Hello, lovely.
I'm Maria.
And my name is Rory.
And we are the hosts of the IELTS Speaking for Success podcast, the podcast that aims to help you improve your speaking skills, as well as your listening skills along the way.
We started this podcast because we want you to use high-level words and super grammar in your IELTS speaking and in your English life.
Rory, so we're going out tonight.
Not tonight.
This Saturday.
Yeah, this Saturday.
We are.
But I haven't been paid yet.
Can I borrow some money off you?
Yeah, of course you can.
And shall we talk about borrowing today?
Let's do it.
Rory, have you ever borrowed books from others?
Oh God, not in a long while.
I think the last one I borrowed was about the Cold War between or sorry, the new Cold War between Russia and the West.
And I still haven't finished it because of the tremendous amount of work I have.
I didn't borrow it from someone though.
I borrowed it from like a, I don't know, kind of an open library at work.
You can just take things and put things there as you please.
Have you ever borrowed money?
Uh, yeah, but again, not for ages.
I'm pretty self-sufficient, so it's never really posed a problem, at least in recent years.
Probably the last person I borrowed money from was maybe my friends when we were at camp together.
I needed to buy a drink or something.
And it wasn't serious, that's for sure.
Do you mind if someone asks to borrow something from you?
Usually it's quite all right as long as I get it back, and even then I'm usually a really patient guy, so I don't mind waiting a little bit before whatever I loaned someone makes its way back to me.
How do you feel when people don't return things they borrowed from you?
Well, I'm really lucky because I have some Well most of my friends that borrow things or who have borrowed things are really responsible people.
So it's not a common problem.
But when it does happen or when it has happened...
Initially, it's not normally a problem because I can cope without most things.
I can't think of anything I couldn't cope without, actually.
Even my laptop or sorry, one of my laptops has gone on an adventure with one of my friends for most of the year now.
I'm not particularly bothered.
It's more if people are careless with my things that I start to have problems with their behaviour.
Do you like to lend things to others?
If I know it will help them then yeah, it feels really rewarding to know what you're doing is of use to somebody, if you can help further their goals in life.
And of course, if you're lending something, then you're gonna get something back in return.
So it's not so bad.
Would you let someone borrow your mobile phone?
Well, after I purged the internet history and all of the dating apps on it, yes.
Seriously though, I don't think I have a problem with someone using it in an emergency or something like that.
As long as it comes back to me, that's fine.
Is there anything that can't be lent?
Well, yes.
Actually, it's funny.
Sometimes people ask to borrow paper or a cigarette.
And I'm not sure why they use that verb, because it's not like you want those things back when people are through with them.
So probably things that have some sort of intimate or intimate use or finite number of times that you can use them.
That would be very difficult to lend something like that.
You give things like that.
You don't expect them back.
Have you ever lent your smartphone to someone?
Yeah, at the weekend when we were ordering food actually.
The reason why that is, is because I'm rubbish at taking orders.
So I usually just throw money or my phone at the problem until it goes away.
So in this case, I just handed over my bank card and my phone and said, just order the food.
I don't care what happens.
And they did it.
So that was fine.
And I got my phone and my bank card back.
So it was OK.
Thank you very much for your answers.
Thank you for the questions.
Oh, Rory, let's clarify the verbs borrow, lend and owe.
So, when I borrow, I can borrow money, I can borrow books, clothes.
So, basically, I take things from people.
Yes, you do.
And we can say borrow heavily.
If you borrow a lot.
Yeah.
Borrow money from a bank or borrow money off a person.
Double F off a person.
And you can take out a small loan or take a small personal loan.
Yeah, take out a loan from a bank, like take out a mortgage loan to pay for your house, for your flat or a student loan.
I can't think of any other loans, to be honest.
Yeah, well, a mortgage loan or a student loan.
I should know this, actually.
I used to teach financial English and all of it's gone.
Yes, Rory, come on.
Where is it now?
Like, find it in your head.
So I take money from Rory, I borrow money from Rory and he lends me this money.
Okay, so he gives, so he lends me this money kindly, he lends money to me.
Or we can say like, he's willing to lend me the money.
Give me the money.
Give me.
Give me all your money now.
I need the new dresses and lipstick and holiday in Thailand.
Right.
So if he gives me the money, he's a lender.
Right.
So I am a borrower.
I take money and he's a lender.
He gives me the money.
When he gives me the money, I owe him this money, right?
