Common Spoken English

okay let's do a little bit of English practice  vocabulary these are words that you probably  

know but might be a little difficult to use how  about how about let's say listen yeah all right  

all right let's look at that how about how about  is a way of making a suggestion for example I want  

to play the violin how about taking lessons I  never have time to exercise how about waking up

earlier I want to go shopping how about going with  me this afternoon how about going with me this

afternoon do you have those shoes in a size

six no but how about these they're very similar

no but how about these how  about these shoes they're very

similar all right let's say let's  say is a way of making a more  

forceful suggestion so it's a strong  suggestion mom can I have my phone

back let's say you do your homework

first H so the mother says do your homework first  

and then I'll give you your phone back  so let's say you do your your homework

first can you pick me up at 5:00

p.m. let's say 5:30 I can't get there by

5 I can't get there by 5:00 so let's say 5:30

instead is break time over  yeah let's say we get back to

work let's say we get back to

work all right look is an expression  that indicates that you wish something  

weren't true look I wish it weren't  true or you wish it hadn't happened  

look I wish it hadn't happened you  got here late look I said I was sorry

why did you cancel look I wish I could go  but I can't look I wish I could go but I

can't that's it I'm done look I know  it's not easy but you can't give

up look I know it's not easy but you can't give up

up listen Okay so saying listen indicates  that you want the person you are speaking  

to to pay attention to what you are going  to say next it's just a it doesn't have  

any meaning it's basically I'm going to  say something listen to me listen I don't  

like it but it has to be done listen  I don't like it but it has to be done

but Mom all my friends are

going listen you're not going and that's

final listen you're not going and that's

final you won't believe what I just heard about

Carrie listen I don't want to hear any more gossip

or you say listen tell me all the gossip come  on tell me tell me no I'm just kidding I don't  

want to hear any more gossip listen I  don't want to hear anymore don't tell

me though though can be used  to mean however indicating that  

there is another answer like this  are you good at basketball are you  

good at basketball no I'm good at at  football though I'm good at football

though is he in the band no  he does play guitar though  

no he's not in the band but he does play guitar

though do you have an opening at 100 p.m  no but we do have an opening at two though

no but we do have an opening at two

though all right having too much on one's  plate to have too much on one's plate is an  

expression that indicates that someone is very  busy probably because of an unusual project an  

event or many things to do too many things  to do so busy have too much on one's plate  

too much food you can't eat it all we wish we  could go but we have too much on our plate right

now okay say it with me say it together we  wish we could go but we have too much on our  

plate right now again we wish we could go but  we have too much on our plate right now we've  

got you can say that to we have have we've got  we've got too much we have too much look I'd  

like to help you out but we just mooved to a  new house and I just have too I just have too  

much on my plate right now let me try that  again say it with me look I'd like to help  

you out but we just moved to a new house and I  just have too much on my plate right now let's  

try again look I'd like to help you out but we  just moved to a new house and I just have too  

much on my plate right now yeah right that's  sarcasm yeah right that's a sarcastic answer  

that indicates that what was said previously is  ridiculous so what was just said is ridiculous  

oh that's ridiculous yeah right hey Mom  I'm going to clean my room after I play

I'm going to clean my room after I play

mom yeah right how about you clean it before you

play how about we used that didn't we  yeah right you're not going to clean  

your room after you play you're going to  clean your room before you play how about

that Jill got a perfect score on the math test

yeah right I don't believe it Jill's  not very good at math yeah right I  

don't believe it a perfect score really  they want you to wear a tie yeah right  

that's not going to happen yeah right I  will not wear a tie that's not going to

happen so this is kind of um conversational  so you would probably say it like this yeah  

right that's not gonna happen that's  not going to happen that's not going to

happen all right perfect of course  and no problem let's finish it up  

with these words right here can we  discuss this further at the meeting

tomorrow perfect sounds good  will you go over my homework with

me of course let's take a look  at it of course let's take a  

look at it is it okay if I come in  late tomorrow I have a dentist's

appointment no problem take your time no  problem take your time I hope it's not a  

bad appointment where you have to to get  drilled in the mouth boom good work out  

bad ending keep moving forward one step  at a time I'll see you in the next step