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Connection NOT Perfection™

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AEE Episode 1378: Don’t Take It Out on Me. How to Keep Your Anger
in Check
Announcer: This is an All Ears English podcast Episode 1378: “Don’t Take It Out on Me.
How to Keep Your Anger in Check.”
[Instrumental]
Announcer: Welcome to the All Ears English podcast downloaded more than 150
million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how
to become fearless and fluent by focusing on Connection NOT
Perfection™ with your American hosts Lindsay McMahon, the “English
Adventurer,” and Michelle Kaplan, the “New York Radio Girl,” coming to
you from Colorado and New York City, U.S.A.
[Instrumental]
Announcer: Today we answer a question from a listener about how to talk about
anger. Get some useful phrases from Lindsay and Michelle for staying calm
when you're angry.
[Instrumental]
Announcer: This episode was recorded a few weeks in advance. Our understanding of
the COVID-19 situation has changed since then. We hope you are healthy
and safe. And we hope that All Ears English can be a bright spot in your
day during this moment of uncertainty.
[Instrumental]
© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

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Lindsay: Hey (hi) Michelle, how you doing, what's going on?
Michelle: Hey (hi) Lindsay, I am good, I am good. How are you?
Lindsay: I'm feeling pretty good today, pretty good, but sometimes I get angry.
Michelle: Uh-oh, uh-oh. Do you remember the last time you got angry?
Lindsay: Ohh boy. Yeah (yes), I mean, I feel like at home I get angry sometimes,
just, like, mild annoyance, not, like, anger-anger. The last time I got really,
really angry, jeez, I can't think of it. How about you?
Michelle: I can't either. I mean, I feel like this doesn't happen to me too much, which
is a good thing.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), yeah (yes).
Michelle: But, like, of course it happens. I mean, and I think what you said, it's more
like, you know, mild annoyances, you know, getting angry, getting
annoyed if something doesn't happen on time, you know, like if something
comes late, if a package is coming late. You know, like, things like that, but
not... I don't remember the last time I, like, really got angry.
Lindsay: Ohh, that's good.
Michelle: I'm glad you don't remember either.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes). And when you get angry, Michelle, do you tend to take it out
on others? Do you take your anger out on others, other people?
Michelle: I really try not to do that, because that is toxic. Right? Like, that is just so
dangerous to start doing that. What about you, Lindsay?
Lindsay: I agree, Michelle, it is toxic. I mean, I try not to, but I do sometimes, right,
so, but I try to keep myself in check and I think, okay, where is all this
energy, this anger coming from. It's not because this person did this little
thing, it's about this other thing that happened before. Right, so, I'm
transferring it; not good.
Michelle: Yeah (yes). So, guys, we're talking about this today because we have a
really good question from a listener today. We don't normally go into

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these angry emotions too much on the show, because we like to kind of
keep it positive, but it is important because these are the emotions that
make us human, right, and we need to know how to talk about them. So,
we got this question from Rodrigo Rafael from Brazil on Instagram, and
before we read the question, you know, I do want to mention that
Instagram is the place to be, guys, for All Ears English. We post on there all
the time, things that we're doing, pictures, videos, all sorts of things, and
you can also ask us questions on our Instagram, and that is a big deal
because this is a community that we have. People sometimes... Sometimes
we've have had it where one person is asking a question and then actually
another follower, another listener answers the question and gets a
conversation going, and that's what I love about our Instagram. So, guys,
remember that when you're thinking if you have a question, write to us on
Instagram, like, you can either comment on one of our posts or send us a
message, and we do read them, so, we will try to get to them, to as many
as possible.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), completely, Michelle. I mean, guys, there are 17,000 people
over there right now, so, so many of your fellow listeners are over there
interacting with us, and it's a different level of interaction, it's pretty cool, I
have to say. So, go over, find All Ears English, look for the yellow and join
our channel. Very cool. So, Michelle, should we, should I read this
Instagram question? This is from Rodrigo Rafael from Brazil.
Michelle: Let's do it, definitely.
Lindsay: Okay. Alright, here we go, "Hey there girls, what's up? I'm Rodrigo Rafael
from Brazil and I want you to know that I really, really love your podcast.
I've learned so much from you, your joy is contagious." Ooh, that's great,
that's a great way to put it too, by the way, good vocabulary.
Michelle: Yeah (yes), yeah (yes), thank you.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), "Thanks so much," he says, "Please, I'd like you to make an
episode explaining ways of relieving frustration or anger by attacking or
mistreating a person or a thing that's not responsible for such feelings.
Thanks, girls. I know there's the expression 'to take your anger out on
someone, ' so, I want to know if there are other ways to say it." What a
good question.

