This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 364.
Is your Business English good on paper?
Welcome to the Business English Podcast from All Ears English.
Get the English skills you need to achieve your dreams in global business.
For a presentation, a meeting, or your office party, this is Real Business English with your favorite American hosts, Lindsay and Michelle, coming to from New York City and Colorado, USA.
Hey there, Michelle.
How are you today? Good, Lindsay.
Recording 10 episodes a day is a good idea in theory, but it's probably too much to do, right?
Yeah. In theory, it sounds like a great idea.
You'd get so much done, but in practice, it doesn't work out so well.
Yeah. Yeah. Doing that every day, Ooh, that would be a lot.
So, hey, guys, we're just having a little work conversation you walked in on.
No, just kidding. Today, we are going to talk about a commonly used expression.
So, this is in theory, and we're going to talk about what this means and how it can help you in your business conversation.
So, Lindsay, what do you think about this in theory?
I like it. It sounds smart, sounds professional.
And in life, the reality is in life, there's always a theoretical way of seeing things and a practical way.
Or there's always an idea in theory and in practice, and it's never the same.
You know what I mean?
Right. Yeah, exactly.
Right. So when you say in theory, like you said, it basically means something works as an idea, but not necessarily in actuality or in practice, as you put it.
So it may not actually work out, but it seems good in some way.
So we're going to do some examples in just a second.
But guys, we want to remind you to hit follow wherever you're listening to the Business English podcast, but also do we have another podcast, Lindsay?
Well, I'm glad you asked, Michelle.
We actually do. And our listeners should know about it because this is the All Ears English podcast.
You guys want to open your search bar, type in All Ears English.
It is a world famous podcast.
It gets 4 million downloads a month and it's amazing.
We go outside of Business English and we talk about everyday life.
We talk about culture.
We talk about movies, music, and how to connect.
That is the most important thing.
connection, not perfection.
Right, Michelle? Absolutely.
All right. So definitely go ahead and check that one out.
So let's do some examples of in theory.
So what's the first one, Lindsay?
All right. So in theory, here we go.
So her event idea was great in theory, but it is way out of our budget.
So again, when you sat down and you looked at the numbers, it just wasn't possible, right?
It's like, great idea, not practical, not possible, unfortunately.
Or you could say, in theory, you should be able to get your pay stub early this month.
But I just don't think HR will get around to it.
Okay, good. So yeah, on paper, in theory, you should, this is the schedule, but they've been running late, right?
And so they may not get around to it.
They may not give it to you.
Yeah. So what does this do for us in our conversations?
Yeah. So this can be used for when maybe you think a idea is good, but may not work.
So it's, it could be a good way to soften a rejection of an idea.
Oh, it's good in theory.
I don't think we can do it.
Right. What else do you think?
When could we use it?
Well, when you're planning ideas and you want to know, like, maybe, you know, you haven't tried this yet.
So, you know, you're stating something in theory, right.
That something should work in theory, but you're not sure yet in practice.
Right. Right. Yeah.
Brainstorming. I mean, similar idea to planning, right?
You're thinking of different ideas in a meeting and you're either saying, oh, this will work or won't work.
So lots of different ways that you can use it.
And it can be used, I think, in the beginning or middle of a sentence, right?
So if you look at the examples we used earlier, you could say her event was great in theory, but it is way out of of our budget.
But in the other example, we used it at the beginning.
In theory, you should be able to get your pace up early this month.
Yeah. No, I think it works just fine at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.
A hundred percent. Yes.
Or the middle. Yeah.
So you could say, oh, this was a good idea in theory, right?
Yes. Yeah, for sure.
So there are other things we can say, Michelle, that kind of mean the same thing, like in principle, for example, that idea makes sense in principle, but I don't think the boss will go for it.
Yeah. Or this one, I love this one on paper.
Okay. So she's, yeah, I love that one.
She's a great candidate on paper, but I just don't get a great feeling about her.
So this one, I, why do, why do we love this one?
I don't know. I think it's kind of, it's just, well, I think you hear this a lot when you're talking about either applying for a job or interviewing people for a position, it just feels relevant to the reality of how life works sometimes.
Sometimes things look great, but in practice they don't really look that great.
Did you ever have a situation looking for a job, Michelle, where on paper the job application looked great on paper and then you actually got there and interviewed?
That's not what it seemed.
Or maybe you got the job and it just wasn't what it seemed?
Yeah, there have been situations like that or things that never ended up panning out.
And yeah, I did have that in a job and I wasn't there for very long.
Yeah, for sure. But I'm making a change.
So yeah, things like that can happen.
Also, this on paper, not to bring it to a non -business thing, but business is life.
So I think this is used a lot with dating.
You might say, oh, that person is great on paper.
He's exactly my type.
