DO YOU EXAGGERATE THINGS? 🔴LIVE stream - English Addict - 298 / Sun 30th JUNE 2024

It is a gloomy day today.

Windy.

We might even have some rain later on as well.

Here we go.

Slightly later than advertised,

unfortunately.

For which I apologise. Here we go. We are back together once again.

English addict is coming to you right now.

Live from the birthplace of the English language.

We all know where it is.

Of course it is.

England.

And, It is just me.

Me on my own.

By myself.

I have been abandoned by Mr. Steve.

He has gone off and left me alone again, as he always does.

And today he's done it. And I'm by myself.

Just me. Unfortunately.

I'm sorry about that.

I know a lot of people like to watch Steve, but he's not here.

So if you want to go away now and do something else,

maybe you have something more important to do. You don't have to watch this.

You can go and do something else because Mr. Steve is not here today.

It is just boring me. I'm ever so sorry about that.

My name is Duncan,

and I talk about the English language.

You might say that I am an English addict.

I am addicted to English.

I love using English.

It is a great way of expressing yourself.

The way you want to express words, the way you want to express your emotions,

your feelings, your descriptions of things around you.

Today we are looking at the subject of exaggeration.

We exaggerate. It's a great word as well.

So if you exaggerate something, it means you are making something seem more

than it really is or wants.

You exaggerate.

You make something seem more than it is in reality.

And I think it is fair to say that we all do it.

I'm sure I do it.

I'm sure you sometimes exaggerate things.

Maybe you want to be dramatic about a certain thing that is happened,

or maybe something that you want people to be impressed by.

You will quite often exaggerate those particular things.

Hello to the live chat as well. Nice to see you here.

Oh that's interesting Mason.

Congratulations.

Congratulations, Ms..

Molson, you are first on today's live chat.

Congratulations, Mason.

You are in first place.

We also have. Each vertex is here.

Beatrice is here.

You should.

We also have.

Oh, Luis Mendez is here today.

Hello, Luis.

Nice to see you here as well.

Zelnick is here.

We also have Marcy.

Christine.

hello, Christine.

I hope you are feeling good.

I hope you are feeling better than I am today.

Because I am really suffering from hay fever.

My seasonal allergies are so bad I can barely speak.

My throat is sore, so today it might be a short one.

Don't be too surprised if I suddenly disappear because

I don't know why, but my hay fever today is quite bad.

Maybe it's because it is windy and all of the pollen and all of the dust is blowing around.

Anyway, I'm sure you have absolutely no interest

in hearing about my illnesses or my slight sneezing problems,

because you are interested in talking about and listening to me explain English.

And that's the reason why we are here.

Florence is here.

Inaki.

Hello to Inaki.

It's nice to see you here as well.

Who else is here?

Salah.

Hello Salah Uddin nice to see you here by the way if you want to join in on the live chat

you will have to subscribe.

It is a new thing I am introducing today.

So if you want to chat on the live stream you must subscribe.

Thank you very much for that.

Marwa is here.

Oh, I haven't done this for a long time.

Marwa Mamo, nice to see you back as well.

Rosa.

We also have Florence Roberts.

hello to you as well.

And a couple of more mentions before I move on with the topic.

We also have.

Oh, interesting.

We have nobody else to mention. Oh, MRT. Hello MRT.

So hello to you as well. Thank you very much for joining me today.

My name is Duncan.

I talk about English and that is what we are doing today.

Anyway enough of that because I just keep going blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

And I'm sure it's not very interesting.

Today's subject is all about we are talking about exaggeration.

Quite often we will exaggerate.

It is a human thing.

So I don't think any animals in nature.

I don't think they ever exaggerate at all for any reason.

Human beings have egos.

We like to make other people think we are special.

In some way, and quite often we will exaggerate those things

to make ourselves feel more important or better than we really are.

And quite often we also like to get lots of attention as well.

So if you exaggerate something, well, it's quite simple really.

To exaggerate is to make something seem more than it is.

You will exaggerate a certain thing.

Exaggeration is the noun.

It is saying that you are making a statement that is not

what actually happened, or it is not as it appears.

It is an exaggeration.

You exaggerate that thing.

So to exaggerate

is the verb.

You are exaggerating something to exaggerate.

You make, I think, and the

exaggeration.

This is going well today, isn't it?

It's going real really well. Really well. Yes. Don't worry.

You don't have to put up with me for very long.

An overstatement of a thing or an achievement is a type of exaggeration.

It is an exaggeration.

You are making something seem more than it really is.

If you exaggerate, you are making something seem bigger, better, or.

Longer than it really is.

So some people might exaggerate the size of their.

Garden,

or the size of their house,

or maybe the size of their salary.

So sometimes we will exaggerate things

to make them seem more than they really are.

And that is why we like to do it.