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Michelle: Yeah (yes), this is a very specific situation, and I hope that Rodrigo isn't
involved in it too much and that things are peaceful in your life and you
don't have anger taken out on you or you're not taking anger out on other
people. But, in any case, this is really good vocabulary to have.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), exactly. And guys, we love these very specific situations, so
these are things you can ask us in Instagram. If you have a super specific
question, leave us a message in Instagram, add a comment to a video and
we will try our best to answer the questions. We do get a lot of questions
over there, though.
Michelle: We love it. And guys, the more specific, the better. So don’t be, don't feel
like, don't feel shy about asking a question about two words or about one
phrase, you know, don't feel shy about that. But, you know, also, if it is a
more general question about, like, improvement, that's also good too.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), exactly, we want a little bit of everything.
Michelle: Yeah (yes).
Lindsay: So, Michelle, what does this mean, to take your anger out on someone?
Michelle: Yeah (yes). Well, it's basically you have negative feelings, you're feeling
frustrated or angery... Angrey. Angry in your own life, but instead of, you
know, just dealing with it in whatever way you can yourself, it impacts how
you treat other people. Right? So, like, for example, if someone has a bad
day at work and they come home and instead of, you know, confiding in
their partner or their friend or their roommate or whatever, they actually
get angry at that person for pretty much, for absolutely nothing. Like, even
if it's just a teeny tiny thing, right, like, maybe that person puts a dish in
the sink instead of the dishwasher and you explode and it's not because of
that one thing, it's because you're angry about something else. That's
taking your anger out on someone.
Lindsay: Ohh, for sure, for sure. And we're not going to go too deep into this topic
today, but I mean, this also happens; sometimes unfortunately children
are subjected to this.

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Lindsay: Awful, awful, awful things like that, or pets. Right, unfortunately victims
tend to be kids and pets, which, ohh gosh, okay, sad.
Michelle: Yeah (yes), that's terrible, yeah (yes). But I did some, you know, looking
around the web and I found a term for this, it's apparently, I mean, I'm not
a psychologist but this is called, another word for this is “displaced
aggression,” which makes sense. It's like, you know, you have anger, you
have aggression and it's put on something else. So, and if we have
anybody in psychology here who has heard of that term before, let us
know, but I think that's what this is called.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes).
Michelle: So, I mean, Lindsay, I mean, what do you think happens if someone has
displaced aggression?
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), I mean, I think they just snap. So, the term "to snap," and that's
why I actually think that meditation can help a lot with this kind of thing,
because meditation increases the space between the stimulus and the
response, meaning the thing that makes you angry and how you respond,
so, it creates this sense of freedom. Right, but that's just one way to do it.
We all have to figure out our own ways to deal with our anger, right, our
feelings, our emotions. But what happens is that people snap, and they
take some kind of action, maybe they yell, some kind of verbal out,
unleashing, right. Yeah (yes), it can definitely impact relationships, that's
for sure.
Michelle: For sure, yeah (yes). I mean, I've heard that really the best thing you can
do when you come home from work is to just think to yourself, like, put a
smile on your face even, if it was a bad day. Now, that's not to say you
can't be real. Right, you shouldn't be fake happy all the time, but I think it
might, you know, if you smile you feel a little bit better just from kind of
taking a deep breath. Right? So, kind of collect yourself before you walk in
the door. And if you, you know, of course you should talk to people if you
feel upset, but that at least helps, like, with the initial greeting. Because I
think if you walk in and you're immediately upset about something, that
kind of sets the tone of the whole evening.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), I agree with that, Michelle. It's so important the way we start
off an interaction, right, with people. So, yeah (yes), would be good. Also,

