This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 1380.
Grammar part six, a few tips to add a little polish to your job interviews in English.
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast downloaded more than 150 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, Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz, and Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, USA.
You only have one chance to make a good impression in a job interview, so make it count.
Today we teach you how to use few and little to add polish and impress the interviewer in English.
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Hey, Lindsay.
How are you?
Hey, Aubrey.
I'm doing well.
How are you doing?
What's up?
I'm excellent.
It's actually getting really hot here.
It was 95 yesterday.
I live in Arizona and it gets hot in April.
So we're already swimming.
Wait, did you say it was 95?
95.
Yes.
We usually have our first 100-degree day in April, unfortunately.
Oh, my gosh.
So what is the hottest day that you've seen in Arizona?
I mean, mid-August, July, what are we talking about?
Like 118.
118?
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
It gets to where it's too hot to be in the pool.
Most everybody has a swimming pool here, or we use the public pools a lot, because in the summer that's all you can do.
It's too hot to do anything but swim.
Oh, my gosh.
But when it gets to 118, it's too hot to even swim.
You just don't go outside.
Wow.
That's crazy.
Okay.
That's totally different from here.
Right now, we're like in the 50s, the 60s here in Colorado.
Pretty typical April weather here.
It's kind of crazy because you're not that far.
I could drive there in a day.
So it's kind of crazy that it's that much colder.
It's really weird.
So anyways, what are we getting into today?
Well, I'm back for another grammar episode for our Grammar Shouldn't Make You Tense series.
Part six today.
And I'm excited about this one.
We are going to talk about using few and little and how you can use them to sound much more polished in job interviews and business emails.
This is a good one.
Yeah, because both of those situations business emails and job interviews you only have one shot, right.
If it's just writing a business email, they're just going to read your email.
They may not see your face.
You can't build a rapport with your tone of voice.
You have nothing but your words.
So it's so important, guys.
Yeah, I'm really curious, Lindsay.
What are a few things that you look for when expanding the All Ears English team?
Yeah, good question.
So a few of the things that I look for is definitely an optimistic attitude and energy.
But for me, one of the most important things is drive, meaning good old-fashioned hard work.
Because it's hard work, what we do, podcasting, it requires considerable dedication and consistency.
So those are kind of the three things that I look for, or three other things.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That makes sense for sure.
I am kind of curious because it wasn't that long ago.
It was like six or eight months ago that I interviewed.
And I'm curious if there is something in particular that stood out in my interview.
There was because you took that extra step.
And it's kind of a cliche, right, to say take the extra step.
But it's so true.
It's so effective because we interviewed a lot of people.
A lot of people were interested in working with us.
But what you did Aubrey, is that you sent us a list of ideas of episode topics after we interviewed you.
And no one else had really done that.
And it was very exhaustive.
It was a very long list.
And we thought, okay, she has the right stuff to join our team.
Yeah.
I love that.
It's funny because I was talking to Jessica during the interview and she asked if I had any ideas and I didn't at the time.
I hadn't really thought about that.
But after the interview, I thought I could come up with some ideas and it was a really long list.
Yeah.
I love that.
I mean, that just shows that you wanted to work with us.
You had the ability to dig in and really think creatively.
And so that can go such a long way.
It's true.
Yeah.
Nice.
I'm loving these grammar episodes.
It's really fun to get to you know, dive deeper into grammar and why it's important and how we can use it.
There's so much out there with grammar really the most vital so you know how to spend your time right, exactly.
So, guys going over and check out aubrey and jessica on the ielts energy podcast.
They're over there three days a week podcasting teaching you about ielts and what you need to increase that score So important.
But yeah, I think in general, it all airs English.
Our philosophy is let's not dig into all the nitty gritty details and waste our energy.
Let's find out what's the most important thing we can do and bring that, use that to connect.
That's what this is all about.
Yeah.
Right.
Exactly.
Our last episode, 1376.
We were talking to you guys about infinitives and gerunds.
And if you missed that one, go check it out, because those are some of the most glaring errors that language speakers can learn can make.
And we don't want you guys making those errors.
We want you to be able to communicate and show your fluency, show the hard work you're putting in.
And so yeah, this is another one of those today.
All right.
So let's dig into it then.
Let's talk a little bit.
What are we talking about today?
A little bit more.
Are we talking about like a few, a little?
What's it about?
Yeah, this is a tricky thing.
So when I asked you that question, what are a few things that you look for when expanding the team?
Why wouldn't I say, what are a little things you look for?
Because the meaning of few and little, right, are similar.
Few, little.
You're right.
They are similar.
Similar, but different.
So I think it comes down to the whole count, non-count scenario.
Right, Aubrey?
Exactly, right?
A few, you're talking about something you can count.
You were looking for a few qualities.
You could count those on your fingers.
Whereas little is... is something you cannot count.
I could have said, what's a little bit interesting in a future employee, right?
Because that's something that's not countable.
But this is the trick is to know which to use and when.
Because not only do you have a little and a few, but we also have them without the article.