Human beings like to exaggerate.

An overstatement of a thing or an achievement is a type of exaggeration.

Maybe you are applying for a job.

Maybe you are trying to get a job somewhere

and you exaggerate

about your qualifications or your skills.

I think a lot of people do this.

In fact, I know it is true because people do exaggerate

about their past achievements, the things they've done in the past,

so they make them seem as if they are more qualified,

or they make themselves appear to be more suitable for the job than they really are.

So you might lie or you might exaggerate.

And let's face it, sometimes an exaggeration is a type of lie.

Technically, we might say that you are in fact lying as well.

an overstatement of a thing or an achievement is a type of exaggeration.

You are making something seem better.

You are making yourself seem better than you really are.

A small thing is exaggerated

to seem larger than it actually is, or was.

As I said a few moments ago, perhaps you exaggerate about the amount of money

you earn in your job.

Maybe you exaggerate your salary.

You tell people you are earning much more than you really are.

By the way, that is something I never do

because everyone knows I don't earn anything from YouTube really.

They just come round every Friday afternoon

and push a few pennies through my letterbox, which is always very nice.

So a small thing can be exaggerated to seem larger than it actually is.

Or was.

You might exaggerate a certain type of thing.

So I would say, and I think it is fair to say maybe

you have exaggerated something in the past, maybe something you've said,

or maybe if you've had a bad situation or something

has gone wrong, you might want lots of attention and sympathy.

You might exact your rate.

That particular thing.

For example, you caught a small fish, just a little fish, a very tiny fish.

You spent all morning sitting by the river, waiting patiently.

By the way, fishing is very boring.

It is one of the most boring things anyone can ever do.

I when I was younger, I went fishing with some of my friends and I have to say, boring.

Very very boring. It's not much fun for the person sitting there.

And to be honest with you, I don't think the fish are all that keen either

because they might get caught and eaten so no one really comes out of fishing very well.

Everyone loses in the end, but perhaps you want to boost.

You want to show off to your friends about your fish,

the fish that you caught yesterday at the river.

So you might exaggerate the size of the fish.

So instead of the fish being tiny, you make it seem as if it was.

It was a big fish.

It was so big. It was huge.

It was a huge fish.

When in fact it was not.

So you might exaggerate a certain type of story, something involving yourself.

You will make it seem more than it really was.

And that is when we exaggerate something.

We make it seem more than it really was.

You exaggerate.

Perhaps something dramatic happens to you.

An event or occurrence might be exaggerated to seem more dramatic than it really was.

Perhaps you had an accident.

Maybe you injured yourself.

I am not saying who or where or when or how, but.

But perhaps you want.

You want to get some sympathy, and a person might exaggerate a thing that happened to them.

So maybe they fell over

and they injured themselves and maybe they had to go to the hospital.

They might exaggerate the situation because they want more attention.

They want to make it seem more dramatic than it really was.

An event or occurrence might be exaggerated to seem more dramatic than it really was.

And I'm sure we've all done that, especially when we want a little bit of attention.

A problem

might be exaggerated to seem more serious than it is.

Can I just say there is one area of life where exaggeration

takes place a lot, and that is when the news is being reported.

Quite often we have to make things seem more dramatic than it really is.

The news will often dramatise something.

They will make it seem more dramatic or more serious than it really is.

Maybe one thing that affects just a few people.

The news might make it appear as if it will affect everyone,

but in reality it won't affect everyone, just 1 or 2 people.

So you might say that the news quite often when the news is being reported,

the stories will often be presented in an exaggerated way.

They are exaggerated.

The way the news story is read, the way it is shown.

You might say that all of it is exaggerated.

Quite a lot.

There are some interesting phrases we can use as well in English.

If you exaggerate something, you make a mountain

out of a molehill.

That means you are exaggerating something.

You are making it seem more dramatic than it really is.

You make a mountain

out of a molehill.

You make it seem more serious or more dramatic than it really is

to exaggerate a thing into something more serious.

We can say that person is making a mountain out of a molehill.

Something small, something

that is not serious, is exaggerated

into something more than it really is.

And we all do it to embellish a story, to make it seem more dramatic

is to exaggerate.

And I suppose my example a few moments ago about the news is a good way of showing how

stories can sometimes be embellished

to make them seem more dramatic than they actually were.

I think now I love reading stories about people's lives, but I sometimes think

when a person is writing their biography, I think sometimes they will exaggerate

the stories contained within the biography just to make it seem more dramatic.

So the reader will carry on reading the book, or they will continue reading the story.

So quite often these days,

especially these days, and because a lot of people do have very short attention spans,

people do not like watching things for very long for just a few minutes.

So it's much harder to get someone to watch or to listen to what you are saying.

So quite often you will have to embellish the story or

make the story seem more dramatic than it really is.