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there is some science that says I don't have exact science here, but I have
heard anecdotally around the science community that if you create a smile
on your face that can help you relax, like, there are endorphins; they go
through your body just when you smile, even if it's, like, faking the smile.
Michelle: Right, I've heard the same thing, yeah (yes), that's why I brought it up.
Because yeah (yes), I have heard that too. So, it seems funny, because it's
like, are we really that, like, really that we just fall for putting a smile on,
but there must be something to it.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), I think there is, I really do. Yeah (yes), okay. So, how can we
help our listener today then?
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[Instrumental]
Michelle: Well, let's just talk a little bit more about this expression. So, you know,
let's just say how would we use it. So, you can also say just "take it out on
someone." Right? So, “take your anger out on someone,” “take it out on
someone.” So, like, how could we use that, Lindsay?
Lindsay: Okay, so, here's a role play. Right, okay. So, here we go, "Don't talk to me,
I'm so mad right now."
Michelle: "Okay, Lindsay, well, don't take it out on me."
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), and you had a nice intonation there, by the way.
Michelle: "On me."
Lindsay: You said, "Okay, don't take it out on me," because you are not the one
that created that anger. Right? So, you're highlighting the fact, you as
opposed to someone else.

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Michelle: Right, me, right, exactly. Or I could say something like, "He's a nice guy but
he always takes his anger out on waiters and waitresses, it's weird."
Lindsay: That's a bad sign.
Michelle: Very bad sign.
Lindsay: Bad sign. Everyone says that, like, the ultimate test in early dating days is
the way the person treats the waiter or waitress. Right?
Michelle: Right.
Lindsay: So, it's true. I mean, a test of character is the way we treat people that, I
don't know, can't, like, don't have, like, can't help us in any way. Right?
Does that make sense?
Michelle: Right.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), that kind of relationship, like, how do we treat that person. I
mean, we all have bad days, right, and that's fair enough, but I think you
can look at that pattern in people and get a sense of their character, for
sure, yeah (yes).
Michelle: Ohh, yeah (yes), definitely, yeah (yes). So, guys, let's talk about if there are
some other expressions. I couldn't think of one that exactly fits this one,
that was hard for me, but there are some for getting angry, and it could be
used in the same situation, but I really feel like "take your anger out on
someone" or "take it out on someone" is a really good one. I mean,
Lindsay, off the top of your head; I mean, I really feel like that one is the
best one.
Lindsay: But I like this one, I like these ones that you have here. Maybe they are not
the exact same meaning.
Michelle: But they can be used in the same way.
Lindsay: But they can be in the same conversation, and guys, we're giving you, like,
situational vocabulary, so, you may use this, too. So, the first one is "to
lash out." Okay, so, for example, "He lashed out at me even though I had
nothing to do with the problem in the first place." So, that's great, like we

