This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 2346.
This is tricky English grammar, though.
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that's allersenglish .com slash b -u -n -d -l -e hey lindsey how are you excellent aubrey uh what's what's going on with you what's new oh not too much it's a beautiful day here i do have a question we'll see if you can come up with something on the flight and prepare you for this question yeah yeah yeah
yeah yeah Yeah. What's the last book you read?
Oh, wow. So I just read a book.
I just finished a book called Finding Alaska.
And I loved it. It was hard to find the time to read, though, to be honest.
Oh, that's me. I wish I had time to read more.
I need to schedule it, because yeah, it's me.
Yeah, it's hard. It's hard.
I think if you create a block of time in the day somehow and dedicate it to reading, it helps.
Yes, that would definitely help, right?
Well, you did something really interesting with your answer there that i want to point out we are talking about today you said it was hard to find time to read though and this is we got a great question about this i've gotten questions from students about this before too like how do i know when can i
put though at the end i've also seen in the beginning those kind of complicated english we're going to dive into this today yeah i'm excited to get into a little higher level grammar here and really because this is one of the elements that would bring us to that b2 level c1 level to really make it work
make it smooth have it make sense and convey our tone our feelings what's under the message right absolutely right yeah so let's share the question here this was on youtube from edwin um would you like to read the question for us lindsay yes here we go another amazing conversation i guess he's referring
to a previous episode right yes uh great thank you edwin uh i was wondering if you could teach about the word though at the end of some sentences.
For example, the movie was good.
It was a bit too long though.
And Aubrey, there's nothing more natural than a phrase like this, right?
Absolutely. We do this all the time.
I just planned this episode a couple of days ago, but since then, it always kind of highlights for me.
I start noticing and I've heard people do this several times since then.
It's so common. 100%.
So I'm excited that we're focusing on this real english today but guys hit the follow button if you love if you love others english and you believe in our our method our value which is connection human connection is what matters and that's what we're after right here on the show so we bring every teaching
point on the podcast back to how you can use it to connect not always to be correct we're going to show you how to be correct of course but we believe connection matters more right aubrey yes exactly and we're going to show three ways that we use though today.
And the third one, especially we really are using to build relationships and connect.
So be sure to stay to the end.
So you don't miss that one.
We want to share. Um, when I was looking through questions that have been sent to us, there was another one that was pretty similar, but it's more about though versus but as a follow up.
So be sure to hit follow guys so that you don't miss that sort of part two to this bit of a mini series we've got going on here.
I love that. Yeah. Um, where do we start today, Aubrey?
Okay. So as an FYI, though can go at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence.
So it is either being used as a conjunction to join two clauses.
And when it's a conjunction, it means despite the fact that or even though.
So let's give an example sentence of it being used as a conjunction, Lindsay.
Okay, so here we go.
So though we called in our order.
It wasn't ready when we arrived.
Exactly. Right. So it's at the beginning of a dependent clause.
Though we called in our order, it wasn't ready when we arrived.
And this is a conjunction to join two ideas.
But it can also be used as an adverb.
Yeah. Go ahead. Just one question about that.
We could also say although, right?
Although we called in our order.
Is that correct? Although or even though.
Or despite the fact that, right, we do have lots of options in English.
So if you have said though a few times, you could use one of these other options.
They all mean the same.
All right, good. So let's transition into the adverb use.
Aubrey, what does it look like?
Yeah. So it can also be used as an adverb.
And when we use it as adverb, it means despite this.
Very similar, just a different function in the sentence.
So for example, he felt guilty about lying to his mom, though he wasn't about to fess up.
Yeah. He wasn't about to fess up.
He may have felt guilty, but he wasn't going to say anything about it yeah it means but right he felt guilty but he wasn't going to tell her the truth yeah exactly you could also say but here so we're going to talk about three different ways we use though in english some of these example sentences it's
being used as a conjunction sometimes as an adverb and we're also going to show how we use it at the end so let's start the first use is adding contrasting information yes so use to add the information that contrasts with what we've already said right exactly so something has already been stated and then
we use though to contrast it in some way okay so how does that look like how does that look aubrey when it's at the beginning of a sentence yeah so at the beginning you might say though i know i shouldn't eat ice cream every day i just can't resist it so we're contrasting what we know we should do with what we
actually do and then we can also have the option of putting it in the middle so here's how it looks when we put it in the middle of the sentence.
They went to the same university, though they never met there.
Interesting. Yes, right?
And then at the end, you might say, I like shopping.
Not when it's crowded, though.
And then what's interesting is to see that all of these sentences could be reworded to put the though at the end or the beginning.
It's all just about how you're constructing the sentence.
So you have lots of options.
And when you throw it at the end here, I think it's the most native and natural.
We do this all the time.
It's a little more informal when we speak this way.
And I think you do need to pay attention to intonation here too.
Our listeners really want to make sure because when we say it at the end, it feels like the intonation is different, right?
Not when it's crowded though.
Do you think so? Yeah, we're emphasizing though a little more.
So all of these sentences, we could adjust.
I could say, they went to the same university.
They never met there though.
And you are hitting though a little stronger to sort of emphasize the contrast.
Right. Exactly. Exactly.
Okay. So what's number two, Aubrey, that we need to know?
Two is like you mentioned, you're replacing but or however.
In this case, it's used as a subordinating conjunction.
