This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 2369.
Transition to the truth with these four English words.
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 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, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, USA.
To get real -time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android.
Start your seven -day free trial at allearsenglish .com forward slash app.
When someone asks your opinion about something, you might want to say something positive, but then you add detail that might reveal the truth.
Today, get the transition phrases that will help you do this for more connection.
disney snow white only in theaters march 21st riddy pg parental guidance suggested hey michelle how's it going good lindsey how was your weekend oh it was great i mean well i was sick but i still got some nice relaxing in oh okay i hope you feel better thank you that was that was just for the simple
uh for our role play i had a nice weekend actually yeah good good good so today we are going to talk about how to elaborate when you are getting more detailed or telling the truth i'm excited about this because this is one of the key skills that i think our listeners at the b2 or even c1 level need
to really become natural okay exactly so this is actually going to be it's kind of a follow -up to episode 2350 of allers english so you can check out that one that was it's a mixed bag how to talk about variety in English and we used this in a role play and realized it would be a very useful episode
to dive in more on another in another area so we're actually going to read the role play this is from that 2350 so again go ahead listen to that one after this episode and uh let's let's do what we did on that episode so here we go okay yes uh okay and how do you like the area i like it i mean it varies
i like certain aspects like the coffee shops but there aren't many good restaurants here yeah it's just so incredibly natural michelle the way it's kind of a transition right yeah it is right exactly it it's a transition to the truth basically it gets it gets more specific to me this is interesting
because it expresses the truth saying I mean right because at first you said oh I like it I mean and you get more specific you express the truth and we decided that we wanted to do an episode about using words to elaborate get more specific say the truth yes yeah yeah so um this is a follow -up to that one
and on this episode we're going to focus on these tiny ways to change the tone or get more specific um so this is going to be a really useful one again a lot of times we don't think about these tiny teeny tiny words right i think like i mean right but they're they can be very useful 100 % so let's give
our listeners some examples and then we'll see how it comes out in natural English so here's one I love my new computer I mean it was a little expensive but it's great okay so you're adding nuance adding the truth you're kind of annoyed that you paid so much right exactly exactly or the new job is going
really well I mean it could be better but overall I think it was a good switch.
Yeah. So, but you know, what's interesting about this?
This is reality. I mean, most people are never a hundred percent satisfied with something, right?
Most of the time you're going to find something about a job, about a computer, about a new home, right?
That's just not quite right.
And we need language to be able to communicate that to be human.
Okay. Right. And a lot of times, I guess, you know, this could be a cultural thing that we start off with the good, right?
Oh, everything's great.
Right. Good point. I mean, you're getting a little bit more of the real answer, but we have this tendency.
It's like how, and when you say, how are you?
Oh, good, good. Right.
Yeah. Yeah. No, that's a really good point.
And this very much could be cultural in some cultures.
Our listeners could actually just be going right into the thing that they don't like about it, because maybe that's the the way things are presented for better or for worse.
Right. Let's read one more example, Michelle.
Okay. All right. So she's been really helpful.
I mean, sometimes she has trouble getting here on time.
So there is room for improvement.
Yeah. So yeah, or it's like the, how they say that you should have the sandwich where it's like the, the, the positive and then the meat is kind of the, the negative, but then you have the bread on the other side, which is the positive.
Yeah, right. Yeah, right.
So you're starting out with, oh, the broad statement, and then you're getting a little more specific, you're zeroing in on something that may not be so perfect.
But I mean, yeah, why is this helpful?
We talked about I said zeroing in what is that's a good bonus for today?
What does it mean to zero in on something?
Yeah, that's a great bonus for today so focus in laser focus right you're going to zoom in would be another way of saying that on one specific thing and i actually think that sometimes the other way this is used is we're thinking about the per like if you ask me about this new person at work she's great and then
i said oh i mean there's a few more things that come to mind and i mean it's kind of time to think a little bit too.
True. It's a little bit.
Yeah. It gives your, it shows that you're actually thinking about what to say next and you're kind of saying, wait a second.
Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
So it could be that something hadn't quite occurred to you yet because overall you're happy with the person, but there are a few little things that come to mind as you're kind of opening up that inquiry, right?
Right. Yes. Yeah. As a busy entrepreneur, I need reliable team members who have specific skills.
And when I'm hiring, I want qualified candidates applying for the job fast.
One of the best things about Indeed is that it streamlines hiring to make it fast because it allows you to look for very specific skills when you post your job.
As we gear up to expand our team this spring, I plan to use Indeed.
So if you're in charge of hiring at your company, stop struggling to get your job posts seen on other job sites.
Indeed's Sponsored Jobs helps you stand out and hire fast.
With Sponsored Jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can reach the people you want faster.
And it makes a huge difference.
According to Indeed data, Sponsored jobs posted directly on Indeed have 45 % more applications than non -sponsored jobs.
There's no need to wait any longer.
Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed, and listeners of this podcast will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at Indeed .com slash A -E -E.
Just go to Indeed .com slash A -E -E right now and support our show by saying that you heard about Indeed on this podcast.
One more time, go to indeed .com slash AEE.
Terms and conditions apply.
Hiring Indeed is all you need.
All right, Michelle.
So there's other ways we can do this and that we do do this.
We transition to the truth.
I love the way you said that, Michelle.
What would be one of them?
all right one of them is well just well well and and let's take a a minute just to let's go through these and then let's talk about that intonation because it's very important okay how we say these things so but well is very similar to i mean um so i'm feeling really good about our vacation plans Well,
just not really the cost.
The truth comes out.
Or the blue would be great here.
Well, maybe it's too dark.
Here I'm just thinking.
I'm reconsidering. Right.
I'm reconsidering. You're kind of changing your mind, actually.
Changing my mind. Yeah.
So I could use your help.
Well, are you able to help or would it be a waste of time?
So again, getting a little bit more specific, saying, this is a little bit different.
I mean, you're saying the truth in this way of you've reconsidered and you're saying, I just thought about it.
You might not have the time, right?
Yeah. And what do we need to know about the intonation here, Michelle, because it is important, right?
So with all of these, I would say it's this.
Yeah. Well, yeah. Yeah.
You're, you're sounding like kind of really confident in the first piece.
I'm feeling really good about our vacation plans and you're saying you're ready to go and then well you kind of take this little pause before and well or I mean yeah yeah it's like it's a lurch forward and then a pull back right yes that's true that's true I like that that's interesting um or okay so let's
go over another one okay actually actually is also I'm sure our listeners have heard this being used in this way, but let's, let's zoom in on this here.
So I'm really comfortable.
Actually, there's a bit of a chill in here.
Can we turn up the heat a bit?
Right. So yeah, this happens a lot, right?
Sometimes you'll be at someone's home and they'll say, are you, are you good?
Are you warm enough?
Oh yeah, I'm totally comfortable.
Actually, there's a little bit of a breeze, right?
Would you mind turning up the heat?
Right. Yeah, exactly.
It might feel guilty asking sometimes.
exactly exactly what else um okay we had a good first date actually there were some things that didn't go so well and people can lie to themselves in the dating world too right sometimes for sure um gloss over things a little bit yeah yes exactly all right let's do one more that we can use yeah truthfully
so this one i would say is the least common of the group um but it's good to have in your back pocket it's a bit more formal right so he's having a great day truthfully he did get upset right when his parents left but he's okay now okay so maybe the parents dropped him off at school he's a little kid
um um here we go i'm exercising five times a week truthfully three times a week yeah all right and another thing i want to point out is that we can sometimes combine these together so sometimes they say things like well actually so we had a good first date well actually there were some things that didn't
go too well right or combining i mean and well here we go he's a great student i mean well i think we should discuss his reading level and you could have also said well i mean right yeah you could kind of play with these a little bit here um or you could do well truthfully so i like my doctor well truthfully
it takes a little long to get an appointment but it's worth it yeah and that's i'm glad you brought that up michelle that is really common to combine two of them maybe because we need a little more time to present that downside.
