ENGLISH MADE EASY 🇬🇧 | 12 Everyday Phrases for FLUENT Conversations 💬

Hi there. This is Harry. Welcome back  to Advanced English Lessons with Harry,  

where I try to help you to get a better  understanding of the English language,  

helping you to introduce certain expressions,  phrases, phrasal verbs—whatever it is,  

wherever you have the problem,  come to me and we'll try to help  

you to get a better understanding so  you can improve your spoken English.

You can improve your written English  and just enjoy it much better and feel  

much more comfortable and much  more confident. And the whole  

idea is to get you feeling comfortable and  confident so that your fluency improves.

And for those out there who listen very intensely  to what I say, sometimes I have a habit of  

repeating myself and repeating certain pet words  that I might have. Recently, somebody picked me up  

on the fact that I use the word "particular" or  "particularly" quite often, so my apologies for  

that. It happens a lot. You know, people get into  habits and just like you, I have certain habits.

And unless you point them out, I don't  know about them. So keep picking up on  

those. And if you hear me  in this particular lesson,  

using "particular" or "particularly" more  than a couple of times, well, why don't you  

count up how many times I do it? Drop me a  line and we'll see what we can do about it.

Okay, well, this particular advanced  English lesson is all about speaking,  

all about your vocabulary. So we're looking at  advanced expressions that will help you to improve  

your speaking English. These are expressions that  native speakers just think about automatically.  

They don't have to think long and hard. They just  drop them into the conversation. So hopefully,

I'll give you these. There are 12 of  them, so an even dozen. I'll give them  

to you with a couple of examples as to how  to use them. And then hopefully you'll be  

able to practice with one or two or  three of them. Try to introduce them  

where you can into your speech. Now, as  I always say, be really, really careful.

There's no need for you to learn by heart  all 12 of them, and there's no need for  

you to try and force them into every  conversation that you have. There'll  

be times when you want to use them. So  pick your moments and it will make you  

sound better, more professional,  and you'll enjoy the experience.

Okay, so we've got 12 advanced expressions to  help you to build your vocabulary. And as always,  

at the end of this particular lesson, I'm  going to give you my address. And if you  

need to write to me or you want to write to  me, you want to tell me about how many times  

I've used "particular" or indeed, you want me to  ask me to include something in a future lesson?

Well, you'll have the address and  you'll know where to contact me.

Okay, back to the lesson. So number  one, to get the hang of something,  

when we get the hang of something, we work  it out. Eventually, it might take us a few  

times. I remember when I was first using Zoom  or first using Skype. It took me a few attempts  

to get the hang of it. But how to work it  or how to use it and the appropriate way.

Okay, so to get the hang of something  means to become proficient or skilled  

at doing or using something. So let  me give you a couple of examples. It  

took me a while to get the hang of  driving on the left-hand side of the  

road when I moved to the UK, but  eventually, I was able to do it.

Okay, so it took me a while to get the  hang of driving on the left-hand side  

of the road when I moved to the UK,  but eventually, I was able to do it.

After a few weeks of practice, I finally  got the hang of playing the guitar. After  

a few weeks of practice, I finally got the  hang of playing the guitar. So this is,  

to get the hang of something means to understand  how to drive on the left-hand side of the road,  

to understand where you exit the roundabout.  That can be quite dangerous if you if you if  

you used to driving on the other side of the road  and then after a few weeks of practice, I got the

hang. I finally got the hang of playing  the guitar. So making notes, not just  

something that sounds like the cat  got caught in the door. Okay, so

second example to beat around the bush

And let's not beat around the bush.

to beat around the bush. We use this expression  

when we talk about people who constantly  delay or avoid saying something directly.

So the and they don't want to say it directly or  they don't know how to say it directly. So they  

beat around the bush, the bush being a small tree,  they just say something and well, yeah, look at  

what I was hoping to talk about. Well, you know,  the thing we had last week and yeah, and they  

don't get to the point when you'd really like them  to say no, it'll just take a couple of minutes.

Remember the meeting we had last week? But I  really wasn't so happy with your contribution.  

