7 VITAL ENGLISH PHRASES TO BOOST YOUR CONVERSATION SKILLS

Hey, in this week's lesson, I'm going to teach you seven English phrases that

will enhance, build, and strengthen your English conversation skills.

Are you ready?

Well, then I'm teacher Tiffani.

Let's jump right in.

Phrase number one, cut to the chase.

Excellent.

Again, after me cut to the chase.

Excellent.

Now this phrase literally just means.

To get to the point without wasting time.

Imagine you asked someone for directions.

Hey, I'm trying to get to this restaurant.

Can you tell me how to get there?

And instead of them giving you the directions, they start talking about their

dog or talking about their day or talking about a test they're about to take.

They're not getting to the point.

They're not giving you directions in this situation.

You could say, Hey, I'm sorry.

Can you please cut to the chase?

I really need the directions again, getting to the point without wasting time.

Make sense.

Excellent.

All right.

Check out this first example sentence.

We don't have much time, so let's cut to the chase next sentence.

Number two, he tends to ramble.

But eventually he'll cut to the chase.

He tends to go on and on and talk about things not related to the

topic, but he'll cut to the chase.

You got it.

Excellent.

All right.

And sentence number three.

I wish she would cut to the chase and stop beating around the bush.

Makes sense.

Excellent.

So the very first English phrase you must understand and know how to

use in order to enhance your English conversation skills is cut to the chase.

Yes.

Great job.

Now we're going to move on to number two, but before we move to number

two, I want to remind you everything that I'm teaching you in this lesson,

you can practice, you can review by opening up my app, English with Tiffani.

Now, the link for the app, if you're watching the YouTube video

lesson is right in the description, open the app on your phone.

You can download it for free and you can practice what you're learning.

This is how you'll enhance your skills even more.

So again, download the English with Tiffani app.

So let's move now on to number two, English phrase.

Number two, after me.

Sit tight.

Good job.

Again, sit tight.

Excellent.

Now, this is a phrase we use all the time in America, and I

personally use this all the time.

It literally just means to remain patiently in one place or situation

until further notice to sit in an area.

Patiently waiting for something to happen.

For example, the MVA motor vehicle administration, this is where you would

go to get your driver's license, to get things for your car, all of the documents.

Many times you have to wait for a long period of time when you go to the MVA.

So when you get there, you get your number.

You're waiting for your number to be called.

Someone can grab the mic and say, Hey, everyone.

Please sit tight.

We're going to get to you.

Don't worry.

They're literally just saying, Hey, everyone, please sit patiently.

We are going to call your numbers soon.

Makes sense.

Excellent.

All right.

Here's the first example.

Sentence sit tight.

The doctor will be with you shortly.

This is one of the best example sentences.

Why?

Because sit tight will be used in a doctor's office.

It will be used when you go to an appointment.

So now as an English learner, when you hear someone say sit tight,

you'll understand what they're saying.

Make sense?

All right, here's the second example sentence.

We're just waiting for the green light from the boss.

So sit tight.

You see how this can be used even in a work environment, you're working

on a project and you're waiting for the boss to give you his or

her review, his or her feedback.

What's the next step.

And someone says, Hey, listen, sit tight.

The boss will contact you soon.

Please be patient.

You got it.

Good job.

All right.

And sentence number three.

I know you're eager to hear the results, but you'll have to sit tight for now.

You see how powerful this simple phrase actually is.

Again, I know you're eager to hear the results, but you'll

have to sit tight for now.

You'll have to wait patiently for now.

You understand?

Yes.

You're so smart.

Alright, so again, phrase number two is sit.

Now, phrase number three is another very important one after me, jump the gun.

Good.

Don't be scared.

I'll explain again.

Jump the gun.

Excellent.

Now, this is not anything about violence.

This phrase is not related to violence.

Instead, jump the gun literally just means to do something too early or prematurely.

You're doing it before the time.

For example, if I were to all of a sudden start singing story time,

Hey, I said, it's story time.

You could say, Hey teacher.

Hey, Tiffani.

Hey.

Don't jump the gun.

Storytime is at the end of the lesson.

You got it right.

And don't you worry, I got a good story time for you today.

So again, this is how we use jump the gun to do something too early or prematurely.

So check out this first example sentence.

I think you're jumping the gun by buying a car before you have your license.

You're doing it too early.

You're doing it prematurely.

