Vocabulary - REMEMBER, RECALL, REMIND

I love EngVid and JamesESL. I also love Mr. E.

Hi, James from EngVid. This is one of our viewers, a handsome young man. He works for

American Apparel. I'm lying. He likes jackets, shirts, and whatever. He just reminded me

of something I wanted to teach you today. And this reminds me that I'm hungry. Hungry.

Actually, I brought... to help me remember. So what's the lesson today? Well, today's lesson

is on memory. Memory, I have many memories. Memories, like we were - Barbara Streisand?

Great song. I don't recall when I first heard it, but it does remind me of when I was younger.

I do remember it. I used three words about memory, and I'm sure

you've heard these before and you're thinking, "They're all the same". James or JamesESL,

lesson #1: "same" and "similar" are different. These words are similar, but they have - well,

they have something in common. And we're going to look at... "In common" means

something that is familiar, like family. They have something in common, and we're going

to talk about it right now. Each word "recall", "remember", and "remind",

starts with the same two letters, "re". "Re" -- see Mr. E is like "re" -- Mr. E, what is this?

Mystery, get it? If you're new, that's the joke. Every lesson is a mystery. "Re" in Latin

-- or... I can't remember if it's Greek -- it stands for back or again. That I recall, and that

is correct. So you think about "report", "repair", "redo". They all have to do with doing something

again, or bringing it back, return, come back. In this case, each one has something different.

We have back and again with a call, back and again with the mind, back and again with member.

But it's not member. In English, "member" has a specific meaning. It's an adult meaning.

Some of you will and laugh I'm sure and you'll go, "He's talking about his member."

Anyway, "remember". In this case, it's memory, because "er" means "something", usually for

a noun form. So go back to memory. Now we're going to break it down. If each one means

back and again, what does each word mean? They're similar, but not the same. Let us investigate.

I recall beginning the lesson with a song. I will come over here. "Recall" -- it comes from call.

When you make a call, excuse me. I've got to call someone. Check the number first, okay?

Call: "Yo, what's up?" "Yeah, I'm going to need a bag of crack,

one bag of coke... sorry! Don't forget: put $50.00 on the horse." This is the wrong call.

But the joke of it is, I'm active. In order to make the call I have to do something. The

call will not happen unless I do something. When we talk about "recall", "do you recall

this?", we are asking you to activate your memory by looking for stored information.

Something you have learned that occurred in the past, which is not something you keep

around, because it's not necessary all the time.

It could be something where you see someone do something on a Monday, which doesn't seem

important at the time, but then on Friday they might say, "Hey, do you recall where

I left that file?" They're saying, "Please, go back in your memory, like really search

and see where I left that file. I need to find it now." Okay? So that's what we recall,

it means to actively search. Someone says, "I don't recall." - "I'm looking actively.

I'm really trying, but nothing's coming." What's the next one? Well, "remind", re-mind.

"Mind" is what we have between our ears. Most of us, if you're watching this video I'm sure,

you have a great mind, and you're a fantastic human being. Remind, remind me. Well, once

again we get call or back. And notice it says back to. It means something comes back to

your mind, okay? So when you remind me of something you're going to say, "Hold on, that's

the same as the other one." You just remember and you're like... Here's your mistake, son.

Or here's your mistake, daughter. Yeah, let's stick with here's your mistake, son. Okay,

when you recall, you go into your head, and you bring back the memory. No one can make

you recall, but remind is different. Remind means bring back to my mind and it's usually

something outside. I'll ask you to remind me of the address you

have to go to at the end of the video, right? You need to remind me. You cannot recall me.

You can't do it, it's impossible. But you can remind me, and we'll do it at the end,

so it's something outside of me. So when I need to remember to talk to Mr. E,

I put a marker in my ear like this. And when I need groceries from the store, I put

a marker like this. Of course, the police pick me up every week, because they think

I'm crazy, but it does remind me, "don't do this in public."

Something outside brings back a memory to me and it makes me remember something, okay?

So you can remind me. I can remind myself by doing something special and that helps

me bring something to my mind, so I can remember. I've talked about two words and I keep using

the same word all the time. Have you noticed what it is? **Do you remember which word I

used in September?** It's "remember". Yes, I can't sing, and all these artists I sing

when I sing their songs, I get letters saying they're going to sue me and I have to stop.

But I can't, I must dance. All right, "remember". I keep saying "remember"

to explain these, and we talked about remember has back or again. It has both things. Something

comes back to my memory or I bring it up again. Remembering is simple. The memory is there.

It's active. It's waiting. It's waiting for you to use it.

I remember. I don't have to recall it, because it's here. My name I remember. I got it a

long time ago, but I use it all the time, so it's here. Mr. E, I remember him, unfortunately.

That's why every video he's here. All right, I don't have to recall him. No one reminds

me. I remember him. So we say "remember" for something when it's

ready for use in the memory. Like I say, "You need to remember this." Okay, get it ready

for use. Or it's waiting to be used. Come on, let's go.

Here's another little one. This is for free, because I like you, I really do. Actually,

the whole video is for free, so don't worry about it. Okay, we also say "remember to"

and we add the "to" because it's a little bit more and it's actually funny. It has nothing

really to do with memory. Well, it does, but it's more than memory which the other two

don't have. And that's what makes "remember" different from the other two.

It has two distinct meanings, okay? It means to do something you promised to do or needs

to be done. And I'll add the word "to" after it, so it won't be just "remember". You'll

see this, it'll be "remember" - sorry, let me go up here - "remember to" and I'm doing

it now. "Remember to explain it to the students", right?

So "remember" by itself is just memory, but "remember to" means I have an obligation of

some type. "Remember to close the door before you leave." I'm not just saying remember it.

That's not going to be good. You leave the door open. Police going to your house: "There

was a robbery. Somebody forgot to close the door." You go: "I remembered it. I just didn't do it."

That ain't good. We have a video on "ain't". And if you haven't seen it, you should go

and see it. Sorry, just go see it. Anyway, "remember to" means you have an obligation

that you need to do, okay? So if they add "to", it's a little different. It's not just

memory. It involves action. So, let's remind you of the lesson before we

go, okay? It's a short lesson, but hopefully a good one for you. You'll recall we started

the lesson with the word "recall". Bring back information that you have, stored away.

And then I wanted to remind you before I left, of the website you'll go to, which I shall

do. And if you remember, there are two meanings for "remember". I have done more than my duty.

And Mr. E will be happy with me, all right? Good? We've got them down. Don't forget to do

the quiz. Need I remind you where you must go? Do you

recall what I told you? Probably not, because I haven't told you yet, so it would be impossible

to remember. But we'll do it now. To work on your memory and other things... we should

do a video on memory! Woo, boys and girls! Go to www -- that's just to remind you -- eng

as in English, vid as in video, which I'm sure you remember, because this isn't your

first time and this isn't your first rodeo, right? www.engvid.com I do recall when I was

first starting out in this business and Mr. E and I were just strangers...

**strangers in the night**...

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