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said before, we snap, you lash out at someone, meaning you kind of attack
them, like, you yell at them, you snap. I love that.
Michelle: Right, right. And this next one, Lindsay, you've been saying this word
"snap," right?
Lindsay: I keep saying it because there's something...
Michelle: It's natural.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), "to snap at someone." "She snapped at her mom when she
was really just mad at herself for failing the class." I feel like I did this a lot
when I was a kid, I snapped at my mom.
Michelle: I know. I think we all do that to our parents at a certain age, unfortunately.
Lindsay: I think we did. When I was a kid I played a lot of tennis, but I lost a lot. I
would go, like, we would drive around New England and go to
tournaments. My mom really got into it and she drove me around so I
could play in these tournaments, I think she thought it would help myself
esteem or something, I don't know. And I would lose all the time and I
would snap at her, and I felt so bad after that, because she was the one
spending her Saturday driving me all over New England. And I always felt
so bad and she was always there for me and so supportive, but I think
that's what teenagers do, you know, I don't know.
Michelle: I think so too. Yeah (yes), it's sad but I think it's true. But yeah (yes), no, I
definitely had some snappy moments, if we got my parents on the show,
they would tell you. But no, but we're very close, like, I, I, I am the type
that I would snap and then be like, "I'm sorry." You know... Well not
always.
Lindsay: So, you would say you're sorry, like, right away, immediately after
snapping?
Michelle: No, I don’t, maybe not when I'm a teenager, but now. I mean, I don't snap
too much at my parents, but, like, even, even now if there is a time where
I kind of, like, just for a second get annoyed or something, yeah (yes), I do
apologize almost immediately, because I, you know, I don't mean to. And I
feel like... I don't know, people snap at parents a lot.

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Lindsay: Ohh, for sure, for sure, no doubt.
Michelle: Even not teenagers, but I try not to. I have really good parents. Alright, and
then the last one, this one is very, puts quite an image in your head, this is
to "jump down someone's throat."
Lindsay: Yeah (yes). For example, "I have no idea why, but she jumped down my
throat when I asked her how her day was." Yeah (yes), that is very...
Creates a real image, for sure, Michelle.
Lindsay: Do you use this one sometimes?
Michelle: I would. I think, yeah (yes), I would use it, I hear it a lot. You don't think
you'd use it really?
Lindsay: I do, no, I do, I like it.
Michelle: You do? Ohh, good.
Lindsay: I think it's descriptive, I think it's great.
Michelle: It is certainly, it is certainly descriptive, that is one thing, for sure. Yeah
(yes), just another way to say, like, to get really angry at someone, to get
upset with them. And you guys, there are a lot more of these, so, we could
do a follow up, but you guys, I mean, I want to leave our listeners today
with some ways that you can avoid taking your anger out on someone,
we've talked about smiling. Just trying to remain calm and breathing.
Lindsay: I would say, like, taking a pause, like, trying to get yourself, I don't know,
like, if you know you might be about to snap and displace your anger on to
that other person, maybe, like, just getting out of the situation, going into
the room and sitting by yourself, right, somewhere else, like, getting away
from everyone, so, you have a little bit of space, that's what I would try to
do.
Michelle: Mhh hmm, mhh hmm, yeah (yes), definitely. And then, I mean, if
somebody is taking out their anger out on you, you know, we could do a
follow up on this, but you know, it's also... Sometimes I think when we are
dealing with someone who is giving us some sort of anger or treating us in

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a way that we don't like, sometimes we have to take a step back and
wonder if everything is okay with them. Do you know?
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), yeah (yes), for sure.
Michelle: Instead of, instead of taking it personally, sometimes we almost have to,
I've heard of... I've heard stories where people said that, like, they went to,
I don't know, some store or something and that the cashier was really,
like, nasty and instead of getting mad back they said, "Is everything okay?"
and then they confessed something that was going on in their life to them.
So, you don't know what's going on with other people in their life, so, it's
not to say that you should accept people taking their anger out on you, but
I think it's a good way to just live our life is to realize that we don't know,
we don't know what's going on behind the scenes and to keep that in
mind for both ends.
Lindsay: Definitely, definitely, that's so true. Give people a little bit of a pass, give
them some space and let them work things out. Right? I love that idea. It
kind of makes me think of this bonus word for our listeners today, "vitriol,"
"vitriol." That word's been around lately a lot in the news, it means bitterly
harsh or caustic language or criticism, that's from the Merriam-Webster
dictionary. Just reminds me of this topic. I think that would be a great
bonus for our listeners, guys, a very high-level word for you, yeah (yes).
Michelle: That is a good one. I was going to say that definition you gave so quickly
before you said it was from the dictionary, I was, "Wow, Lindsay, that's an
amazing definition right away, that was perfect."
Lindsay: I'm so good, I'm so good. I mean, this has been used a lot in politics to talk
about, like, pundits, dishing out this vitriol towards politicians. I mean, we
have a very heated political situation right now, and I'm sure it's going to
get even more heated as we move into the elections in the fall. So, yeah
(yes), guys, you want to always be looking for these high-level words to
sound smarter, sound more competent in English. Okay? Cool.
Michelle: Exactly. So, guys, anger is a hard emotion, we talked about it today, people
manage their anger in different ways, try not to take it out on others, and
you know, use these phrases to describe situations like this, and, and you
know, try to remember to keep it cool.