And I should give it back.
Give it back, give the money back, or return the money or pay him back, right?
And Rory should get it back.
When we talk about borrowing, we borrow books.
And Rory, you talked about the so-called open library.
It's basically Rory goes to the teacher's room where all the books are and take a book he wants.
It's like an open library, kind of borrowing slash stealing books.
Basically, yes.
There's a word for this kind of thing, but I've totally forgotten what it is.
So I just said like open library.
Like if you haven't opened something, it usually means like people can come and go as they please.
Yeah, so basically, Rory would steal books from work.
I'm borrowing.
Right.
About money, Rory is self-sufficient.
Yes, so you're self-sufficient, you don't usually need support from other people.
And I don't.
Well, at least financially, I need lots of emotional support.
And we can say that I don't mind waiting.
So if I lend something to people, I don't mind waiting.
Yeah, so don't mind plus ing.
As long as it gets back to me, right?
Or as long as I get it back.
Or you've used a nice one.
It makes its way back to me.
Beautiful.
And Rory is not bothered.
You said, like, I'm not particularly bothered when people borrow things from me.
Yeah, when you're not bothered about something, it's just like saying you don't mind.
But instead of saying, I don't mind, I don't mind, you might want to say, I'm not bothered.
Yeah, but you are bothered when people are careless with your things.
Yeah, but I didn't say I wasn't bothered.
I said I have problems with it.
And to be careless, like with a book.
For example, if I borrow a book from you and then if I'm careless with this book, I just tear it apart.
I put coffee on it.
Why do you put coffee on your books?
No, on your books.
I take a book from you and then like no, just you know, I just I'm drinking my coffee reading your book and then oops, coffee's on the book.
So that's being careless.
That is being careless.
Please do not do that to my books.
So when we lend things to other people, it's very rewarding.
Yeah, it makes you feel good when you do it.
Like teaching is rewarding, like being a doctor.
Yeah, sometimes.
And you're not filled with the urge to kill people.
Hopefully yeah, and you can say that I can borrow, I can lend my phone if it's an emergency.
An emergency Yes, so well, I think the collocation is like in an emergency.
You do something in an emergency.
And then people can borrow some paper or a cigarette, right?
Well, they don't borrow them though.
They use them.
So you say, can I have, or can I use?
But so many people say, can I borrow?
And I'm like, but why?
I don't want it back.
Yeah, when you borrow, you are supposed to give it back, right?
But when you just say, oh, could you give me a cigarette?
You don't return it, right?
Yeah.
And when people are through with them, so to be through with something, right?
Yes.
So when you're through with something, you're finished using it or you're finished with it.
Like I can borrow some books from Rory and then, when I'm through with them, I'm going to give them back.
Yeah, but you can also be through with people.
Like if you're sick of people's bad behavior, then you could say like, I'm through with you.
And then you're done.
I'm through with you.
Goodbye.
Yeah.
No, I'm not through with you, Rory.
No.
I know you're not through with me.
We haven't finished discussing the vocabulary.
And when we talk about things that can't be lent, so it can't be given, some things like of intimate or finite number of times, you can use them.
Finite, right?
Yes.
Yes.
So if something has a finite use, then it has a limited number of times you can use it.
So a cigarette really only has one use and that's all.
Paper, probably you can recycle it, but realistically speaking it's probably got one or two uses in it before it falls to pieces.
Yeah, and talking about lending your smartphone, you said that I'm rubbish at taking orders.
Like I'm rubbish at ordering food online.
Yes, exactly.
So if you're not good at something like if you're really not good at something, then you're rubbish at it.
For example, I'm rubbish at knowing the difference between all the conditionals, and I'm rubbish at knowing the difference between to speak and to talk.
When you talk about borrowing, you can use some specific words.
For example, people usually borrow specific dishes like cookware uh, a tent, a tuxedo.
For example, you go to a wedding and you don't have money to buy some good clothes and you can borrow it off a friend, right?
Or, for example, you can say that i usually borrow skiing gear Nice word, skin equipment, right.
Or items for a wedding, I know, reusable baby gear, high chairs, for example, for a baby, right?
And people usually borrow some specific tools.
So you can show off your vocabulary by giving these words what people usually borrow.
Exactly.
For a high score.
Bandai score, rory.
What do you think of the philosophy of like instead of buying?
You borrow things.
Like you borrow, you don't buy.
Wait, if you don't borrow, Oh right, you mean you borrow things, you don't buy them.