So this indicates that something you have said is less true than usual.
So it's a similar, but it's a slightly different meaning.
You're not just contrasting information.
You're sort of saying whatever I'm saying is out of the usual is out is not normal okay so for example when we put it at the beginning we could say though i don't usually buy popcorn at the movies i'm getting some today yes yes or in the middle i don't usually drink soda though i drank a lot today nice or at the end
i usually never skip class i didn't go today though yes yeah and for all of these i think this is what's especially interesting every time you see though it could be tacked on at the end like our listener mention, right?
You could say, I don't usually drink soda.
I drank a lot today though.
And it's really, they're very interchangeable.
It's the same meaning.
I would say it's the slightest bit more maybe informal, sort of casual conversational.
I mean, at the end, when it's at the end?
Yes. When it's at the end.
Yeah. I agree with that.
It feels, yeah, it feels more down to earth maybe, but small difference, very small difference, maybe more, yeah, more spoken, spoken English.
you might just be tacking it on at the end because you're sort of thinking as you speak and you're realizing you need that though.
If I say I don't usually drink soda and then I realize I need to admit I drink a lot today though.
So then I might be adding it because I'm sort of not realizing the function here until the end.
A hundred percent. I think that is what's happening actually.
A lot. Yeah. You're thinking out loud and you're adding words as you're thinking how the sentence is sounding, right?
How do we get to the end?
I never skipped class but I didn't go today.
I need to add though.
I didn't go today though.
Right. Right. All right.
The third one is to show appreciation.
Tell us about this one.
Yeah. We add though to thanks.
It means the same as like, thank you anyway, or thanks regardless.
And you are using it to indicate appreciation for an offer or a gesture that you cannot accept for some reason, or it's not needed.
Yes. I don't need a ride.
Thanks though. Yeah.
So you've been offered a ride and maybe you are going to walk home or you're going to take a lift or someone's coming to get you.
Exactly. And so you could just say no, thank you.
But that actually could come off as a little bit unappreciative or like, this is a great way to show that you appreciate the offer.
And we'll just be like, oh, no, thanks though.
Yeah. And actually that gives me an idea.
We could do another episode, Aubrey, on how to decline an offer for something.
We say lots of interesting things we say things like i'm good thanks right things like that that are kind of slangy so for another day for another yeah that's definitely a good follow -up because there are so many ways where we're trying to let someone know we appreciate the offer without we don't want
to just say thank you or it does sound a little ungrateful it's interesting 100 all right anything else we need here before we take a quick break yeah i just had that one one more example to say if someone's offered you maybe a ride you can say no i'm okay thanks though that'd be another one to bring up
on that whole episode of Ways to Say That.
Yeah. I think when someone does make an offer, the more words you can give, the better because that kind of softens the blow, right?
It was a little sharp.
Yeah. Yeah. Okay, Aubrey, we're back for a role play.
Let's see how all this comes together in a conversation.
Here we're meeting for lunch.
Yeah. You want to start us?
Yes. I thought I had been to every Thai place in town.
I haven't been here though.
It's my favorite. Thai is often too spicy for me, though this curry is just right.
Do you need a ride home after?
I know your car was in the shop.
No, I got it back today.
Thanks, though. Nice.
Very typical conversation, right?
Yeah, absolutely. And we used all three.
And they do have such different functions.
So this first one you said, I thought I had been to every Thai place in town.
I haven't been here though.
And the intonation is very different.
We're rising on. Haven't been here though.
haven't been down alone though that's that first meaning of just to really contrast what's usual with what's happening today yeah you're also showing a sense of optimism in your voice you're interested you're excited to be somewhere new there's a lot in there in that information I think yeah let's see
and then you said it's my favorite Thai is often too spicy for me though this curry is just right and there is also a change in intonation there too yeah that's true right?
You have to listen to kind of how our voices rise and fall.
And this is that second use where we're saying what normally happens.
Normally Thai is too spicy for me.
And then we say, though this curry is just right.
Love it. And then we finished up with a kind of not accepting an invitation.
What was it, Aubrey?
Yeah. So you had offered me a ride home thinking my car was in the shop.
I said, oh no, I got it back today.
Thanks though. And this is really, it's just a great, very native natural way to show appreciation for the offer.
Yeah. Where should we leave our listeners?
First of all, reminder to hit the follow button.
Don't forget, don't finish the episode without doing that, guys.
And then what do we want to say about contrasting as far as connecting?
Yeah, it is a great way to connect to contrast something because whenever something is out of the ordinary, it can create an interesting conversation.
You want to highlight it, right?
We have all of us kind of go through the humdrum of the day when there is a contrast oh something's happening that's very different from the day to day this is a great way to connect to point it out that's actually a really good point i love that point aubrey nuance the interesting things in life are usually
nuanced someone that never skips school but they did today right um someone that follows a diet but they decided to skip their diet plan today and go out of you know take like enjoy the day these are interesting stories and moments to connect on so show anything out of the ordinary we want to know why
right we find out more about someone we find out that they left their normal routine for some reason yeah so it is like it's a key connection skill and it's also just very natural we use this all of the time so i want our listeners to focus on really adopting this yes absolutely add this to your language
start noticing it you're going to hear it on tv podcasts conversations day to day we say it all the time all right aubrey you have a good day i'll talk to you soon you too thanks lindsay bye Thanks for listening to All Ears English.
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