Few and little.
And when used correctly, they sound so impressive.
And they add a lot of polish to your speech.
But when used incorrectly, you can actually say the total opposite of what you really meant, right?
Yeah.
And I know this can get tricky for some of our listeners.
You know, in certain Asian languages and Japanese, I don't believe there are counters or articles, that kind of thing.
And I don't know about, what about French?
I can't, yeah, I guess there are, right?
There are articles in French.
We do have articles and you have non-count nouns, but it is very different from language to language.
So you can always translate directly.
Yeah.
So be careful that you're not making that mistake, guys.
First of all, don't be translating directly.
I know I made that mistake when I tried to learn Japanese and that just doesn't work.
Exactly.
So yeah, this, as far as like breaking down, when do you use which one?
We use a few when talking about things we can count and like a few projects and then a little for things you can't count.
Like a little effort.
And then with no article, few and little.
Okay.
It means less than expected.
And again, little, something you can't count.
I have little experience would mean that you don't have much experience.
I have little experience, but I'm a hard worker.
And then few, again, for something you can count, right?
I have few job opportunities at the moment.
Okay, so really important not to make a mistake here.
And we're going to show you guys in a little bit how it can sound really weird if you do use the wrong one.
Exactly, right.
And this will come up in regular conversation as well.
It is so useful in job interviews and business emails.
But it's going to come up in your day-to-day conversations as well.
Now that we, I think, are pointing it out, you'll start hearing it more and more.
Natives use these all the time.
For sure.
Okay, what else?
Let's dive in.
Yeah, let's talk about the first one.
So a few, you're talking about like three to five things.
Because for two, we would say a couple.
And for more than five, we'd say several things.
Several, many.
Yeah, exactly.
Okay.
So a couple.
Yes.
A few.
And they're used for count nouns.
A few years.
A few options.
What is a sentence you would potentially use in a job interview?
Saying a few.
Yeah.
Okay, so you could say, I have a few skills that are particularly suited to this position.
And this one's interesting because contrast that if you accidentally say few skills without that article.
If you say I have few skills that are particularly suited to this position, how does the meaning change?
Well, you're basically saying the interview's over that you should leave.
You're saying, why am I even here?
Because you're saying you have no skills.
Exactly.
Saying I have less than you expect.
Yeah.
So guys, don't make that.
But this is a good example of how, if we make this mistake, it could be really detrimental, because you'll confuse the interviewer first of all.
Right.
And you just don't want to make these mistakes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So the second one, a little, we use for non-count nouns.
It means a small amount or a bit, not a lot.
A little experience, a little energy.
What would be a good sentence for an interview using a little?
Yeah.
Yeah, so though my resume is a little sparse, I assure you that I'm qualified for this role.
So I like that bonus word today.
Aubrey, what does that mean, sparse?
Yeah, sparse.
Sparse means a little light, a little, there's not a lot there.
There's maybe not a lot of education or not a lot of experience on your resume.
You'd say it's a little bit sparse. sparse.
That is a great word to use.
That's a good one.
Kind of the opposite of dense, right?
Or robust, something like that.
Yeah, exactly.
Those are also both really good words.
Really good words.
We love the words today.
These are great vocabulary words for a job interview.
Yep.
All right.
So what would be number three?
Today Aubrey is on the show for the Grammar Series, but you can catch her more regularly over on IELTS Energy Podcast from All Ears English.
Aubrey and Jessica give you expert examiner tips to score a seven or higher on IELTS.
Go and search and subscribe to the IELTS Energy Podcast.
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Yeah, the third one, few without the article.
The meaning here changes a lot.
We use it for countable nouns.
Few jobs, few opportunities means not very many.
It means less than you would expect.
Yep.
And this is what we were talking about earlier, right?
How we can make this mistake and it would sound very weird.
Exactly, right?
So you might say, as there are few available positions in my field, I am particularly motivated to learn about the job being offered.
Sounds very professional.
Yes, right?
These are great sentences to use in a job interview, to just sound a little more polished, a little more impressive with your language.
Definitely.
And number four would be little, just little by itself, right?
Exactly.
Yeah, we use this for uncountable nouns.
Little experience, little drive, like you were talking about.
Oh, drive.
But if you found someone who has little drive, this would not be a great thing in an employee.
Yeah, that's so funny that that word came up.
I didn't even see that later in the lesson today.
But drive is a great word, guys.
Again, it means it kind of means a hardworking person, but it means someone who has a desire to do something, create something.
So drive is energy.
Drive is hard work.
Really good one to use.
Yes.
You would never in an interview want to say, I have a little drive.
Unless you didn't want to get hired.
Exactly.
You're not going to get hired for that job.
But you could say, you know, due to my youthful appearance you may assume I have little experience, but I have actually worked several years as an engineer.
So again, you may assume I have little experience.
So guys, you're going to want to have the transcripts from today's episode.
Make sure you've got them.
You subscribe allersenglishcom, slash subscribe, or you can always get them in the iOS app as a premium user.