That's very, very direct. But at least you know  where the person is coming from. Whereas if they  

beat around the bush, you're sitting there for  ages tapping your fingers on the table thinking,  

I wish this guy would just get on  with it, what does he want to say?

So to beat around the bush is to avoid talking  about something directly. Let me give you a  

couple of examples. Stop beating around the  bush and just tell me what you want to say.  

That very clear. You sit down with the boss,  or you sit down with somebody reporting to you,  

and you can tell that they've got something to say  and they want to get something off their chest.

So you just come out with it and say, okay, look,  

stop beating around the bush. Just  tell me what you want to say, okay?

The boss always beats around the bush before  giving you bad news. Well, that's a very,  

very common experience. When the boss doesn't  want to tell you that you're not getting the  

pay raise or the pay raise you're getting  is not the one you expected or did. You're  

not getting that bonus, whatever it might be.  They can't really come straight to the point.

So the boss often beats around the  bush before he gives you the bad news.

I've experienced that myself.

Number three, it goes without saying. It  goes, let's say. So what does this mean? Well,  

it goes without saying is used  to introduce a point that is,

widely accepted. Yeah. It goes without saying  that we're not going to be open on Friday,  

a Monday because it's a bank holiday  weekend. It goes without saying that,  

of course, if you have to work late  after 6:00, we will pay you overtime.

So it's obvious that when the shop or the  office is not going to be open during the  

the holiday weekend, it's obvious. Oh, it should  be obvious. If you have to work longer hours,  

you need to get paid for that. So  when we say it goes that saying,  

it means that it's wide, widely accepted  that this is what's going to happen.

Let me give you an example.

It goes without saying that a healthy diet is  essential for maintaining a healthy body. Okay,  

it goes without saying that a healthy  diet is essential to lead to or give you  

a healthy body. So why do we say it? Well,  we say it because we just have to repeat  

it. But it goes without saying. It goes  without saying that we need to be careful

how we spend our money, when the  economic times are difficult.

So it goes without saying that we have  to be careful how we spend our money

when the economic

situation is difficult. So rising inflation  or job cuts of job losses then yeah,  

we have to be really, really careful  how we spend our money. So we don't  

or shouldn't have to say it, but we say  it anyway. It goes without saying that.

Number four to keep someone on their toes.  Well, when we keep someone on their toes,  

we don't let them relax. We keep them on high  alert. If you ever see a cat, it's always up  

on its feet, ready to run at the slightest sound  of danger. So you know the cat is on its toes. So  

when you keep somebody on their toes, then you  want them to be alert or to keep them alert.

So you don't want them to be relaxed. Okay? So,

If you're going to town or your  son or daughter are going to town  

late at night. You tell them to  be aware, not to be too relaxed,  

because things can happen. So, you know,  you might say to them, keep on your toes.  

Be aware of what's happening around you just  in case you have to react very, very quickly.

Now, let me give you a couple of examples.  My boss likes to give me unpredictable tasks  

just to keep me on my toes. So, you know, I can  never sit back and relax. Because I know as soon  

as I do that he's going to send me an email or  he's going to drop something on my desk. Okay,  

so my boss gives me unpredictable  tasks just to keep me on my toes.

Being a firefighter means you always have to  be on your toes. You have to be alert because  

the alarm could ring at any moment. When you  have to drop everything. Run to the fire tender  

and drive off to fight another fire, quite  literally. Okay, so being a firefighter means  

you have to or you are constantly on your  toes and ready to act or react in an emergency

Only in 30s.

Okay. So to keep someone on their toes means to  keep them alert and to be alert at all times.

And indeed, if you like this particular lesson,  

then please like the video. And if you can  subscribe to the channel, because it really,  

really helps thousands and thousands of  you now subscribing to the channel. The  

numbers are going up and up and it makes  me feel good about it and it makes me feel

enthusiastic to give you more and more lessons.

Okay. So number five is to come clean. So

to come clean means when somebody confesses to  something or tells the truth about something.  

Okay. So to confess or to tell the truth  about something means to come clean.

