Welcome to a new episode of English Vocabulary Booster.
My name is Lara and I'm a SALSA certified English teacher.
Learning new vocabulary usually takes a long time, but we'll do it in a way that's easy, quick and efficient.
In every episode, we'll learn how to use five new English words or expressions, so that you too can start speaking like a native.
So let's get learning.
Here we are again.
This week's topic is making a decision.
Let's listen to the story.
I just remember that half an hour into our conversation, she said, let's get married.
I couldn't believe it.
I was in my late 40s, single, and this beautiful woman said she wanted to marry me.
It was a no-brainer.
I decided to follow my gut and said, let's do it.
The Vegas chapel was only a few minutes away, so we took a taxi and left.
While sitting in the back of the taxi, I started to have second thoughts.
She would not stop talking.
How annoying.
But all things considered, I thought maybe getting married wasn't such a bad idea.
We finally got to the chapel and she was still talking.
Was she even breathing?
We got ready and walked up to the altar and she still wouldn't shut up.
She wouldn't even let the officiant speak.
That's it, I thought.
I looked at her and the only thing I could say was, sorry, but I've changed my mind.
You'll never believe it.
She actually stopped talking then.
Okay, so let's move to the questions.
Let's begin with expression number one, a no-brainer.
It was a no-brainer.
If a decision you have to make is a no-brainer, is it very difficult or very easy to make?
We're talking about a no-brainer.
So you don't have to use your brain.
It's that simple.
It's that easy to make that you don't have to use your brain.
So can you give me two options to choose from that represent a no-brainer?
So a no-brainer for me would be, for example, hey, do you want fish or ice cream?
Well, that's a no-brainer.
I'm going to choose ice cream because I don't like fish and I love ice cream.
So obviously, I don't have to even think about it.
It's a no-brainer.
Give me all the ice cream you have.
Expression number two.
Follow your gut.
I decided to follow my gut.
If you follow your gut, you make a decision based on an intuition or a logical analysis.
Well, your guts are the part that's inside your tummy, inside your belly.
So when you're following your gut, you are following basically your body, what your yeah, what your body's trying to tell you.
So you're not really thinking, it's more of an intuition.
Do you think it's good to follow your gut when making a decision?
I think you shouldn't only follow your gut obviously, because sometimes you You know you have to think of things logically.
But I do believe you should trust your intuition.
So I think if it's not something super crazy, you should follow your gut.
At least that's the way I live by.
All right.
And do you normally follow your gut when making a decision?
Like I said.
I do.
I am a believer in following your gut, trusting your instincts.
And so yeah, I do.
At least I try to.
Sometimes it's not easy, but yeah.
Expression number three, have second thoughts.
I started to have second thoughts.
If you're having second thoughts, are you sure about a decision you've made?
So let's think back to the story.
This guy has made a decision.
He's decided to marry the girl.
And now he's having second thoughts.
When he's in the cab, when he's in the taxi, he's having second thoughts.
So he's not so sure about what he's decided.
And do you often have second thoughts after making a decision?
I usually don't.
I think I'm one of those people that I really think a lot about a decision that I have to make.
And then, once I've made it though, it's sort of like I don't really reconsider it or I don't think about it.
So I normally don't have second thoughts.
Yeah, it's happened very rarely to me.
Expression number four.
All things considered.
All things considered, I thought maybe getting married wasn't such a bad idea.
If you use the expression all things considered before expressing an opinion.
For example, all things considered, we should get married.
Are you considering only the good things or also the bad things about a situation?
So the guy in the story, he's considering some positive things about the girl, right?
She's beautiful and she wants to get married.
So it seems perfect.
But he's also considering the negative things, which is she wouldn't stop talking.
So when you use all things considered, you're really using it because you're thinking about the situation as a whole, not just the good things, not just the bad things, but Everything all together.
So let's try to apply this to a situation.
Imagine you went to a party, okay?
And everyone arrived late.
So that's already something bad.
And also, there is not enough food for everybody.
Again, another bad thing.
But then, in the end, everyone had a lot of fun.
How can we use the expression all things considered?
I'm going to say all things considered, the party was a success.
Meaning I've considered the good.
Everybody had fun and I've considered the bad.
People were late and the food wasn't enough.
But hey, you know what?
In the end, it was a success.
All things considered, it was a success.
Expression number five, change your mind.
Sorry, but I've changed my mind.
This is a really bad thing, by the way, to say at the altar, so don't say it.
If you have to say it, say it before okay, or after, but not at the altar, especially if you have your friends and family there.
So if you change your mind, do you have the same opinion or plan as before or a different one?
Changing your mind means changing opinion or changing plans.
Do you often change your mind?
I change my mind all the time.
So remember when I said that I don't have second thoughts?
That's mostly for big decisions.
Like, I want to move to this country.
Okay, great.
I go for it.
I don't have second thoughts.
But...
Every day, like daily in my life, every second, I often change my mind.
I'm like, okay, I want to go out.
No, maybe it's not a good idea.
Okay, I'm going to watch a movie.
I'm not really into it.
So I'm constantly changing my mind and I drive myself a little crazy.
Last question.
When was the last time you changed your mind?
It was yesterday.
Like I said, it happens daily.
So I don't have to think a lot to think of a situation.
Yesterday, I was super motivated.
I had worked the whole morning.
So my idea was, okay, I'm going to go get some lunch and then I'm going to go to the beach.
And I went, I had lunch and they gave me a lot of food and I cannot say no to food.
You probably know it by this time.
And so I was so full and very bloated, very bloated.
I just did not feel like going to the beach.
And so I was like, I've changed my mind.
I went back at home and worked a little bit more.
Okay.
So I was still productive.
And that is it for today.
And remember, if you want to access the transcript, as well as lots of other resources, visit enboocom.
That is E-N-B-O-O-O dot com.
Have a great day.
