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English Podcast For Learning English |Conversation Practice | How to Talk About Yesterday in English — Transcript

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0:00English Leap Podcast
0:02>> from Speak English with Claus. [music]
0:06Hello, hello lovely listeners and
0:08welcome back to English Leap Podcast,
0:10your place for everyday English and real
0:13conversations. I'm Anna
0:15>> and I'm Jake. Whether you're joining us
0:17for the first time or you've been
0:19listening for a while, we're really
0:21happy you're here.
0:22>> Today's episode is called How to Talk
0:24About Yesterday in English. This is a B2
0:28to C1 conversation, but we'll keep it
0:30clear and natural with useful language
0:33you can take into your own
0:34conversations.
0:35>> And yesterday gave me something to talk
0:38about. My mom asked me to take a photo
0:40of her.
0:41>> Oh, nice.
0:42>> I took one, showed her, and she said,
0:44"No, I look tired."
0:46>> So, you took another
0:48>> six more. Then she said, "You're not
0:50very good at this."
0:51>> What did you say?
0:52>> Nothing. I'm not brave enough to tell my
0:54mother she might actually be tired.
0:57[laughter]
0:59>> Probably wise, Drake. Probably wise.
1:02>> And you listening, did you just smile?
1:05Maybe you've taken those same seven
1:07photos. [laughter]
1:09>> If we made you smile, give the episode a
1:11like. Let's see how many smiles we can
1:14collect today.
1:15>> And if someone comes to mind, send them
1:17the episode. Tell them, "This reminded
1:20me of us." Are you sending it to your
1:22mom?
1:23>> Let's not spoil her day. [laughter]
1:25>> Well, you certainly remembered that part
1:27of yesterday.
1:28>> I did. Although sometimes that question
1:31catches me completely offguard.
1:33>> M you know you did things. You just need
1:36a moment to remember them.
1:38>> And instead of taking that moment, you
1:40say, "Oh, nothing much." Then 10 minutes
1:42later, you remember the interesting
1:44part.
1:45>> Exactly. Today, we'll explore how to
1:48find a starting point, add a detail, and
1:51keep the conversation going. Later,
1:53we'll revisit the vocabulary in Word
1:56Tour and practice five everyday
1:58expressions in Say It Better.
2:01>> That would have been useful to me at a
2:02barbecue a few weeks ago.
2:04>> Oh, did someone ask about your day?
2:07>> A friend of a friend, a very nice man
2:09named Marcus, came over with a plate of
2:11food and said, "Hey, Jake, what did you
2:13do yesterday?"
2:14>> And you couldn't remember? Not quickly
2:17enough. I looked at him, thought for a
2:19moment, and felt the silence getting
2:21longer. Finally, I said, "I existed."
2:25>> "Wait, wait, wait. You said I existed."
2:28>> I did. Marcus nodded slowly and said,
2:31"Yeah, same." Then he went to get
2:34something to drink.
2:35>> Oh, Jake. He might have thought you were
2:37having a much deeper conversation.
2:40>> He might. And the frustrating thing was
2:42I'd done plenty the day before. I'd gone
2:44to the store, put up a shelf, and called
2:47my mom. I had an answer. I just didn't
2:49give him one.
2:51>> So, perhaps we should help you find the
2:53answer you wanted to give. And everyone
2:56listening can try the same thing with
2:58their own yesterday.
2:59>> I'd like that. Although, I'm relieved
3:01this doesn't only happen to me.
3:03>> Oh, definitely not. When yesterday looks
3:06a lot like the day before, I sometimes
3:08find it hard to pick out individual
3:10moments. So much of it feels mundane.
3:14>> Mundane as in ordinary, everyday,
3:16perhaps a little dull. Making breakfast,
3:19answering emails, doing the dishes.
3:22>> Exactly. But when someone gives me a
3:24specific question, usually something
3:26comes back. Did you go out? Who did you
3:29talk to?
3:30>> A smaller question gives you somewhere
3:32to begin. Tell me about your entire day
3:35feels much bigger.