I thought you said you don't borrow and you don't buy.
I was like, is that not just called stealing then?
No, no, no, no.
Instead of buying things, you just borrow them.
What do you think about that?
Well, do people do that like?
You must have to buy something.
Like you buy your own underwear.
You don't borrow that yeah, underwear no.
But if you want to use something like once, for example, i know uh, i usually don't go to weddings, but this time i'm going to a wedding, so i'm gonna borrow a nice dress of my friend.
I refuse to believe that you don't have a nice dress or at least 50 nice dresses.
No, I do, I do, I do.
No, but some people don't, right?
Or if I want to use some specific cookware and I don't have it, I can borrow it off a neighbor.
So this, like single time used items or tools can be borrowed instead of bought?
No, they can.
It's um, i'm just thinking about my family like that.
It's not very common.
I mean, if you, if it saves you money, then it might be a good idea.
Hmm Sorry, I don't have any deep personal insight into that idea.
It's so alien to me.
I just like, if you want something, then just buy it.
Yeah, yeah, I know.
Right.
So this borrowing issue is a touchy topic because there are so many things that can go wrong with this borrowing.
Like people take books from you and they just hang on to them, they don't return stuff.
Off.
Off.
Oh, what kind of friends do you have that do that?
I never have this problem.
Ah, really?
Well, it's a typical situation when people take books and they never return books.
Oh, and about the money.
You should borrow money from a pessimist.
Do you know why?
Why?
Because a pessimist won't expect your money back.
Oh, my God.
But I expect my time back after you've told that joke.
My God.
Okay.
Okay, so we should wrap it up.
We should wrap it up there, yes.
Hopefully we've given you some nice grammar and vocabulary to borrow for your exam.
Thank you so much for listening.
And a big, huge thanks to all the people who wrote reviews on Apple Podcasts, about our super podcast.
Bye.
Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye.
Rory, have you ever borrowed books from others?
Oh God, not in a long while.
I think the last one I borrowed was about the Cold War between or sorry, the new Cold War between Russia and the West.
And I still haven't finished it because of the tremendous amount of work I have.
I didn't borrow it from someone though.
I borrowed it from like a, I don't know, kind of an open library at work.
You can just take things and put things there as you please.
Have you ever borrowed money?
Uh, yeah, but again, not for ages.
I'm pretty self-sufficient, so it's never really posed a problem, at least in recent years.
Probably the last person I borrowed money from was maybe my friends when we were at camp together.
I needed to buy a drink or something.
And it wasn't serious, that's for sure.
Do you mind if someone asks to borrow something from you?
Usually it's quite alright as long as I get it back, and even then I'm usually a really patient guy, so I don't mind waiting a little bit before whatever I loan someone makes its way back to me.
How do you feel when people don't return things they borrowed from you?
Well, I'm really lucky because I have some Well most of my friends that borrow things or who have borrowed things are really responsible people.
So it's not a common problem.
But when it does happen or when it has happened...
Initially, it's not normally a problem because I can cope without most things.
I can't think of anything I couldn't cope without actually.
Even my laptop or sorry, one of my laptops has gone on an adventure with one of my friends for most of the year now.
I'm not particularly bothered.
It's more if people are careless with my things that I start to have problems with their behaviour.
Do you like to lend things to others?
If I know it will help them, then yeah, it feels really rewarding to know what you're doing is of use to somebody, if you can help further their goals in life.
And, of course, if you're lending something, then you're going to get something back in return, so it's not so bad.
Would you let someone borrow your mobile phone?
Seriously though, I don't think I have a problem with someone using it in an emergency or something like that.
As long as it comes back to me, that's fine.
Is there anything that can't be lent?
Well, yes.
Actually, it's funny.
Sometimes people ask to borrow paper or a cigarette, and I'm not sure why they use that verb, because it's not like you want those things back when people are through with them.
So probably things that have some sort of intimate or intimate use or finite number of times that you can use them.
That would be very difficult to lend something like that.
You give things like that.
You don't expect them back.
Have you ever lent your smartphone to someone?
Yeah, at the weekend when we were ordering food, actually.
The reason why that is, is because I'm rubbish at taking orders.
So I usually just throw money or my phone at the problem until it goes away.
So in this case I just handed over my my bank card and my phone and said just order the food, so i don't care what happens.
And they did it, so that was fine and i got my phone and my bank card back, so it was okay.
