When Running Isn't Running - An English Lesson

44,492 views ・ 2023-01-03

Learn English with Bob the Canadian


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

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(sound effect)
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Did you see me? I was running.
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The English word, "running" though is an interesting
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and strange word because we use it for a lot more things
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than the thing that I was just doing now.
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So if you want to know how we use the word running
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in a bunch of different ways, stay tuned.
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(upbeat tune plays)
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You can probably hear me right now
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because my van isn't running, but if I turn the key...
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and start my van now you can hear
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that my van is running.
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Right now my van is running
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and it probably makes it hard for you to hear me.
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Let me turn it off.
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We use the English word "running" when we talk
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about machines that are doing what they're supposed to do.
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In fact, I came home earlier
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and I could hear that the washing machine was running
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because Jen was doing laundry.
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You could hear that my van was running
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after I turned the key because the motor was turning
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and the van was doing what it was supposed to do.
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So another way we use the English word running is to talk
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about machines or appliances in our house that are
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doing the things that they're supposed to do.
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So today has been a bit of a crazy day.
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I've been running late.
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I've been running behind all day.
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I got up this morning
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and I went out for breakfast with my brother
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and then we ended up doing some other things
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before I came home and then the internet wasn't working
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and I needed to make this video and I had a lot
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of other things to do, but I was already running behind.
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I was already running late.
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In English, when you use the word running
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in the phrase running behind or running late
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you're simply saying that you're doing everything late.
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If you have a whole list of things to do,
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you're doing every single one
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of those things later than you were expecting to.
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I did make it to breakfast on time with my brother
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but we talked for too long
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and then I was running late for the rest of the day.
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I'm even running late now.
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I have to finish this video quickly
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because I have other things I'm supposed to be doing
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and I was supposed to be doing them a while ago already.
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So anyways I'm running late.
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I'm running behind, but that's okay.
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That's just life.
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Another way we use the word running
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in English is in the phrase a running joke.
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A running joke is a joke that's told over and over again
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between a group of people or between two people.
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Jen and I have a running joke here on the farm.
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Whenever we see a mouse or if we see a rat
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we say we should get more cats.
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This is a joke because we already have lots of cats.
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We have six or seven cats that live on this farm.
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We don't need any more cats
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but it's kind of a little joke we tell each other.
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It's a running joke.
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Every few months we'll see a mouse, we'll see a rat
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and one of us will say to the other, "Hmm,
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maybe we should get more cats."
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It's just a little running joke that we have.
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Another way we use the word running in English is to talk
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about someone who is in charge of something.
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I work at a school.
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I'm in charge of running the classroom.
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But my boss is in charge of running the school.
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He is the one who is in charge.
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He is the one who takes all the responsibility.
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Jen has a flower farm.
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She is running a small business.
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So another way we use the word running in English,
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we use it to talk about someone who is in charge
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of something, someone who is the director or the boss,
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the person who is really making all the decisions.
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For our farm, that person is Jen.
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She is running a small business.
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Another way we use the English word running is to talk
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about something that's happened over
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and over again day after day or week
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after week or year after year and is still happening.
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I have as of today, walked for 31 days running.
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That means for the last 31 days, including today
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I have been going for a walk every single day.
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On this YouTube channel,
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I have been putting English lessons online
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for six years running.
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That means for the last six years I have put English lessons
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on this YouTube channel and I'm still gonna keep doing it.
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So another way we use the English word running is to talk
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about something that's happening day after day
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week after week or year after year.
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We also use the English word running
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in the phrase "off and running" to talk about something
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that has started.
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At the beginning of the school year we're off and running.
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We have the first day of school
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and then we're off and running for the rest of the year.
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When you start a new job, you're off and running.
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After the first day of work, you're off and running.
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It means you've started the job
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and you're gonna keep doing it.
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So we use the English word running
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in the phrase "off and running" to talk about something
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that has started.
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You can also use this to talk about an actual running race.
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You know, the starter pistol went off
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and they were off and running.
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You can use it for actual running
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but we use it for a lot of other things as well.
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Sometimes I'm really busy because I have a lot
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of "running around to do".
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In English, when I use the phrase running around,
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I'm simply talking about errands.
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I'm talking about things I have to do that day.
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Sometimes I think a Saturday is going to be a nice quiet day
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and then I realize I have a lot of errands to do.
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I have a lot of things to do.
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I have a lot of running around to do.
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Now you're not actually running when you do this.
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I mean, you might be a little bit.
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Generally it means I'm going to drive to
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different places to do different things that I need to do.
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But certainly if I have a day where I'm really
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really busy doing a lot of errands,
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I would probably say I have a lot of running around to do.
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So I opened the fridge this morning
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and there was only this much milk left in the milk pitcher.
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So we are "running out" of milk.
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That's another phrase we use
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with the word running in it in English.
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That has nothing to do with actual running.
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When you are using something in your kitchen
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or even something else in your life and it's getting low,
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you need to buy some more.
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We often say that we are running out.
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We are currently running out of milk.
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We're running out of peanut butter,
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and we're running out of butter, I think.
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So it might be a good idea to go and do some shopping today.
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So the English phrase to be "running out of"
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when you are running out of something means
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you still have some, but whatever you're using
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you're going to need to buy some more soon.
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Well, thank you so much for watching this English lesson
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about different ways to use the word running
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in English that have nothing to do with actual running.
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I hope you were able to learn a few phrases that you can use
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in your next English conversation.
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Hey, if this is your first time here
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don't forget to click that red subscribe button.
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Give me a thumbs up and if you have time, leave a comment.
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I always enjoy reading them,
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and sometimes I even have time to respond.
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Have a good week. Bye.
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(upbeat tune plays)
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