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Lindsay: Definitely. And if you need to defuse your anger just come hang out on
Instagram with us, because no matter what, you're going to laugh from
our videos, they're kind of goofy and funny and weird sometimes, and
you're going to leave comments, you are going to have fun. You're also
going to meet other All Ears English listeners, right, and that's the key, we
can build this community together, guys, because we believe in
Connection NOT Perfection™, and that's important right now in this
moment in time. Yeah (yes), awesome.
Michelle: For sure. Okay, well, thank you to our listener for that question, and we
will see you guys next time.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), Michelle, talk to you soon, have a good one.
Michelle: Alright, you too.
Lindsay: Bye.
Michelle: Bye.
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See you next time.

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AEE Episode 1379: How Do You Know the Difference Between

“Answer” and “Respond” in English
Announcer: This is an All Ears English podcast Episode 1379: “How Do You Know the
Difference Between ‘Answer’ and ‘Respond’ in English.”
[Instrumental]
Perfection™ with your American hosts Lindsay McMahon, the “English
Adventurer,” and Michelle Kaplan, the “New York Radio Girl,” coming to
you from Colorado and New York City, U.S.A.
[Instrumental]
Announcer: Should you answer the question or respond to the question? These two
words are super similar, but we will clear up your confusion on today's
episode.
[Instrumental]
[Instrumental]

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Michelle: Hey (hi) Lindsay, how's it going?
Lindsay: Hey (hi), Michelle, it's going pretty well, yeah (yes), just a normal Tuesday.
I believe today is Tuesday.
Michelle: That's right.
Lindsay: We're recording this a little bit in advance, so, we don't know exactly, you
know, what's going to be going on at that time, guys, but yeah (yes), here
we are on the mic (microphone).
Michelle: Here we are four times a week releasing All Ears English episodes.
Lindsay: Yes.
Michelle: Awesome. Lindsay, I mean, we always love listener questions.
Lindsay: We love them.
Michelle: And one of the questions that I love, are the questions that really
challenge me, and there are these ones about these really nuanced
differences between words, and they're really fun. It's kind of like I feel like
a detective, I'm trying to make sure that I can explain it in the right way.
So, that is what we're going to be talking about today and I think it's going
to be really helpful for our listeners.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), this is exactly the level our listeners are at. Guys, our mission is
to move you from being stuck, right, you're stuck at the intermediate level
and we want to move you up to being fearless and fluent in English. Right?
That's what we are here to do for you, and these little episodes, these
little questions are what is going to do that for you, to bring you to that
level of fluency that you want, awesome.
Michelle: For sure, awesome. So, Lindsay, we have a listener question today, like I
said. Would you read it for us and then we'll just get into it.
Lindsay: Alright, so, the listener says, "Hey, girls, I really love your podcast. Thanks a
lot. Can you explain to me what is the difference between 'answer' and
'respond'?" So, Michelle, I'm guessing when you saw this question you
grabbed it, you're like, "Okay, great, no problem." and then you were
starting to dig in a bit more and maybe you realized it's not that easy.

