Easy English Expression, rehashed.
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Hello, everybody.
Welcome back to Daily Easy English Expression Rehashed, EQ number 263.
I love this expression.
I would say it's not super common, but for the perfect situation, this is an excellent expression.
Number 263, enjoy it.
Let's go back in time.
Today's expression, a great phrasal verb.
It is taken aback.
To be taken aback.
I was taken aback.
Taken, T-A-K-E-N, aback, A-B-A-C-K.
Taken aback.
Now we use this expression always in the past tense to describe how we felt.
Do we use it in the future tense?
I don't know.
I've never, ever, ever heard it in the future tense.
So just think of it as basically a descriptive phrasal verb describing how you feel.
And how do you feel if you are taken aback?
You are angry.
You are angry.
It doesn't have to be like really angry, but kind of shocked, a little bit surprised, insulted.
This is the idea.
So, for example, if somebody says to me, oh, just give Shane hamburgers.
He's American.
They all like hamburgers.
I would be taken aback.
Yes, it's true.
The image is all Americans love hamburgers.
And you can just give Shane a hamburger.
But not...
Every single American loves hamburgers.
What if I were a vegetarian or a vegan?
Or maybe I do love hamburgers, but for lunch I had hamburgers.
Why are you giving me hamburgers again?
Why don't you ask me?
Why don't you ask me?
Is my opinion nothing?
Can you make up every decision for me?
Why did you do that?
So it's not like I want to, you know, kill the person, but I'm angry.
I'm insulted.
I wasn't asked.
Somebody just assumed something.
It wasn't nice to be taken aback.
We always have this situation where somebody says something and it makes us angry.
It makes us mad.
It surprises us.
It insults us.
Not to the point where we want to, you know, fight.
Maybe even we don't want to say something.
But still, our feelings are hurt.
We're insulted.
We're a little angry.
We are miffed.
That's another good word.
I think we studied that word.
To be taken aback.
Check out the dialogue.
How did your mom take the news?
She was taken aback.
She's not happy?
She's okay.
Just very surprised.
Yeah.
My mom.
This is the idea.
So my mom thinks that I'm coming home to her house for Christmas.
But then I call her and I tell her, mom, I won't be there on Christmas.
I'll be there the day after Christmas.
And my mom's reaction is, oh, oh, um, uh, okay.
Huh.
So is my mom angry?
Well, yeah, sure she's angry because I was supposed to be there on Christmas.
Christmas is a holiday.
It's a family holiday.
But I'm not going to be there on Christmas.
However, I will be there the next day.
Is she okay?
Well, she's still, you know, we can visit together, but not as she expected.
Not like she was planning.
My change of schedule surprised her.
Yes, she's angry.
She's not viciously angry, but she was surprised.
This is the idea.
She's not happy, that's for sure.
Yeah, it's easy for me to make my mom not happy.
I must always be very careful.
But hey, it's my mom.
I love my mom.
I must do my best.
And I'm sure you are the same with your mother, correct?
Not everybody.
Well, what about your husband or your wife?
Yeah.
So to be taken aback, it means to be shocked.
It means to be angry.
It means to be insulted.
It means to have your feelings hurt.
And it means, in this case, to be surprised, but not in a happy way.
Can you tell us an example of when you were taken aback?
The example sentence can be like this.
One day my friend said he was going to do this, but he didn't.
I was taken aback.
One day my friend asked me, are you getting fat?
But I wasn't, so I was taken aback.
This is the idea.
Leave me a comment.
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How did your mom take the news?
Uh, she was taken aback.
She's not happy?
Uh, she's okay, just very surprised.
How did your mom take the news?
Uh, she was taken aback.
She's not happy?
Uh, she's okay, just very surprised.
Thanks so much for listening.
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