But I think this is a good one.
Aubrey, where our listeners are going to want to be able to see the words written on the transcripts here.
Yes, definitely.
Yeah, because you'd have to write down every word to get the notes here.
So yeah, that's a good idea for sure.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So do we have a role play here?
Yeah, let's do a role play.
I was thinking I could give you a job interview.
We'll turn the tables a little bit.
That sounds good to me.
Let's do it.
All right.
Why are you interested in this position?
I have a few reasons.
First, I'd like to gain a little experience.
Second, your company is one of the very few that are making interesting strides in this industry.
Third, I'd like to push myself to grow and there's little to gain by staying at my current job.
Got a lot of them in there.
Wow.
Right?
Packed in everyone that we're teaching you today.
So it's true.
You really want the transcripts just to get the sentences from this role play.
Yeah, for sure.
According to your resume, you recently finished your degree and have not yet worked in this field.
It is true that I have little job experience and I've had few opportunities to work in this field.
However, I have a few skills that set me apart.
What can you offer that other applicants cannot?
Well, I have several ideas that can streamline your processes and I'd love to share them.
Nice.
Very nice.
Yeah, that's good.
When you say I have ideas in an interview, it's a good thing.
It's a good thing.
Yeah.
Should we go back here Aubrey, a little bit, just to highlight the ones we use for our listeners.
Real quick.
Definitely.
So Lindsay's first answer, I think she used all four.
Let's break them down.
You said, I have a few reasons.
Mm-hmm.
And then I said, yeah, go ahead.
Sorry.
And then I'd like to gain a little experience, right?
So then you have the one, the count with a few reasons and the non-count experience.
You can't count.
So here you would use a little.
Exactly.
And then what do we have next?
There is little to gain by staying at my current job, right?
So we're not going to say a little here, guys.
There is little to gain, not very much.
Exactly.
And we also had in there.
Your company is one of very few that are making interesting strides in this industry.
This is where you can use it without hesitation. the article.
You're complimenting their company here.
You're saying it's one of few that are doing great things.
Definitely.
It makes it clear how important and how common, you know, these words are few and little and couple.
Very common.
Yeah.
Right.
That you could use all four in one statement.
Yeah.
Amazing.
Amazing.
And what else?
What else do we say here?
I said it is true that I have little job experience, meaning not very much.
Right.
Mm hmm.
But I and I have had few opportunities to work in this field, meaning not very many.
And then I said, however, I have a few skills that set me apart.
So that's different, guys.
That's countable.
Right.
In that case.
Exactly.
And you're wanting to emphasize that it's not less than you would expect.
It's more.
Right.
I have a few skills.
Yes.
And that's where it would be a mistake to say I have few skills, because that would mean not very many and less than you expect.
Yeah, I love that.
And I think it's a good idea, also kind of a cliffhanger, to make your interviewee want to, or your interviewer ask more questions.
So you kind of set that curiosity in their mind.
I have a few ideas.
I have a few skills.
Instead of saying them right out right out front, you wait for them to ask.
I know it creates a sense of intrigue, I think.
Yeah, definitely.
And it's very polished, right?
It's a very polished way of speaking.
Instead of just listing them off, to say a high level sentence like this and create a conversation.
Yeah, I love it.
I love it.
And then the last one I said is I have several ideas that can streamline your processes.
I love that.
So good.
This reminds me a lot of business English skills, Aubrey.
Oh, definitely, right?
This business course that we're creating is going to be so useful for anyone who's working and wanting to Add that polish to their emails the way they speak.
And yeah, it's going to be great.
I'm excited for it.
Me too.
I cannot wait because our listeners have been asking for a business course for years, like a comprehensive business course that they can rely on to help them move up in their career.
So guys, it's coming.
It's coming.
We are working on it.
What's the takeaway for today, Aubrey?
You guys definitely want to use few and little, a few and a little, all four of these.
If you use them correctly, they add polish and a high-level professional tone to job interviews, business emails and your regular conversation.
It shows a prospective employer that you have mastery of the English language.
Yeah, I love it.
So guys, go back at the transcripts, make sure you practice this and try to learn this, because this is so important.
Again, you don't get another chance when it comes to business English, right?
So you get one shot, right?
You either succeed or you don't.
So that's important.
And where should our listeners go to find you, Aubrey? on another podcast.
Come check us out, Jessica and I, on the IELTS Energy Podcast.
And we have lots of different voices.
You're there a lot, Lindsay, Michelle, and our students come.
I love doing student interviews where they can tell us why they joined Three Keys IELTS and how it helped them to get the score they needed to get past IELTS and move on with their dreams.
That's my favorite.
Favorite thing about this job.
Yeah, we love that idea.
We want to help you guys unlock your dreams.
Such a good idea, right?
Love it.
Love it.
So good.
Okay, Aubrey, thanks for coming over here.
We'll see you back on the next grammar episode in this series.
See you soon.
Thanks.
See you next time.
All right.
Take care.
Bye.
Thanks for listening to all ears English.
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