3:36>> It does. And when you're learning
3:38English, you may also be thinking about
3:40how to express what you remember,
3:43finding the words, choosing a past tense
3:45form, deciding how much detail to give.
3:48>> So, if you need a moment, it's perfectly
3:50natural to say, "Let me think." I use
3:53that in conversations all the time.
3:55>> Me, too. Or yesterday. Oh, yes. You can
4:00give yourself a little space without
4:02apologizing for it. Better than making a
4:04statement about your existence while
4:06someone is holding a plate of potato
4:08salad.
4:09>> Perhaps, although we have remembered
4:12that answer rather well,
4:13>> unfortunately.
4:15But what if the day really was ordinary?
4:17Say, I worked, went home, and watched
4:20something. Is that enough?
4:22>> Of course, you could say, "It was a
4:24fairly quiet day. I worked, then watched
4:27a movie at home." If the person wants to
4:29know more, they can ask what you
4:30watched. So, I don't have to make an
4:32ordinary day sound extraordinary.
4:35>> No, you're sharing something, not trying
4:37to impress them. And if you're
4:39comfortable adding one detail, that can
4:41help. I watched a movie my sister
4:43recommended. I wasn't sure about it at
4:45first, but I enjoyed it.
4:47>> Now, I want to know what changed your
4:49mind.
4:50>> Exactly. You found a question because
4:52I've given you something to respond to.
4:54>> Though, I do think the small details can
4:56be the best part. Sometimes I'd rather
4:58hear about the strange sandwich than the
5:01important meeting.
5:02>> I agree. I just wouldn't describe
5:04everything around the sandwich before
5:06getting to it.
5:07>> Fair. The bread's full history may not
5:10be necessary.
5:11>> Think of your answer as a highlight
5:13reel. A few moments that give someone a
5:16sense of the day rather than a complete
5:17record of everything you did.
5:20>> H and the interesting detail can sit
5:22inside that. You don't need to remove
5:24the personality to keep the answer
5:26short.
5:27>> Exactly. Shall we try it? Ask me about
5:30yesterday and we'll see where the
5:31conversation goes.
5:33>> All right. What did you do yesterday,
5:35Anna?
5:36>> Well, I had a fairly quiet morning
5:38planned. I meant to answer a few emails
5:41and do some laundry, but I ended up
5:43trying to bake bread.
5:45>> Oh, that's quite a change of plan. What
5:47brought that on?
5:48>> I found a recipe I'd saved. It said the
5:51bread was easy and I had the
5:52ingredients. I thought I could let it
5:54rise while I did everything else.
5:56>> That sounds reasonable. Did the dough
5:58cooperate?
5:59>> Eventually, I kept checking it,
6:02expecting a dramatic transformation. At
6:04one point, I took a photograph so I
6:06could compare it with how it looked 10
6:08minutes later. [laughter]
6:09>> You were keeping evidence.
6:11>> I was. It did rise, though. I put it in
6:14the oven and started sorting the
6:16laundry. Then the smoke alarm went off.
6:18>> Oh no. Was the bread burning?
6:21>> That was my first thought. I turned the
6:23oven off, checked what was happening,
6:25and found some old crumbs smoking on the
6:27bottom. The bread itself was fine.
6:30>> So, it wasn't your new recipe causing
6:32the problem.
6:33>> Thankfully, no. I opened the window and
6:36my neighbor knocked to check whether
6:37everything was all right. I was standing
6:39there with flour on my shirt and a dish
6:41towel over my shoulder.
6:43>> And you had to explain that this was
6:45your quiet morning.
6:47>> Exactly. It was one of those days. Every
6:50time I tried to get back to something,
6:52another small thing needed attention.
6:54>> Did you manage to finish the bread after
6:56that?
6:57>> I did once I dealt with the crumbs and
7:00it was safe to use the oven again. It
7:02was a little darker than the picture,
7:04but it tasted good. I took a couple of
7:06slices to my neighbor later.
7:08>> Oh, that's a nice ending. An unexpected
7:11alarm than fresh bread.