I decided to come clean about the mistake I  made and apologise to my boss. So you'd done  

something you shouldn't have done  or said something that you shouldn't  

have done. So you decided to come  clean and apologise to the boss.

She finally came clean and admitted that it was

she who had broken the vase or the vase.

You can pronounce it either way. So she  decided to come clean, or she finally  

came clean and confessed to admitted that she  was the one that had broken the vase. Okay,  

so when we come clean, we admit to  a mistake or a problem or difficulty  

or something that is our fault. So  it's not blamed on somebody else.

Number six to turn a blind  eye, and we usually turn a  

blind eye to something. To turn a  blind eye to something means to,

pretend that you didn't notice it, even though  you did see it. But you turn a blind eye. So  

parents always do this. For example, little  Johnny is in the room and he sees the plate,  

the biscuits on the table that  his mother told him not to touch.

And he creeps up, takes one and eats, and then his  mother can see it out of the corner of her eye,  

but she turns a blind eye to it because,  well, boys will be boys. Okay? So to turn  

a blind eye. So when we turn a blind eye,  it's to ignore or pretend not to notice  

something. The teacher turned a blind eye to the  student who was obviously cheating in the exam.

The manager turned a blind eye to the  employee, who was late consistently for  

work. Perhaps he was a good worker, but we  just couldn't get out of bed in the morning.  

Perhaps he took shorter lunch breaks, or he  worked a little longer in the evening, so  

the manager turned a blind eye to the worker, or  the employee who was consistently late for work.

Number seven is to pull someone's leg.

She's just pulling your leg, isn't she?

We pull someone's leg when we're trying to  play a practical joke on them. April Fool's  

Day is a very good day for that. People play  practical jokes on each other all the time.  

Or certainly we used to in in my day. Okay,  so when we pull someone's leg, we're trying  

to tease them or play a joke on them, but it's  not intended to hurt or be malicious in any way.

I wasn't really angry with you.  I was just pulling your leg. So a  

mother or father might pretend to be  angry or upset about something that

child had said, and they wanted to see  what reaction. So I wasn't really angry  

with you. I was just pulling your  leg. All my coworkers were pulling  

my leg when I got a Valentine's  card from a girl in the office.

Yeah, so they were pulling my leg when I got  a Valentine's card from a girl in the office.

Number eight. To make a long story short. Well,  I could do with this. To make a long story short,  

I like talking and talking and talking. But  to make a long story short is to summarise

story without going into a lot of detail.

Okay, so some people don't want to hear all of  the details, they just want to get straight to  

the point. So we and would we if we're running  out of time, we say okay to make or to cut a  

long story short, let me get straight to  the point. So you you leave out all the

details in between.

That might not be so interesting.

For example, to make a long story short,  I ended up getting lost on the way to the  

airport and I missed my flight. So  that's the shortened version. The  

long version might be that you got up late,  or there was a detour and you didn't know  

where you were going and blah blah blah  blah blah, and you missed the flight.

But to cut a long story short,  

I got lost on the way to the airport  and I ended up missing my flight.

I won't go into all the details  now, but to make a long story short,  

we have decided to shelve those  plans. So the company has decided  

not to proceed with some particular plan.  But they won't go into all of the details.

It's not so relevant. It's  just suffice to tell you that,

we have shelved this particular plan.  So I won't go into all of the details.

But to cut a long story short, just  to let you know that we have decided  

to shelve that particular plan.  So it's not going to go ahead.

Number nine, to keep someone in the loop.

Okay. When somebody keeps you in the loop,  

it means they keep you on emails or they keep  you informed about what is happening. I'll  

make sure I keep you in the loop about  that new client, just in case you want  

to ring him or her to welcome them on board  as a new client. So I'll keep you in the loop.

Or the boss might ask you please keep  me in the loop. I want to be informed  

about everything that happens. And of  course, when somebody is kept in the loop,  

they get a CC message and they can read  it, and then they can pick up the phone,  

or they can send a text message if they want  more information to keep someone in the loop.

Number ten to play devil's advocate. Well, if  you're making a decision and everybody around  

the table is nodding in agreement. Well, then  there's nobody standing up to say what if or what  

about. So this is when you need somebody  to play devil's advocate for somebody to

present a counter argument as to what  might happen in certain situations.

