, of course, in english.
So i'll give you some example phrases.
The first, like I mentioned, is appearance.
Appearance.
So how someone looks, right?
So what they're wearing.
Maybe they might have lost weight.
They might look amazing going to the gym, working out.
You can complement all of those things.
But be polite and respectful.
Focus on choices.
In the UK, complimenting based on choices is very important rather than natural features.
So things that someone can choose.
For example, I love your shirt, your shoes or your bag.
So just that phrase, I love your, and then the item that they're wearing or that they have.
This is a great way to compliment someone's outfit, or your new haircut looks fantastic, for example.
And then simply, if you do want something general, you can say you look great today.
Another area that you can compliment in English quite easily is skills or abilities.
So for example, you are a really talented English speaker.
So that's much better than saying your English is good.
So you're complementing their skill with English, right?
So their ability to speak English, it's great.
They're talented.
You could say that was a great presentation.
I really especially liked your part about...
So you're specifically talking about the points that you like.
So in English it is important you can give that general compliment, but it helps to then specify what you like, what you specifically like about what you've complimented.
Okay, you could also say with skills and ability here's a great phrase you're so good at, and then the activity right.
So you're so good at cooking, you're so good at playing the guitar, you're so good at sports.
Very simple phrase but very effective.
If someone has put a lot of effort into something or hard work, I'm going to give you one phrase for that which I really like and I think it's a very effective phrase, and that is I appreciate.
So I appreciate, and then you can say what they've done.
So I appreciate how you worked so hard. or I appreciate how much you helped me.
So you're looking for that I appreciate how and then saying what they've done.
It's a great phrase and it really shows that you recognize what someone has done, that you appreciate them.
So I appreciate how much you guys support this podcast.
I appreciate how often you guys listen to this podcast.
So just an example of how we can say that.
And finally, you can, of course compliment, and this is probably one of the most important is personality or character.
So you're talking about different personality traits.
For example, you are always so kind and helpful.
That's a great compliment.
Or you can say, I admire you for, and then something.
So you're saying, I really admire you.
I really like this about you.
That's a great, great compliment.
So being specific with all of these examples that I've given in this section makes your compliment more meaningful and genuine, and expresses it well in English.
For instance, instead of saying you know that nice work or something like we mentioned earlier, giving those more specific answers shows that you truly like, really paid attention.
You're not just saying it.
Okay, so we are going to my favorite part of the show and that is our listener spotlight.
So every week i ask you a question, so a question that i want you to answer and write a comment to, and i select and read out a few of those um each week.
So last week and i'm just opening up these replies here last week i asked what is your favorite food and why.
Or not last week, on Monday, actually, I asked you guys, what is your favorite food and why?
And I have got a few answers.
So I'm going to see, let me see here.
Okay, great.
So the first reply I had was from Marina and she said, good day.
My favorite food is eggs. prepared in a variety of ways.
I enjoy eating them for breakfast every day.
Fried, boiled, scrambled, and more.
I believe eggs are a universal ingredient, perfect for cooking a wide range of dishes.
I thought that was an excellent answer.
So eggs to me as well are such a, and this is a great word, versatile food.
It means you can do so many different things with them.
You can have, like Marina said, boiled, fried, poached.
There are so many ways to cook and use eggs.
So I thought that was a fantastic answer.
Okay, I had another answer.
I hope I say the name correctly.
It's Iona from Ukraine.
And she said my favorite food right now is pizza, especially with pineapple and cheese, because sometimes it eases the way for eating from all day and to feed a group of friends when you don't have time to bother with food.
And also sometimes when we cook at home.
We can put any ingredient on the dough and make the most delicious pizza.
Great answer.
That's an excellently, very well written answer as well with so much detail.
So well done.
I agree.
I replied to this answer as well.
I think that pizza is an amazing food.
I love it.
I can eat pizza all the time.
And I like all different types of pizzas too.
The only thing I can't agree with is I don't like pineapple on pizza.
It's not for me.
It's not my favorite type of food.
But, to be honest, if I was thinking about how I answer this question and I think about a food that I can eat, you know, all the time, every year, every month, and I never get sick of it it probably is pizza.
I love pizza too.
So I agree with you with that answer.
Excellent.
So my next question that I want you to answer in the comments below.
You can write to me, you can email to me if you click through on the link.
Find a way to give me the answers if you're not on Spotify or YouTube or something like that.
And this question is, what is your favorite movie?
So film or movie and why.
So I want to know what your favorite movie is and why.
And if you can't think of one, if you don't know, I want you to think of one, pick one.
It doesn't have to be a very clear movie that you're certain is the best one or your favorite.
Just pick one of the movies that you like and why if you can't pick a favorite.
Okay, so answer in the comments or write to me, and I will select a couple of your answers and read them out in the next episode of the podcast.
I love this segment, so keep writing.
It's great to practice your English and get involved.
Okay, back to the episode.
And we are now looking at responding to a compliment.
So it's just as important as giving a compliment and that is how to receive one, how to take one.
Sometimes people feel shy or they try to deny the compliment.
So to not agree with it.
It's very common in the UK.
People will say, oh no.
If I said to you, for example, I love your new t-shirt, you know, quite often in the UK someone will say oh, you love that.
It's, oh, it's really cheap.
It's, it's nothing.
It's nothing.
They won't accept the compliment.
They try to pass it off and make it seem less than it is.
But the best thing to do is not that.
It is to simply acknowledge it politely, to accept, acknowledge the compliment.
And when you acknowledge a compliment, it shows appreciation and makes the other person feel good for having given it as well.
So it's better for everyone.
So here are some simple ways to acknowledge a compliment, and i know that these are going to be great for you guys, because you're all improving your english.
So i am sure some people will tell you at times your english is great, or your english is improving.
Your english is wonderful.
And i will tell you it too your english is wonderful, you are improving.
And here are some answers that you can give to those compliments.
The first is thank you.
Very simple, right?
So it's always a safe and polite answer.
I'm giving that to you as number one, just in case you panic and forget how to say any of these phrases.
So what you could say, it's a bit more advanced.
You can say, thank you.
That's kind of you to say.
So that's kind of you to say.
You can also say, I appreciate that.
You can say, thank you.
I appreciate that you can say i'm like thank you, i'm glad that you think so.
So even if you don't agree, you can acknowledge what they said.
You can accept it and say you know, i'm glad that you think that way.
Or if someone's complimenting um something that you've done like hard work, you can say thank you, i worked hard on it.
So avoid saying things like no, it's not good, or making an excuse.
Just accept the praise graciously.
Your simple, even thank you is enough to acknowledge their kind words and it makes it a much more positive experience for both of you.
So today we have learned about the simple yet powerful act of giving a compliment.
Remember to make your compliments genuine and specific.
Use phrases like I love your or you did a great job on.
And when you receive praise, always acknowledge it with a polite thank you or just simply accepting what that person has said.
It's a really small communication skill that can have a very big impact on your daily interactions and relationships.
Try to compliment people more.
Honestly, it feels good and if it's genuine, if it's something that you actually believe, instead of keeping it in your head, you should say it.
And you'll feel happier.
They will feel happier.
And overall, it's great for everyone.
So thank you very much for joining me on the Easy English podcast today.
I really appreciate your support.
I honestly do.
I genuinely do.
And I thank each and every one of you, all my Patreons, for supporting monthly as well, with getting the bonus content, but also supporting me.
I appreciate it so much.
And each and every one of you who's followed, subscribed and listened to this show.
I couldn't do it without you.
So I want to thank each and every one of you personally from my heart.
And I will see you in the next episode of the podcast.
Goodbye.