First, get a license, then buy a car.

Next sentence, number two, they jumped the gun and announced the

deal before it was finalized.

And last we have a third example sentence.

Let's not jump the gun and assume it's a done deal.

Let's not act prematurely and assume it's a done deal.

Makes sense.

Excellent.

All right.

So again, phrase number three, jump the gun.

Let's move on to English phrase number four, English phrase.

Number four is bite off more than I can chew.

Excellent.

Very good.

Again, after me bite off more than I can chew.

Excellent.

Now, this is a phrase that simply means to take on a task.

That is too big to handle.

I'll say it one more time to take on a task that is too big to handle.

I want you to imagine a new employee, a new employee starts

working at a large corporation.

And this new employee is still trying to understand how things are done, but

he is eager, so he says to his boss, Hey, I can handle the new project.

Give it to me.

I'll do my best.

The manager could say to this individual, Hey, I know you're

excited, but you can't do this, right?

You're going to be biting off more than you can chew because you

don't know how things work yet.

Makes sense.

Excellent.

Again.

So bite off more than I, then she, then he can chew.

All right, here's the first example sentence.

I think I've bitten off more than I can chew with this renovation project.

Whoo.

It's taking more of my time than I realized.

Next sentence.

Number two, she tends to bite off more than she can chew.

And finally, sentence number three, don't bite off more than you can chew

by taking on too many responsibilities.

Makes sense.

Excellent.

So once again, we have the fourth English phrase bite off more than I can chew.

Now let's move on to phrase number five, another important one.

Remember we're learning English phrases that will help you do what?

Boost your conversation skills.

Number five, play it by ear.

Excellent.

Again, play it by ear.

Great job.

Now, this phrase is used on a regular basis, literally all the time.

What does it mean?

It just means.

To decide how to deal with a situation as it develops, rather

than acting according to a plan.

In other words, you don't have a plan in place, or if you do have a plan in place.

You toss it out the window and say, Hey, let's just go with the flow.

Let's just figure things out as we go along.

Let's just play it by ear.

Makes sense.

Excellent.

All right, here's the first example sentence.

I'm not sure what we'll do this weekend.

We'll just play it by ear.

This is a very commonly said statement.

Sentence number two, let's play it by ear.

We can always adjust the plan.

And sentence number three.

We don't have a set schedule, so we're playing it by ear.

You got it.

Excellent.

All right.

Again, English phrase number five is play it by ear.

Now we have phrase number six after me, go the extra mile.

Good again, go the extra mile.

Excellent.

All right, go the extra mile.

This is one of my favorite phrases because it really characterizes my

ideal when it comes to work, work ethic, go the extra mile, it means

to do more than what is expected.

Again, to do more than what is expected.

You go above and beyond you work harder.

You give 110%, you go the extra mile.

This is something that I live by.

No matter what I'm doing, I want to make sure I give more.

I do more than is expected.

Makes sense.

Excellent.

All right.

Here's the first example sentence.

He always goes the extra mile for his customers.

Next.

To make it in this industry, you'll have to go the extra mile.

And finally, she's a hard worker and always willing to go the extra mile.

She's always willing to do extra, to work harder again, after me, go the extra mile.

Good job.

Good job.

All right.

English phrase, number seven, English phrase, number seven.

Back to square one.

Excellent.

Again, back to square one.

Great job.

Now this English phrase, it literally just means to start again.

Because an attempt or approach has failed something you tried, did not work out the

way you thought it was going to work out.

So you're starting again.

You're going back to square one, something failed, didn't work out

the way you thought it was going to.

So you decide to start over again.

All right.

Check out this first example sentence.

The deal fell through.

So it's back to square one.

Makes sense.

Yes.

The deal fell through.

So we have to figure something out again.

Sentence number two, if this plan doesn't work, we're back to square one.

And sentence number three, after the breakdown of negotiations,

they were back to square one.

You got it.

Excellent.

So again, number seven, back to square one.

Now, I hope you enjoyed this lesson.

I hope you start using these phrases today to boost your English conversation skills,

and I will talk to you in the next lesson,

you still there.

You know what time it is.

It's story time.

Hey, I said a story time.

All right.

So for today's story, it's funny.

I told this story a long time ago, and I recently told this

story to one of my friends, maybe about two or three days ago.

So I told you all this story probably about a year or two

ago here on the YouTube channel.