He is brown hair and blue eyes he's 63 he's blah blah blah but he's great on paper he has a great job and this and that but we just didn't click oh that's a great example i think the reason we maybe like this i'll speak for both of us but it's kind of like it points to the mystery of life a little bit
things are like that dating example he should be a perfect match but the chemistry is not there like it's just but and that that means that there's an aspect to life that's kind of magical, you know?
It's like an intangible.
Yeah. And not everything is so black and white and able to be categorized.
And, you know, otherwise life would be kind of boring.
You just say, okay, he's got, he's got a great resume, quote unquote.
So I'm going to date him.
Right, right, right.
And it doesn't work like that.
You still have to have, you know, it may not be that person that you connect with and may be the person who is totally not your type.
Right. Who you end up having.
Yeah. On paper, but you have the best connection with that person.
Yeah. That's why I think I like this because it speaks to the importance of spontaneity and what happens in real life when the rubber meets the road and things are really happening person to person, that sort of thing.
Right. So I love that too.
And then the last one is in an ideal world, or you could say in an ideal situation.
So you could say in an ideal situation, we'd be able to make that work, but I don't think we have the time to make those ideas a reality.
Yes, I love it. And yeah, like I said, I think my favorite is definitely on paper.
Me too. Michelle, should we go into a role play?
What do you think? Yes, exactly.
So here we are brainstorming ideas for the next team building event at work.
Okay. Excellent. So here we go.
So I really think we should do bowling.
Yeah, that's a good idea in theory, but bowling has actually gotten pretty expensive.
What about an art class?
Well, in principle, I like it.
But are any of us actually artistic?
That's part of the fun.
That's true. OK, so when would we do this?
Well, in an ideal world, it would be the week after we all finish that big project.
Yeah, but a lot of people are away that week.
Oh, right. Yeah, on paper, that sounds great.
But I think we should wait until the next week.
Got it. All right. Sounds like a plan.
Nice. And of course, as you know, our listeners, we would not use all of these in one conversation, right?
It would be kind of weird even just saying all these words that are different, but they mean the same thing.
We're just showing you for an example here.
Right. Exactly. Exactly.
So here we go. You brought up bowling.
Lindsay, do you like to go bowling?
Sure. I like to go bowling sometimes with my family.
My niece likes to bowl.
Yeah, it's fun. Why not?
Do you like it? Yeah, I'm terrible at it, but I like it.
Yeah. You share that with us.
Yeah. Sometimes it goes on to the other lanes and things like the worst.
I can't get my arms straight.
I mean, no talent. So anyway, you said we should go bowling.
And I said, that's a good idea in theory.
But then so I'm saying I like your idea, but bowling has actually gotten pretty expensive.
So maybe it's not in our budget.
Yeah. So that's the problem, right?
That's the actual reality when you see when you look up the the tickets and things and then I said in principle I like it but are any of us actually artistic right so that's again in theory in principle it's a good idea but how is it going to be in reality yeah and I said that's part of a fun part of the fun and then
you agree and I said well so when we're now we're moving on to logistics and I said in an ideal world, it would be the week after we all finish that big project.
Perfect. And then, and then I said, Oh, a lot of people are away that week.
So in reality, it's not going to work.
And then I said, yeah, on paper, that sounds great.
But we should wait until the next week.
Yeah. So, yeah, I mean, I like this, because it shows a lot of different contexts in which you would use it.
So like one is feedback, and I have an idea saying that something isn't going to work, questioning something, planning something, logistics.
These are very, very useful.
Yeah, I love it. I have a plan.
I'm going to be taking my niece to a painting class for her Christmas gift.
So in theory, it sounds like a great idea.
But here's what's probably going to happen.
She actually takes art lessons and she knows how to paint.
And she's going to have to teach me.
And she's going to be terrible.
Aunt Lindsay. That's so cute.
That's so cute. Yeah.
yeah. So that's going to be coming up next week.
So I'm looking forward to that.
Yes. Have a fun time.
That's so that's really nice.
I will report back, Michelle.
I'll report back. So yeah.
So I think this is really good.
I mean, really powerful because it's the reality of life.
There is a theory and there is a reality, a practice, you know?
Yeah. And this can happen for really little things in the business world or in life or much bigger ones.
So it's just very, very versatile.
All of these guys check out episode three 57 of the business English podcast was how to use otherwise in business English.
Another good episode.
Yeah. And I mean, speaking of this idea of theory and practice, that's why I think it's important when you're in the business world, if you are looking for career advice or business advice to get advice from someone who's really had a lot of experience.
yeah because when you go to when you're in school like business school you learn a lot of theories but you've maybe never applied those you know what I mean and they don't always work the way they're supposed to the way we think they will there's no substitute for raw experience absolutely oh I love
it well this was fun that's a good one Michelle all right give these a try and let us know how it goes and Lindsay have fun at your paint class all right sounds good Michelle.
I'll talk to you very soon.
All right. Take care.
Bye. Thank you for listening to Business English, a podcast just for you, the high achieving global professional.
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