7:13>> Yes. The laundry was less successful. I
7:16washed it, but I didn't get around to
7:18folding it until this morning.
7:20>> Well, I'm glad you told me the longer
7:22version. I stayed home would have left
7:24out quite a morning.
7:25>> It would. And once I started recounting
7:28what happened, telling you about the
7:30bread and the alarm, I remembered the
7:32little details, too.
7:33>> Especially the flower on your shirt.
7:36That made the scene quite vivid.
7:37>> Easy to picture.
7:39>> Exactly. A vivid description gives
7:41someone a clear impression. I can
7:43imagine you opening the door trying to
7:45look as though everything is perfectly
7:47normal,
7:48>> which is more detailed than saying
7:50something went wrong. But I didn't need
7:52to describe the whole kitchen.
7:53>> No, one specific detail did enough. And
7:56I noticed you began with I meant to then
8:00I ended up that made the change of plan
8:02clear immediately.
8:03>> M I meant to do the laundry. I ended up
8:07baking bread. Those expressions give you
8:09a useful way to start a story when the
8:12day didn't go as expected.
8:14>> And you can try that with your own
8:15yesterday. What's one small moment you
8:18remember and how did you feel about it?
8:20>> Take a moment to gather your thoughts in
8:22English. Then write a sentence or two in
8:24the comments. Start with yesterday I and
8:27tell us what happened.
8:29>> That's English practice, too. You're
8:31choosing words, building sentences, and
8:33expressing something about your own
8:35life.
8:35>> Mhm. And if you usually read the
8:37comments without writing, make this your
8:40little challenge today. One sentence is
8:42enough to join us.
8:43>> No need for a dramatic story. Anna
8:46stayed home and we still got bread,
8:48laundry, and a smoke alarm.
8:50>> More than I'd planned. Now, back to that
8:53barbecue. You said you'd put up a shelf
8:55the day before. How did that go?
8:57>> Well, I spent part of that morning
8:59putting it up. It took longer than I
9:01expected, but I got it done.
9:03>> That's a good beginning. Why did it take
9:06so long?
9:06>> I couldn't find the instructions. I
9:08opened the box, laid everything out, and
9:11thought they were missing. Eventually, I
9:13found them tucked underneath one of the
9:15boards.
9:16>> Oh, so before you could even start, you
9:18were searching for the instructions.
9:20>> Exactly. Then there were 19 screws, but
9:23the instructions only used 14. I thought
9:26I'd missed something until I found the
9:28small label that said spares. [laughter]
9:31>> Five extra screws. They were trying to
9:34be helpful.
9:34>> They were. My neighbor helped me check
9:37the instructions. He's very good at that
9:39sort of thing. He used to work in a
9:41furniture store, actually across from
9:43that place that sold enormous
9:45sandwiches. Did I ever tell you about
9:47the sandwich I bought there?
9:49>> Hang on, Jake. We were still putting up
9:51the shelf.
9:52>> Oh, yes. I've gone off on a tangent,
9:55haven't I?
9:56>> A little. We started with furniture and
9:59nearly ended up discussing your lunch.
10:01That's a tangent. Then moving away from
10:03the main topic into something different.
10:06Although the sandwich was worth
10:08discussing.
10:09>> I'm sure it was. But first, did you
10:12finish the shelf?
10:13>> I did. Anyway, once we checked the
10:15instructions, it was quite
10:17straightforward. Long story short, the
10:19shelf is up and the spare screws are in
10:22a drawer.
10:23>> There we go. Anyway, brought you back
10:26and long story short, took us to the
10:28result. M. And you didn't have to
10:30pretend the sandwich was relevant.
10:32>> No. Tangents can be enjoyable in a
10:35friendly conversation. You can follow
10:37one if you're both interested. It's just
10:39useful to notice when you've left a
10:41question unanswered.
10:42>> That's fair. And if someone says,
10:44"Sorry, where was I?" The other person
10:46can help them back.
10:48>> Exactly. You were telling me about the
10:50shelf. That doesn't need to be awkward.