So this is a story, um, about something I saw when I was in South Korea.

I saw something that was not of God.

So I was living with, uh, another teacher, right?

We lived in an apartment, there were two bedrooms, actually three bedrooms

in the apartment we were living in.

And the teacher I was living with, she had an early morning class.

I think her class started at 6.

Mine didn't start until 8 AM, but I'm an early bird.

So I was always awake when she was getting ready for class.

So we, uh, Chat a little bit and just, you know, just kind of talking back and forth

as she was getting ready to go to work.

So on this day, I was awake, but I happened to be in my room

while she was getting ready.

Well, my door was kind of open.

I think my door was open and I was laying in bed and I was kind of just

reading and all of a sudden I heard a scream, she said, ah, Tiff, Tiff.

So I jumped out of my bed and I ran, um, out of my room to where the kitchen was.

like, Hey girl, what's wrong?

What's wrong?

Cause it was early in the morning.

She said, Tiff, you have to kill it.

I said, I have to kill what?

She said, look.

And I could see the, the, the, the fear written all over her face.

Now I was expecting it to be a cockroach.

I don't like cockroaches, but I'm not scared of them.

I'll hit it to kill it.

But I looked at her face and I said, she's seeing something else because this

fear is different and I could see myself.

It was like slow motion.

I was looking at her eyes and then I was following where her eyes

were looking and I looked on the ground and it was the ugliest bug

I have ever seen in my entire life.

It literally looked like a spider and a cricket had a baby.

I was like, what is that?

She's a tip.

I don't know.

You have to kill it.

Now up until this point, it had not moved.

It had not moved.

So she and I both walked slowly closer to it.

Right?

Again, roaches, they move fast, but you can still walk up on them.

So we were assuming it had the movement of a cockroach.

So we slowly got closer.

Oh my goodness.

I literally can remember it like it was yesterday.

As we got closer, so our feet stopped, right, and we kind of leaned over, right?

So we were kind of over it, right?

It was on the ground.

We were standing.

So let's say we were each from each other about five feet and

it was right in the middle.

So we're each about two and a half feet away from this horrible thing.

So we both lean our heads over to look at it.

And I kid you not, it jumped straight up.

Remember I'm five feet from her.

Right?

It's right in the middle.

We're leaning over.

It jumps straight up in the air and is literally higher than us.

It goes above our head.

It jumped that high in the air.

I have never moved that quickly in the morning in my life.

As soon as it got in the air and it was at eye level with her, with both

of us, I screamed, ran back to my room.

She screamed, ran back to her room and we both slammed the door.

I said, Oh my Lord, Oh my Lord, Oh my Lord.

I said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

She said, so we're both screaming from our rooms, doors

closed, talking to each other.

Like we got to kill it.

We got to kill it.

I said, I'm, I'm not doing that.

I'm not doing that.

Did you see how high it jumped in the, I'm not doing that.

So it took about maybe two to three minutes.

We both decided, okay, well, we can't just let it run around the house.

Around the apartment.

So we both, you know, slowly opened our doors and I can't remember if we saw it.

We saw it in the corner and I told her, I said, here's the deal.

I said, I'm not killing it.

I said, I also have two hours before my class, so I'm going back to my room.

I said, I'll just eat later.

She said, Tiff.

I said, I'll pray for you.

I'll pray for you as you get ready for school and I hope

that it doesn't attack you.

And she said, okay.

I said, here's the deal.

As long as he.

We gave it, we've said, okay, it's a, it's a male.

We said, as long as he doesn't jump anywhere near us, he's fine.

And we literally left him alone.

We didn't kill it.

I spoke to it from a distance.

I said, listen, as long as you don't attack us, as long as you don't move

close to us, you can do whatever you want.

We just don't want to see you.

We're going to go to school and teach.

I'm leaving in two hours.

She's leaving now.

You can have full rain.

My door's closed.

Her door's going to be closed.

But when we get back home, you need to be gone.

And that was the last time we saw it, . But literally it looked like a

spider and a grasshopper had a baby.

And if you go on Google and type grasshopper and spider mix, it

actually pops up 'cause it looks, it looks horrendous and some of you

might have it in your countries.

All I know is that on that day I realized.

No, there are some things I won't do.

I hope you enjoyed this story.

Um, please continue studying hard and I'll talk to you in the next lesson.