Even here on YouTube, many people will use exaggerate version

to get other people to watch their videos.

Quite often the title of the video will be dramatic.

It will be exaggerated because you want people to click on that video,

or maybe the photograph that is used on the thumbnail will be dramatic.

It will appear as if something dramatic is going to happen in the video.

And then of course, people will click on them.

It does happen quite a lot, except me, of course.

I never, ever mislead anyone with my videos or my titles or all my thumbnails.

Never

to try and get praise or attention.

A person might exaggerate their abilities.

So this goes back to what I said a few minutes ago, where people might exaggerate

the things they can do, or maybe the things they have done in the past.

They will exaggerate about their abilities.

And as I said before, if you are applying for a job,

you might exaggerate on your CV, your curriculum vitae.

You might put something on there that you never did.

Maybe you are going for a job,

maybe in a certain company that has a lot of specialist areas that they cover.

You might have to exaggerate your abilities

so you can get a job with that particular company.

It does happen, of course.

The only problem is if you exaggerate

your abilities,

you will have to prove eventually

that you can do these things.

And yes, that is what happens eventually.

Many people get found out.

It is discovered that the thing they said they could do,

the things that they said they have experience of, they didn't

and they don't know anything about it.

They exaggerated their abilities so they could get the job.

And the problem with that is quite often you will be discovered, you will be found out.

So there is no point lying about your abilities because the job that you are going to do

requires that you know how to do those things.

So you do have to be careful when you exaggerate or if you lie about your abilities.

Quite often you will be caught in your own deception.

It can happen.

To blow something

out of proportion is to dramatise or exaggerate something that has occurred.

So perhaps you are involved in an accident,

but you make the accident seem more dramatic than it actually was.

So maybe you were driving along the road and a car

bumps into you.

Nothing serious, nothing terrible.

But later, when you are telling your friends about it,

you might exaggerate the story to make it seem more dramatic.

So yes, I was driving along the road and then the car came from nowhere.

It crashed into the side of me and my car flipped over five times and landed on its roof.

And then it burst into flames

and the fire brigade had to come and put the fire out, when in fact, none of that stuff happened.

You exaggerated the story to make it seem more

interesting or dramatic than it actually was.

These days there is a certain word, and I don't have the word here on the screen

because I didn't have time to write it.

But there is another word that we often use when we are talking about exaggeration,

and that is hyperbole.

Hyperbole.

Hyperbole is a way of talking

or a way of describing something using exaggeration.

You are making something seem worse than it really is, or more dramatic than it actually is.

You might talk about politicians as when they are making promises, or

if they are talking about a certain issue, they might use hyperbole

for dramatic effect.

And that is also a type of exaggeration as well.

You exaggerate something to make it seem worse than it really is.

Instead of something being like this,

you make it appear as if it's

like this

worse than it really is, especially at the moment.

So I will tell you now, we do have an election taking place next week.

Next Thursday, a general election.

And over the past 3 or 4 weeks we have heard lots and lots of people talking

using hyperbole, exaggerating things to make them seem worse than they really are.

And I always think that's part of the job of a politician, because you always want the past

to seem worse than it actually was,

because you want to make the future appear better than it will ever be.

So I think that is a very good way of describing politics.

It is always about making things better than they were,

even though things in the past were not always that bad.

But that is how it works.

And that is what we call hyperbole.

You make something seem more dramatic than it really is.

So that is today's short subject.

And the reason why it is short is because I'm.

Well, I had a bit of a bad morning, if I was honest with you.

We did have a nice time yesterday.

We went along with Beatrice because we went all the way to Bristol to see Beatrice.

Hello, Beatrice.

We haven't forgotten about you.

Don't worry, it's only me today though, unfortunately.

Thank you.

Beatrice. Also for the Jaffa Cakes. They were lovely.

We had a super time. We had.

We had a lovely meal last night.

We also met your friends as well. Who you are staying with.

Lots and lots was going on yesterday.

Lots of things were happening yesterday

so I think it is

fair to say that we had a very busy day yesterday and that is no exaggeration.

We are not exaggerating that to be honest.

Hello fabulous fairy balls.

Fairy balls says some politicians will take people for a ride.

That is a great expression.

Can I just say that is a really good expression?

If you take someone for a ride, it means you are deceiving them.

You are making them believe something that is not true.

So I do think yes, quite often politicians will take people

for a ride and by that I mean quite often they will make promises

that they will not keep, or they will talk about things

that are not real or true, or of course

they will just exaggerate to get your vote.

So yes, I think you are right there definitely

in says a theatrical person has to have a good memory, just like a liar.

Well, that is one of the things about deceiving or lying.

You have to remember the lies that you tell.

So if you are exaggerating something, you have to make sure that you remember the story,

that you exaggerate it.