10:52>> I wish I'd remembered even half of that
10:54at the barbecue. I put up a shelf and
10:57the instructions were hiding in the box.
10:59That would have been enough.
11:00>> It would. And Marcus could have asked a
11:03question or told you about something
11:04he'd made. You'd have had a
11:06conversation.
11:07>> M. And after putting up the shelf, I
11:09called my mom. She asked what I'd had
11:12for lunch as she usually does.
11:14>> Is she checking that you've stopped for
11:15a proper meal?
11:16>> I think so. My grandmother asks the same
11:19thing when we talk on Sundays. I used to
11:21wonder why she was so interested in my
11:24sandwich. Perhaps she just likes knowing
11:26what your day looked like.
11:28>> I think you're right. It took me a while
11:30to understand that. She wasn't asking
11:32for an exciting story. She wanted to
11:34know I was all right and hear a little
11:36about what I'd been doing.
11:38>> H an ordinary detail can feel personal
11:41when you aren't there to share it.
11:43>> Exactly. Now I tell her, I had soup and
11:46my neighbor brought me a lemon from his
11:48tree. Then she asks about the neighbor
11:50and suddenly we're talking about the
11:52afternoon.
11:53>> That's lovely. The food is a starting
11:56point. It gives her a way into your day.
11:58>> Yes. So, when someone asks about
12:00yesterday, they might simply be showing
12:03interest. It doesn't mean they're
12:04waiting for an impressive answer.
12:06>> Which is probably what Marcus was doing
12:09at the barbecue.
12:10>> I suspect so. And I gave him rather
12:13little to work with. [laughter]
12:15>> You could have told him I put up a
12:17shelf. It took most of the morning. How
12:19about you? Then given him a chance to
12:21share his day.
12:22>> Hm. Share a little, then give them
12:25space. That's easier than feeling
12:27responsible for keeping the whole
12:29conversation going yourself.
12:31>> It is. And if your day wasn't enjoyable,
12:33you don't have to pretend it was. You
12:35can choose how much to share.
12:37>> That's something I'm less sure about. If
12:39someone asks casually, I sometimes
12:42think, "Fine, thanks" is easier. I don't
12:45want to give them all my problems.
12:47>> Fair. It depends who you're talking to
12:49and how much time you have. But there
12:52are honest answers between everything
12:54was wonderful and a 20inut account of
12:56everything that went wrong.
12:58>> Such as a bit stressful, but I'm glad
13:01that meeting is over.
13:03>> Exactly. Or it was one of those days.
13:06I'll tell you about it when we have more
13:08time.
13:09>> H that gives a real answer without
13:11committing to the whole story.
13:13>> And sometimes once you've had a little
13:15distance, a frustrating moment becomes
13:17something you can laugh about. That
13:19happened to me with the shoes. The
13:21shoes. I don't think I know this one.
13:23>> It was a few months ago. I had an
13:25important meeting with a new client. I
13:27got dressed in a hurry, arrived at the
13:29office, and stepped into the elevator
13:31with a colleague.
13:32>> Was something wrong with the outfit?
13:34>> Not that I knew of. Then she looked down
13:36and said very quietly, "Anna, are those
13:40two different shoes?"
13:42>> Oh, no. Were they?
13:44>> One black, one dark blue, the same
13:47style. I'd bought two pairs because they
13:49were comfortable and apparently I'd
13:51mixed them up.
13:52>> Wait, wait. So, they felt the same when
13:54you were walking?
13:55>> Exactly the same. That's why I hadn't
13:57noticed. But under the office lights,
13:59the colors were quite clearly different.
14:02>> And there wasn't time to go home.
14:04>> No, the meeting was about to start. I
14:06could either worry about my shoes for an
14:08hour or get on with the meeting. I chose
14:10the meeting, though I did keep my feet
14:12under the table. [laughter]
14:14>> Understandable. Did anyone mention it?
14:17Nobody did. The meeting went well.
14:19Later, when someone asked how my day
14:21was, I said, "The meeting was good, but
14:23I wore two different shoes."
