Long Story Short & Other ways to be concise in English | English with Jennifer

[Music]  

Hi everyone. I'm Jennifer from English with  Jennifer. Let me ask you something. How much time  

do you need to get your point across to people?  Take a quick quiz. Do you like to tell stories?  

When you tell a story, does your  listener start to look distracted?

Do you sometimes go off topic? Meaning you  

start talking about something  that seems more interesting.

Do people often ask you, "What do you mean?"

Do people sometimes respond with,  "So what you're saying is..."

If you answered yes to any of those questions,  

you may need more time than others to convey  an idea or relay a message. And that's okay  

as long as you have a patient listener.  But maybe it would help to summarize a  

point and simply be more concise. That's what  I'll teach you to do in this video [Music]

In a word. You can use this at the beginning,  in the middle, or at the end of an explanation  

as a way to be brief. Use it before  a single word or a short thought.

How can you improve your mental performance?  In a word, sleep better. Your sleep affects  

your brain. Improve the quality of  your sleep, and you'll perform better.  

Why do some people post photos  every day throughout the day?

Social media is, in a word,  social. Some people are more  

social than others. They feel the need  to connect more strongly than others.

In a nutshell. This is the same kind of phrase,  but it's a bit more informal. A nutshell is  

very small, so we use this phrase to  summarize or make a brief statement.  

How do you learn vocabulary? In  a nutshell, you need exposure and  

practice. Make sure you read and listen to  English. Then find ways to use new words.

Why do some diets fail to work? Different  sources will tell you what to eat and  

what not to eat. That's your basic diet in a  nutshell. But everybody's body is different,  

so a diet that works for one  person may not work for another.

In short. This is a good informal alternative to  "In conclusion" or "To summarize." Let's just say  

I've listed all the benefits of being a member  of my Patreon program. You know about the Zoom  

classes and practice tasks and the bonus audio  materials. In short, it's an ongoing program  

that combines group and independent study for  advanced learners who wish to work on all skills.  

At the end of the day. What's a typical day like?  I think we know what matters most at the end of  

the day. Did we complete our work? Did we do  the best we could? Did we try to be helpful and  

kind to others? If so, then we can forgive  the little mistakes we made along the way.  

When you have to take a lot into consideration  and then form an opinion, you can choose to focus  

on what matters most by saying, "At the end  of the day..." The decision to go to college,  

for instance, is a big one. There are many  factors to consider. Young adults today have  

more choices than I did when I was 18. College  isn't the only path forward. The internet makes  

lifelong learning possible, so at the end of the  day, a high school graduate needs to decide what's  

best for them based on their goals, the lifestyle  they want to live, and their financial situation.

In the end. This is a similar way to sum up  what matters most and express an opinion.  

For example, I recently had to replace the water  heater in my home. I paid more than I thought it  

would be, but in the end, I reasoned that I was  making a good investment. Water heaters last for  

at least 10 years, and I'm not willing to live  without hot water, so I paid to have a quality  

product installed by professionals. You might also  use "in the end" as you're finishing up a story,  

but here's a more colorful way to do that.  Long story short. You can say this to  

shorten an otherwise long story. Skip some of the  details and simply tell what happened in the end.  

Do you know how I ended up teaching English?  Originally, I thought I was going to teach  

Russian as a foreign language. I got certified in  the state of Pennsylvania . Ten I decided that I  

needed to improve my Russian language skills.  My graduate work took me over to Moscow. Long  

story short, I discovered my true calling, and  I got certified in ESL when I came back home.  

When all is said and done. This is yet another  very conversational way to sum up your point. What  

matters and why? Typically, we use this at the  beginning of a statement after laying out a bigger  

argument . When's the last time you gave thought  to a problem in your country? Big or small.  

There's plenty to think about, right? One of my  private students recently traveled to Singapore,  

and she told me how clean it was because they have  strict laws against littering and even chewing  

gum. Sadly, our cities here in the U.S are not  pristine. So, what's the difference? Well, when  

all is said and done, it's about education and  accountability. First, people have to be taught  

at a young age not to litter. And second, there  should be consequences. Laws need to be enforced.

Why don't you consider a big or small  problem that your country faces? Use one  

of the expressions from this lesson to  tell me your opinion -- and be concise.  

So, what's the plan? In a word, you. In a  nutshell, yes. So...so like, um, in short,  

what are my options here? At the end of the  day, all that matters is what you think.  

In the end, I'd probably lose. Long story short,  I've been dealing with some personal crap.  

But uh, after all is said and done, you you  did get me home and I really appreciate it.

If you're looking for extended  speaking or writing practice,  

check out my Patreon program for advanced  learners. Details are in the video description.  

That's all for now. Please like and share the  video if you found the lesson useful. And if  

you haven't already, please subscribe. Thank you  to all my current YouTube members and Patrons  

on Patreon. Thank you, everyone, for watching  and I wish you happy studies. I'd like to say  

a special thank you to a Kind-Hearted Patron.  Libor pledged two dollars a month. Thank you.

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