Learn the English Phrases "to take for granted" and "to be taken aback"

In this English

lesson I wanted to help you learn the English phrase “to take for granted”.

Now you can take something for granted, or you can take someone for granted

and it means you don't recognize or notice them.

Here's a great example, and it's coming up in the comment later.

The sky where I live is very, very blue, but sometimes I take that for granted.

That means I don't always notice how blue the sky is behind me.

My mom worked really hard when I was a kid to feed us

and make sure we had clothes and all the things that moms do.

But I kind of took her for granted in the past tense.

When I was a kid, I didn't really notice all the work that my mom was doing.

So when you take something or someone for granted,

it means you just don't notice how cool that thing is or how cool that person is.

The other phrase I wanted to teach you today is the phrase “to be taken aback”.

When you're taken aback, you're I'm kind of acting it out.

You don't actually back up like this, but when you're taken aback,

it means you're surprised or shocked about something.

You might go to buy a new car

and then you're taken aback at how much the car costs.

Maybe I was taken aback the other day at the gas station

because the gas was $1.38 the Thursday before the long weekend,

and then it was $1.62 on the long weekend, the Thanksgiving long weekend.

So I was a bit taken aback by the high gas price

because when I had driven by the day before, it was much lower.

So to review, when you take something or someone for granted,

it means you don't notice how awesome that thing is or that person is.

And to be taken aback means to be surprised or shocked

at something that you see.

But hey, let's look at a comment from a previous video.

This comment is from Know that and Know that says

I would say that you are always

well framed in your videos, Bob, even without adjusting anything on your camera.

But I think after so many years and experiences

making videos, you have developed a natural feeling when you are not.

And by the way, the background at the end of the video is breathtaking.

The landscape, especially the sky with the clouds

and the sun looks really amazing. Thank you for the new lesson.

It's always a pleasure to watch.

I wish you a wonderful day Bob. And my response?

It's... it really is a time of year when the sky looks amazing.

Well, not today, I take it for granted usually because I see it every day.

Sometimes our international students

at school will comment on how blue the sky is in Canada.

I'm sure it's the same way in most rural locations around the world.

But in the big cities, maybe not so much.

So thanks Know that for that comment.

Yes, I think the

sky does look amazing behind me most days,

and I think I do take it for granted quite often.

And honestly, I didn't realize it until I started making these videos

and until we started getting international students at our school.

Some of our international students, they come

from really, really big cities in other countries,

and they come from some cities where there's lots of pollution

and the sky doesn't look as nice as it looks out in the countryside.

For those of you that live out in the countryside,

you probably enjoy the same clear blue skies that I do.

They're quite nice, but today, as I mentioned, it's a little different.

It's just a little bit overcast.

It's kind of a gray, dull day.

It's spitting a little bit out here.

Let me see if I can get to a puddle and I will show you.

And sometimes I don't know if you have this.

Sometimes my mood matches the weather on sunny days and snowy days...

Not sure if you can see down here

on sunny days.

I guess it's not spitting right now.

On sunny days and snowy days I'm quite happy.

On days like this where it's a little gray.

I'm not I wouldn't say I'm unhappy.

I don't have as much energy.

I don't have as much gumption.

Do you know that word? Gumption.

Gumption is something that makes you happy and excited to do things.

So but anyways, I think I've gone overtime.

Thanks for watching this little English lesson.

I'll have another one ready for you in a couple of days. Bye.