14:26>> And suddenly, there was something to
14:28talk about.
14:29>> Exactly. But I didn't find it funny
14:31immediately. At first, I was
14:33embarrassed. You don't have to turn a
14:35difficult day into a joke while you're
14:37still having it.
14:38>> I'm glad you said that. It's fine to
14:40say, "I'd rather talk about something
14:42else, too."
14:43>> Of course, you decide what you're
14:45comfortable sharing. The useful part is
14:47having a few options instead of feeling
14:49you must always say great.
14:51>> And in hindsight, you can see that the
14:53shoes didn't ruin the meeting.
14:55>> H looking back with the knowledge I have
14:57now, in hindsight, I wish I'd checked
15:00them, but I was still able to do my job.
15:03>> That puts it in perspective. And in
15:05hindsight, I didn't need a brilliant
15:07answer for Marcus. I could have taken a
15:09moment and said something ordinary.
15:11>> Exactly. What would you do if you
15:14couldn't remember much at all? probably
15:16say, "Yesterday was a bit of a blur. I
15:20remember being busy, but let me think.
15:22Then start with one thing I do
15:24remember."
15:26>> A blur. The details aren't clear. That
15:29gives you an honest starting point
15:30without ending the conversation.
15:33>> Yes. And I could ask, "How about you?"
15:35while I gather my thoughts. Although,
15:37I'd need to listen to the answer, not
15:40spend the whole time preparing mine.
15:42[laughter]
15:43>> That part is important. Their story
15:45might remind you of something, but
15:47respond to what they've actually said
15:49first.
15:50>> Shall we try a shorter conversation now?
15:52You can tell me about yesterday's bread
15:55and I'll tell you what I actually did
15:57yesterday afternoon.
15:58>> Let's Everyone listening, follow the
16:01conversation and notice how one detail
16:03leads to the next question.
16:05>> Morning, Anna. How was your day
16:07yesterday? Did you get a chance to
16:09relax?
16:10>> Eventually. I meant to have a quiet
16:12morning, but I ended up baking bread.
16:14Then the smoke alarm went off.
16:16>> Oh, no. Was everything all right?
16:19>> Yes, thankfully. There were some old
16:21crumbs in the oven. I dealt with those
16:23and the bread turned out well in the
16:25end.
16:25>> That's good. Did you still get the other
16:27things done?
16:28>> Some of them. I did the laundry, but I
16:31didn't get around to folding it
16:32yesterday. I finally did that this
16:34morning.
16:35>> M at least you had fresh bread. What did
16:38you do in the evening? I went for a walk
16:41with a friend. We hadn't seen each other
16:43for a while, so we had quite a lot to
16:45catch up on. How about you?
16:47>> Mine was a bit of a blur until
16:48lunchtime. Lots of small things to
16:51finish. Then I went to see my
16:53grandmother.
16:54>> Oh, nice. How is she?
16:56>> She's well. She wanted help moving a
16:58plant nearer the window. Long story
17:01short, we moved four plants and
17:03rearranged a little table as well.
17:06[laughter]
17:07>> Was she happy with it afterward? Very.
17:10She made us some tea and we spent the
17:11rest of the afternoon talking. I hadn't
17:14planned to stay so long, but it was
17:16lovely.
17:16>> That sounds like a good afternoon. What
17:18did you talk about?
17:20>> Family news mostly. She showed me an old
17:22photograph of my dad. He had exactly the
17:25same expression I have when someone asks
17:28me a difficult question.
17:29>> A difficult question like, "What did you
17:32do yesterday?"
17:33>> Exactly. Apparently, that expression
17:36runs in the family. [laughter]
17:38I can picture it. And I noticed I didn't
17:41need to ask lots of unrelated questions.
17:44The next question came from what you
17:45told me.
17:46>> H how is she? Was she happy with it?
17:50What did you talk about? The story gave
17:52you somewhere to go.
17:53>> Shall we leave a little space for
17:54everyone to try? Think of one thing that
17:57happened yesterday. Start with the part
17:59you remember most clearly.
