Sound more fluent in English

573,753 views ・ 2014-09-24

Benjamin’s English


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

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Hello. My name is Benjamin. I'm a lost tourist in London, and I don't know where to go. I'm
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going to talk to the ticket man in the London Underground and see if he can help me. "Hello,
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Mr. ticket man. I would like a ticket to Piccadilly." The man starts talking to me. "Blah, blah,
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blah." He asks me a question. I don't know what to say, so I need to make a noise. "Ah."
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These are noises that give you time to think about your answer. "Ah. I would like a ticket,
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please, to Piccadilly Circus." Or I could say, "Urgh, I want a ticket please." Or "Urm,
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I want to go to --." Or the other one would be, "Mmm, I want a ticket." Okay. Good.
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So then, my ticket man says, "No problem. That will be four pounds fifty, please." I
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then say, "You know, I think that's a little bit expensive, a bit expensive." So these
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are all phrases for expressing an opinion -- if I think that's too big a price. So I
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could say, "you know, I think that's too expensive." Or, "I mean, I only really want to go one
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stop, half a mile. You see, I've only got four pounds. Then, I can't eat." Or, "Well,
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maybe you could give it to me for a little less." Or, "the thing is, Mr. ticket man,
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I need to go there as well." These are all expressing an opinion to the ticket man. Okay?
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So one last way of expressive an opinion. I could say, "Well, it's like this. You see,
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I want to go to Piccadilly, but I can only give you two pounds." Okay? All ways of giving
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an opinion, of starting "I want, I need". Okay?
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The ticket man thinks, and then he says, "Well, for three pounds, I can give you a single.
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Is that what you want?" "A single? What is a single?" These are all phrases for when
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I need to think about my answer. So I could say, "Mmm, let me see. A single?" And then
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I repeat the question he has given to me. Okay? Or I can say, "Now, let me think. That
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might be a good idea." Or, "Just a minute. I'm going to ask my friend." Or, "Hang on,
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sir. I need to look in my guidebook to find out." Or, "That's a really interesting question."
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Now, the thing about this phrase here, "It's a really interesting question", it's better
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maybe in school or university. Probably not very appropriate for the London Underground.
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But it's a good phrase to remember, anyway. Or I could say, "I'm not sure about that.
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Maybe. Could you tell me more?" And then, the ticket man says, "Of course I can tell
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you more, but you must watch the next video in EngVid." See you soon. My name is Benjamin.
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Thank you.
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Original video on YouTube.com
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