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Michelle: Yeah (yes). That's what happened, pretty much, yeah (yes). I realized, you
know, because you can think about, okay, this is, I got it, this is easy, and
then you're like, ohh, but this and this and this. So, guys, we like to, kind
of, boil it down to some of the main points, we like to give you chunks, we
like to think of in that way. Because the one thing that we don't want to
do is make it more confusing by giving you, like, this situation. Because
sometimes that's what happens, you can ask a teacher a question and
then they get into all of the details, and I mean, I've certainly, I teach and
I've been guilty of this and you get into too much, and it's like, "Wait,
what? Now I'm even more confused than when I started."
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), exactly. We're here to clarify things for you guys, and also just
to remember that it comes back to connection.
Lindsay: So, you know, if you use the wrong word, you know, I've been thinking
about this a lot lately and it's this whole idea that if you use the wrong
word what is going to break the connection, it's your curling up and
recoiling and, and looking nervous and maybe you start to cross your
arms, that's what breaks the connection. It's not your use of the wrong
word. I feel like that is so important, Michelle.
Michelle: Mhh hmm, yeah (yes), definitely, definitely. I agree, for sure. So, let's get
into it. But, before we do that, we want to remind you guys, so,
unfortunately I do not have an iPhone, I have a droid.
Lindsay: A droid.
Michelle: And Lindsay, if I am not an iPhone user is there any way that I can still get
the transcripts for the show?
Lindsay: Definitely. You can still get the transcripts, guys, you can subscribe, and we
do send them out every Monday by email. Okay, so, if you go over to
AllEarsEnglish.com/subscribe you can sign up, and the cool thing is you do
save 50% off the normal price compared to what you would pay if you just
bought each week separately. Okay? So, you save 50%, you get it by email,
you don't have to do anything, it just comes into your email inbox and
then you have all the episodes for the upcoming week, so you are ready,
you can print them out, put them on your desk, and get ready for those

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episodes to come out. You also get a cool preview of what we're actually
going to learn that week, which is kind of cool.
Michelle: That is awesome. Okay, I love it. So, guys, let's get into it. So, we're going
to talk about these words today. So, "answer," so, "answer" and
"respond," they can both be verbs, right, so they're both verbs. "Answer"
can also be a noun. Right? Like, "I need an answer." Right?
Michelle: "Respond" isn't a noun, but "response" is the noun form.
Lindsay: Right.
Michelle: So, "I need a response."
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), exactly. Okay, so, that part can be maybe a little bit confusing,
a little tricky, but we made it clear here. So, write that down, guys.
Yeah (yes), I mean, that's another good reason to have the transcript from
today, to be able to see this on paper. Yeah (yes).
Michelle: Exactly, guys. So, we are going to boil it down to how it's used. So, in
general, I personally, in my vocabulary at least, I feel like "answer" is kind
of more common, kind of more conversational than "respond." I don't
know, curious, that's just kind of my initial thought, but we'll get into more
things, but I want to hear what do you have to say about that, Lindsay, do
you think that you more frequently use "answer" or "respond"?
Lindsay: I would say "answer."
Lindsay: "Respond" to me feels a little more formal, a little more buttoned up, I
would say, yeah (yes). So, I agree with you.
Michelle: Right. So, that's for starters. I feel like I hear it more frequently. So,
"answer" is generally to a question. Seems a little less formal than
"respond," where "respond" is a little bit more general. So, what I mean by
that is it's not just responding to a question, you can respond to a
situation, a feeling. Right?