So when we've got those 12 heads  nodding in agreement, you might say,  

well, is there anybody willing to  play devil's advocate and look at  

a couple of situations or scenarios  that might change or that might,

look at this in a slightly different  way? You know, it's really, really  

important for us to look at all aspects.  So let's play devil's advocate or let me  

play devil's advocate for a few minutes  and ask you some searching questions.

So, for example, I know we all want  to proceed with this particular plan  

or this particular project, but let's play  devil's advocate for a few minutes and look  

at a couple of situations that could  jeopardise our plan. Okay. So again,  

you're putting forward some alternatives.  You might not agree with them or you  

might not believe they're likely to happen, but  it's a really prudent way to look at a project,  

to look at situations that might be against what  you have and what other people have agreed to do.

Okay, so to

play or to act. Play devil's advocate.

Okay. And then onto number 11. We've  got this expression. Having said that,  

this is a really common expression. So when  we say having said that, it's often used to  

indicate a shift in your opinion or a shift in  the speaker's argument about some particular  

point. Yeah. So they're telling you what's going  to happen, what's what's going to take place.

And then they might say, well,  having said that, of course,  

we have to take into consideration blah, blah  blah. So if you're talking about that particular  

project and you outline everything that's  going to happen, then you might say, well,  

having said that, there's a possibility  that we might have to delay the launch,  

of course, because we might not get all of  the marketing budget approved by the board.

Okay. So having said that, as a  way of introducing an alternative  

or a different point of view. Okay, now  let me give you a couple of examples.

Having said that, I do think it's important to  acknowledge the challenges that come with this  

proposed plan or the proposal. So having said  that, meaning, having said that, everything  

looks great and this is a really great opportunity  for us. It's really important to look at it from  

another point of view, to look at the challenges  that may come with this particular project.

So having said that, she's an excellent writer.

But having said that,

communication skills need to improve. So she's  an excellent writer. She's won lots of rewards.  

Or awards. But having said that, I think her  communication skills, interpersonal skills  

need to be improved. Okay, so having said that,  presenting on our terms of a different viewpoint.

And then finally number 12, getting to  the end of a particular list. Wishful  

thinking. And then another well used  expression, wishful thinking. And we use.

wishful thinking when people refer to a  situation or believe something that is  

highly unlikely to happen. Okay, so for example,  

here in Ireland we might look forward to  a nice warm spring or nice warm summer.

Hahaha. Wishful thinking. Yeah. You know what  happened the last time you said that? It rained  

for three weeks. So wishful thinking is when  we refer to something or we believe that,

something,

could happen, but it's highly unlikely  that it will happen. So again,  

let me give you two final examples of that.

That thinking that would be able to finish  this project tomorrow on a Friday is wishful  

thinking on your part. You know, it's a  holiday weekend and people will be leaving,

early after lunch. So it's  wishful thinking on your part,  

thinking that we are going to finish this project,

by lunchtime or close of business on Friday.

Believing that you might win the lottery and be  able to sail around the world or sail off into the  

sunset may be wishful thinking on your part. When  the chances of winning the lottery are whatever,

200 million to 1, or whatever the odds happen  to be. So again, wishful thinking. Something you  

might like to do. You might think about it, but in  reality it's very, very unlikely to happen to you.

Okay, so there we have 12, an even dozen of  expressions that I think you can use and help  

you to improve your spoken English. You can also  include them in writing, but they're very good  

when you're in conversations. You can use  them as I've given you their examples in  

your personal life, private life, business life.  They are suitable for all types of conversations.

So as always, you know the drill by now.  Practice some of them. Try to remember them,  

try to write them, try to use them. And if  you need some additional information, some  

additional examples, well, you know what to do.  You write to me at www.englishlessonviaskype.com.  

Very happy to hear from you. Very happy to give  you the additional information that you want.

Okay, this is Harry saying goodbye.  Thanks for listening and thanks for  

watching. And as always, make sure  you join me for the next lesson.