18:01>> You could begin. Yesterday I or it was a
18:05fairly quiet day, but say one sentence
18:08and pause here if you want more time.
18:11>> Now add one detail. Who were you with?
18:14What changed? Or how did you feel?
18:17Choose the question that fits your
18:18story.
18:19>> And imagine the other person asking one
18:21follow-up question. If you said you
18:23cooked, perhaps they'd ask what you
18:26made. If you visited someone, perhaps
18:28they'd ask how that person is. Hm. You
18:31can answer that too. You've now got a
18:33little conversation rather than a list.
18:35>> And if a word doesn't come, describe
18:37what you mean in simpler words and keep
18:39going. The point is to share what
18:41happened.
18:42>> Exactly. You don't need a dramatic day.
18:45A clear beginning and one personal
18:47detail are enough to start.
18:49>> A small highlight reel with room for a
18:51question afterward.
18:53>> Yes. Let's revisit five words we used to
18:56talk about those stories.
18:57>> Hm. This is our word tour. Listen first,
19:01then repeat with us.
19:02>> Early on, we talked about ordinary days
19:05that don't immediately seem worth
19:07describing. We called them mundane.
19:10>> Mundane means ordinary or routine, often
19:14with a sense of being a little dull.
19:16>> For example, doing the dishes is a
19:19mundane task, but I enjoy listening to
19:21music while I do it.
19:23>> Or, he made a funny story out of a
19:25mundane trip to the grocery store. It
19:28often suggests a lack of excitement, but
19:31something mundane can still matter and
19:33it can still contain an interesting
19:35detail.
19:36>> H the day doesn't need to be
19:38extraordinary before you can talk about
19:40it. Mundane.
19:42>> Then I told you what happened when I
19:43baked bread. I recounted the morning.
19:46>> To recount means to tell someone about
19:49events or experiences, usually with some
19:51detail,
19:52>> like this. She recounted what happened
19:55during the journey.
19:56>> Or he recounted the conversation as
19:59accurately as he could.
20:01>> Putting events in order can help, but
20:03recount doesn't mean you must mention
20:05every moment.
20:06>> And the same spelling can refer to
20:09counting something again with a
20:11different pronunciation. Here we're
20:13using the storytelling meaning recount.
20:16>> After that, you said the flower on my
20:19shirt made the scene vivid. Vivid means
20:22very clear or strong. So something is
20:25easy to picture or imagine.
20:27>> He gave a vivid description of the
20:29crowded market.
20:30>> Or I still have a vivid memory of my
20:33first day at school.
20:35>> A description can be vivid because of a
20:37sound, a smell, or a small action. It
20:40doesn't have to include lots of visual
20:42detail.
20:43>> Right? One detail can be enough to help
20:46the listener imagine the moment. Vivid.
20:49Then your shelf story nearly became a
20:51sandwich story. You went off on a
20:54tangent.
20:54>> A tangent is a different line of thought
20:57or conversation that takes you away from
20:59the main topic.
21:00>> For example, sorry, I went off on a
21:03tangent. You were asking about my trip.
21:06>> Or, we went off on a tangent about music
21:09before returning to the original
21:10question.
21:11>> Notice the expression go off on a
21:14tangent. It's common when describing
21:16that change of direction. And a tangent
21:18can be enjoyable. You just want to
21:20remember whether someone is still
21:22waiting for the answer you started
21:23giving. Tangent.
21:25>> Finally, we looked back at the barbecue
21:27and my mismatched shoes with hindsight.
21:31>> Hindsight is the understanding you have
21:33after an event when you know more about
21:36what happened or how it turned out.
21:38>> Like this. In hindsight, I should have
21:41checked the address before leaving. or
21:43with hindsight, we can see why the
21:45original plan didn't work.
21:47>> It doesn't mean you had that
21:49understanding at the time. That's why a
21:51decision can seem obvious afterward,
21:53even when it wasn't obvious before.
21:56>> H useful for learning from something
21:59without assuming you could have known
22:00everything in advance. Hindsight.