Because if someone asks you to tell, you tell the story again

and you tell it in a different way,

then other people will realise that you were lying or exaggerating.

So you're right.

I think if you are a liar, if you are a person who likes to tell lies, or maybe you live

in a fantasy world where you believe that things are happening in your life when they are not.

You have to have a very good memory.

They are Mr.

Duncan, and the same story is happening even here in Italy

when politicians talk, talk and make promises.

Well, I've always said that politicians are always your best friends.

They are always your best friends when they are looking for your vote.

For the rest of the time, they couldn't care less.

Let's face it.

Marcia.

Hello, Marcia.

Marcia, I love your name, by the way.

Marcia, I wish Mr.

Steve was here now so he could pronounce your name, but sadly, he is not.

Thank you for an unforgettable day, Mr. Duncan and Mr. Steve.

You are welcome, Beatriz. No problem.

And once again, thank you very much for the Jaffa Cakes.

I have eaten some of them.

I did have 3 or 4 of them this morning.

I have to be honest, because I'm very naughty sometimes.

Mr. Duncan, I need to improve my communication in English.

Can you recommend a way to improve my speaking abilities?

Asks Marianne. Well, of course

your speaking ability relies

on your knowledge of words and grammar.

And also, I think one of the big problems when you are learning English or any language

is confidence.

Confidence.

The confidence to actually speak, the confidence to open your mouth and say things.

So sometimes you might find that the problem with speaking to other people,

using your second language quite often refers or relates to confidence.

So that is my my big advice.

And as I said in the past, there are many ways of doing exercises or taking exercises

so it can help you to become accustomed to talking.

Maybe you could talk in front of a mirror, you could look at yourself.

You could

slowly, slowly get used to the appearance and the sound of your own voice.

Maybe you can record your own voice as well.

Maybe you can record the sound of your voice and listen to it.

So there are many ways of learning how to speak, and many, many people who learn English

or any language will often say the hardest part of learning a language is using it.

And by that I mean speaking.

Burki says, I think I might be the youngest viewer.

You might be, you might be.

I don't know.

Hello.

Also to oh, hello.

We have 1 or 2 messages coming through now that have been deleted.

I don't know why is that strange?

I will be going soon.

It's only a short one today because I'm not feeling very well.

I have I have this terrible allergy today which is making my throat incredibly painful.

So every word that I'm saying today is painful.

And that is not an exaggeration.

It is not.

Mr. Steve will be back next Sunday.

He will be back with us.

So just in case you are worried that Mr.

Steve has left, he hasn't.

Today he is doing a rehearsal for a show that he's in, and he will be back with us next Sunday.

He will be taking some of the strain from me.

And that is the wonderful thing.

When Mr.

Steve is here with me, it means I don't have to talk so much because Mr.

Steve will do quite a lot of the talking.

Hello, Claudia. It's nice to see you here as well, Claudia.

I am going to the dentist.

By the way, on Friday I will be going to the dentist.

I will be seeing the dentist and they will be scraping

and prodding my teeth.

And to be honest with you, I don't really like having that done.

I'm not a big fan of going to the dentist, to be honest.

I do not like the dentist at all.

Rosemary's going, I have to go now.

I have to go. My father is missed.

Thank you, Burke, for letting me know that.

Thank you very much for your comments on the live stream.

I will be going in a moment because I am a little bit

tired and also a little bit unwell today, for which I apologise.

Anyway, I'm going and I will see you maybe tomorrow because of course.

Oh, I forgot, I almost forgot July is coming.

So today is the final day of June.

So we will be saying goodbye to June later today.

And of course July will be here tomorrow.

So lots and lots of things coming up during July and I hope you will join me for those things.

Thank you very much for your company. I hope you've enjoyed today's live stream.

It was a short one because, well, I've already told you why.

I won't say it again.

Thank you, Mr. Duncan.

Thank you.

Sid Sica. Pedro. Thank you. Pedro.

By the way, I am not ill.

So this is not illness, because a lot of people keep writing to me saying, Mr.

Duncan, we are sorry to hear you are ill. I'm not ill.

I've just got my seasonal allergy and this year,

it's much worse than it normally is

because there is a lot of pollen floating around in the air.

Thank you very much. See you later.

I will probably be with you on Wednesday live, so the next live stream will be on Wednesday.

I hope I'm feeling much better by then.

Next Sunday Steve will be with us as well on the live chat.

I promise.

I promise

I'm not sure if Mr.

Steve will promise, but I'm promising anyway, thank you very much for watching.

See you later.

And I am now going to have a nice warm drink to soothe my throat.

This is Mr. Duncan in the birthplace of English saying.

See you later. Take care of yourselves. Have a super duper weekend.

And of course, until the next time we meet here, you know what's coming next.

I know what's coming next. I think we all do. To be honest.

See you later. And

ta ta for now.