We feel a little maybe socially awkward or I don't know.
I think it could be cultural, Michelle, as you mentioned.
I think that's such a good point because we don't like to bring the bad news, right?
Yeah. Things can be rosy.
And so maybe we need two of these transition to the truth words.
Right. To kind of delay, I don't know, or to think, to prepare the person for it.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
So before we get into our role play for today, we want to say thank you so much to our reviewers.
Yes, we love reading your reviews.
We have a five star review here from a son essay 94 from Germany.
Originally from Iran, but now living in Germany on January 26.
So a huge thank you to Aeson.
We have a five -star review from BB No Bread Borna from Canada on January 24th.
And a five -star review from Lily from South Korea on January 19th.
Huge thank you to each of you.
Thank you so much. We really appreciate it.
Guys, remember, if you haven't yet, please leave your review wherever you're listening to All Ears English.
We do read them. We do love them.
We are so thankful for them.
And we will shout you out on a show.
You got it. All right.
Great, Michelle. Let's go into our role play here.
Shall we? All right.
So here we are friends and you are asking for recommendations for a hairdresser.
All right. Here we go.
All right. So I really like Chelsea at Hair for Us.
Oh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, she isn't the most chatty person, but she's really talented.
Oh, that's OK. Well, I hope she's at least friendly.
she's friendly well actually sometimes she gets frustrated but still it's worth it okay she sounds great um truthfully i'm a little worried about some of what you said i'd still go for it okay are you the kind of person that wants uh a chatty stylish a stylist stylist yeah i was gonna ask you the same
question um i'm good either way i think i like to chat i like to chat what about you yeah obviously for me i'd rather have a good stylist right so i had i had a really good stylist in brooklyn and i was so sad when i moved to boston from new york i actually was going down to new york to get my hair
cut because i did not want to leave her um but she wasn't chatty at all but she was great just really talented right i'd rather have that than someone who's average and chats the whole time right i want them to focus on the hair you know totally agree totally agree yeah um but yeah it's interesting
with like a hair stylist people can have those relationships for years and years have the same person do their hair it's really interesting it's really interesting yeah yeah yeah all right so here we have some great examples of transitioning to the truth right so first uh you said i really like chelsea at hair
for us and i said oh yeah and you said yeah i mean she isn't the most chatty person so here comes the downside the truth right right and for you it might not be a bad thing but so maybe for me i feel like maybe i'd like her to talk a little bit more so i'm posing it as a negative thing yes exactly then
what did you use here so then you said um oh that's okay well i hope she's at least friendly so you're saying oh that's fine and then you're thinking well actually i don't you know is she a nice and it's getting you even worse here right she's friendly oh well actually she sometimes gets frustrated
but still it's worth it right okay and then you said okay she sounds great you said um truthfully i'm a little worried about some of what you said so funny this conversation is hilarious right we're so positive at the beginning we're trying to keep this nice vibe going between us and we're trying to
be positive about the hair stylist but she's actually kind of mean yeah oh it's funny um all right so this but this is very real too right this is real english this is what native speakers do and i think i i just want to make sure this this episode is highlighted as one of the more important episodes
of the month probably because this is what we do and so this is the the gap to become more natural in your conversations right yeah exactly exactly this is gonna be very very helpful and again could be very cultural but you're gonna hear it and now when you hear it you're gonna know oh okay that person's
getting a little more specific.
It would be getting, you know, down to the truth.
So definitely good to know these and to give these a try yourself.
You got it. All right, Michelle.
And that kind of is the takeaway.
Go and listen to this episode again, because it might be the most useful episode of the last couple of weeks.
Right. This is the one that's going to give you that missing piece in your English.
I love it. So good, Michelle.
You have a good day.
I'll talk to you soon.
All right. You too, Lindsay.
Thank you. Bye. Bye.
Thanks for listening to All Ears English.
Would you like to know your English level?
Take our two -minute quiz.
Go to allearsenglish .com forward slash fluency score.
And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything.
See you next time. Add -ons additional plus tax additional fees apply on delivery excludes foot -long snacks limited time