22:03>> So, our five words were mundane,
22:06recount, vivid, tangent, and hindsight.
22:10Choose one and make a sentence about
22:12your own experience. Something you can
22:14picture clearly perhaps or something you
22:16understand differently now.
22:18>> And we have five everyday expressions to
22:21practice next.
22:22>> We do. This is say it better. We'll take
22:25a simple sentence and give you another
22:27natural way to express the idea.
22:29>> First, lots of small things went wrong
22:32today.
22:33>> You could say it was one of those days.
22:36I lost my keys, missed a call, and
22:38spilled my tea. It was one of those
22:41days.
22:41>> It describes a frustrating or difficult
22:44day. You can use it before explaining
22:46what happened or after giving a few
22:48examples.
22:49>> Yes, the context makes it clear what
22:52kind of day you mean. It was one of
22:54those days.
22:55>> Next. What actually happened was
22:57different from my original plan. Try. I
23:00ended up
23:02>> I meant to stay home, but I ended up
23:04having dinner with a friend.
23:06>> It introduces the eventual result. If an
23:09action follows, we often use the ing
23:11form. Ended up staying, ended up
23:14talking, ended up baking.
23:16>> And the result can be good. It doesn't
23:18automatically mean the plan went badly.
23:21>> Exactly. We ended up having a wonderful
23:23evening. Ended up. Third, I'll leave out
23:27some details and tell you the main
23:29result.
23:30>> You can say, "Long story short."
23:32>> Long story short, we found the
23:34instructions and finished the shelf.
23:36>> It signals that you're giving the
23:38shorter version. It can help you return
23:40to the main point after a longer
23:42explanation.
23:42>> Although, you do then have to give the
23:44shorter version.
23:46>> Ideally, the phrase can't do all the
23:48work for you. Long story short,
23:50>> next. I can't remember the details of
23:53the day clearly. You could say it was a
23:56bit of a blur.
23:57>> Yesterday morning was a bit of a blur. I
23:59had so many things to finish.
24:01>> It describes an experience you don't
24:04remember clearly. Perhaps because it was
24:06busy, emotional, or passed quickly.
24:09>> So, you may remember the general
24:11feeling, but not the order of every
24:13event.
24:14>> Exactly. A bit of a blur.
24:16>> And finally, I intended to do it, but I
24:19didn't find the time or opportunity. You
24:22can say, "I didn't get around to it."
24:25>> "I wanted to fold the laundry yesterday,
24:27but I didn't get around to it."
24:29>> It's a conversational way to describe
24:31something you haven't done yet. If you
24:33name the activity, use an ing form. I
24:36didn't get around to calling her.
24:38>> It explains the delay, though, you might
24:40still want to say when you'll do it if
24:42someone is waiting.
24:43>> H I didn't get around to it yesterday,
24:46but I'll do it this afternoon.
24:48>> So, our expressions were, "It was one of
24:50those days. I ended up. Long story
24:53short, it was a bit of a blur and I
24:57didn't get around to it.
24:58>> Choose one that fits your yesterday. Say
25:01a sentence out loud and keep it simple
25:03enough that you can imagine using it
25:04again.
25:05>> I think I've finally found a better
25:07answer for Marcus. A few true details
25:10would have done the job.
25:12>> And the other person can help the story
25:14along. You don't need to have the whole
25:16answer prepared before you begin. And
25:18remember our question, one small moment
25:20from yesterday and how you felt about
25:23it. We'd love to read your answers.
25:25>> And if you'd like more B2C1
25:27conversations, you can leave us a
25:29rocket, too.
25:30>> Thank you for spending this time with
25:31us. I hope your next conversation feels
25:34a little easier to begin.
25:35>> Take care of your English.
25:37>> And take care of your heart.
25:38>> This is Anna.
25:39>> This is Jake.
25:40>> Bye
25:41>> bye, everyone.
25:46Your progress [music] doesn't end here.
25:48To continue advancing your English
25:49skills, click on the next video [music]
25:51or explore the additional videos we've
25:53thoughtfully selected for you.

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