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[10 Advanced Ways to Express 'Hurry Up' in English]-[Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 551]

Speak Better English with Harry · B1 · 2025-09-03

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📋 Summary

Enhancing Your Conversational English: 10 Alternatives for 'Hurry Up'

In this episode of Advanced English Lessons, Harry provides a comprehensive guide on how to express urgency in natural, conversational English. Moving beyond the basic phrase "hurry up," these expressions help learners convey speed, authority, or frustration in various social and professional contexts.

Essential Expressions for Urgency

  1. "Come on": This is the most common way to encourage speed. Harry emphasizes that its effectiveness relies heavily on intonation. When used repeatedly (e.g., "Come on, come on, let's go!"), it signals to others—such as children preparing for school—that you are in a rush and anxious about potential delays like heavy traffic.

  2. "Get a move on": Often used when someone is being unproductive or slow. It serves as a firm nudge to "stop sitting around" and start taking action, whether it’s for sports practice or music lessons.

  3. "Chop, chop": Described as a very informal, authoritative command. Harry compares it to a chef cutting vegetables rapidly; it is often accompanied by clapping hands to signal that it is time to transition quickly from one activity to another, such as moving from a classroom to a gym.

  4. "There's no time to lose": An older, idiomatic expression used to emphasize that "time is of the essence." This is particularly useful when facing strict deadlines, such as airport check-in procedures where one must navigate security and customs.

  5. "Get/Put your skates on": Drawing a metaphor from the speed of skating, this phrase is a direct command to increase one's pace. Harry notes that a similar, slightly more aggressive alternative is "on your bike," which also means to leave or get moving quickly.

  6. "What are you waiting for?": This can be used as a literal question or an exasperated statement. It serves to highlight someone’s inaction, essentially asking, "Why aren't you moving?" when everyone else is already prepared to go.

  7. "There's no time to wait": Used to dismiss requests for more time. It is effective when external factors—like "bad weather" or "traffic"—make it impossible to "sit around waiting."

  8. "Snap to it" and "Jump to it": These are high-energy commands. "Snap to it" implies the quickness of "snapping your fingers," while "jump to it" suggests physically getting out of a chair or bed. Both are commonly used by bosses, teachers, or coaches to initiate a transition into a more active state.

  9. "Get cracking": This expression is unique because it signals the commencement of a task. When a group has finished discussing a plan, the leader might say, "Let's get cracking," meaning it is time to stop talking and start working immediately.

Practical Application

Harry encourages learners to integrate these phrases into their daily lives—whether dealing with family members, colleagues, or partners. By practicing the specific intonation and context for each expression, students can move away from repetitive language and sound more like native speakers. As always, consistency in practice and applying these terms to real-world scenarios is the key to mastering advanced conversational skills.

🎯Key Sentences

1
We're here to help.
2
Just get in touch
3
We're in a rush.
4
Get a move on.
5
Time is of the essence.
Expand All

📝Key Phrases

1
get a move on
2
chop, chop
3
there's no time to lose
4
time is of the essence
5
get your skates on
Expand All

📖 Transcript

Hi there, this is Harry.
Welcome back to Advanced English Lessons with Harry, where I try to help you to get a better understanding of the English language, to help you with your conversational skills, your business English skills, interview skills, whatever your goals are.
We're here to help.
And for those of you and your friends or family who want one-to-one lessons well, you know what to do.
Just get in touch www.englishlessonviaskype.com and you can apply for a free trial lesson.
And we'd be very happy to hear from you and very happy to help you.

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