17
Lindsay: Yes, yes.
Michelle: So. But it can be used to answer a question, like I said and it sounds a little
bit more formal than "answer."
Lindsay: Yeah (yes). And actually, a good example, a good way to envision this
difference, guys, is that the term "first responders." Right? I mean, that's
really interesting. I mean, with this whole COVID-19 thing that's been
happening, we have been, you know... First responders are a group of
emergency medical personnel, right, that do, they do exactly that, they
come to the scene first to take care of people before the person ends up in
a hospital situation. So, but that just illustrates, it's not just about
answering, like, verbally a question, it can be about a situation and action.
That's interesting. Yeah (yes).
Michelle: Yeah (yes), definitely. So, let's do some examples. So, I could say, "Please
answer questions one through six in 30 minutes."
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), or another one, "Please respond to questions one through six
in 30 minutes." How are these different and why did we... Yeah (yes).
Michelle: Well, to me, I think both of these are fine, but "respond" to me sounds a
little bit more open ended, where I feel like "answer" could either be, like,
multiple choice or maybe, like, open ended. Right? But when I hear, I
wouldn't think, like, "respond" and then it's just A, B, C, or D.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), that's a good point. So, it does open things up a bit more when
you say "respond," it's a bit more ambiguous, a bit more vague how you're
going to answer that question. Yeah (yes), but it's true, Michelle, these are
pretty similar in a lot of ways.
Michelle: Yeah (yes), right. Let's do another example. So, "I answered my friend
when she asked for a ride." So basically answer, I answered yes or no.
Right?
Lindsay: Okay, yeah (yes).
Michelle: So, but if I say, "I responded to my friend's question by rolling my eyes."
Lindsay: Okay, so, you didn't necessarily answer yes or no, you had a different
kind... So, again, that's why it's more open, it's more vague, it's more

18
broad how you might be answering. Also, taking note, guys, here of the
grammar, right, we want to be careful, "respond to" and "answer," we
don't use that proposition after "answer," so, that's really important too,
guys. Yeah (yes).
Michelle: Actually, sometimes you do, maybe we should do another episode,

"answer to someone," "I don't answer to you."
Lindsay: There's always a complication.
Michelle: Yeah (yes), exactly, that's the thing, guys, is there's always, you know, a
different way to explain something, there's always an exception. So, yeah
(yes), but for these purposes, yes, you generally say "answer" or "respond
to."
Lindsay: Mmh hmm, I agree, yeah (yes), good stuff. Okay, what else?
[Instrumental]
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every Monday for the upcoming week? Go to
AllEarsEnglish.com/subscribe, plus you'll save 50% off the price of buying
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[Instrumental]
Michelle: Okay, also "answer" is usually just associated and chunked with things like
phone calls and doors. Right? Like, I would say, "Can you answer the
door?" or "Can you answer the phone? I'm finishing my lunch." Right, I
wouldn't say, "Can you respond to the door?"
Lindsay: No, right, right, right. I mean, you would say, "Can you respond to my
email?" so, that's interesting, because I would have put that in the same
category as answering a phone or answering a door, but it's not.
Michelle: But it's not, exactly. I agree.
Lindsay: So, I guess the exception proves the rule as I say it, right. But yeah (yes),
you're right. So, that shows us answering the phone, answering the door,

19
it's more limited what you're actually doing. Right, you're going to the
door, you're going to the phone picking it up. I think that's the overall
thing.
Michelle: Right, right. I do, I agree with you. I feel like "respond" is used a lot with
even with text messages, like, "Ohh, I need to respond to her message."
but you could also say, "answer."
Michelle: For letter, for email could you use, also, respond. So, I could say, like, "She
didn't respond to his email until a week after she sent it." Or "I'll respond
to your text in a second."
Lindsay: Yeah (yes). Hmm, maybe it's more, like, technology things we use
"respond" for some reason, I'm not sure. Yeah (yes).
Michelle: Mhh hmm, mhh hmm. And then I do want to bring up, in my research
about this I did find an interesting one that I hadn't thought of. So, we can
give you guys a link, it's just a discussion board basically talking about it
where somebody was talking about how you might respond to a question,
but you might not answer it. And that makes me think of, like, debates or,
like, presidential debates or maybe press conferences.
Lindsay: One hundred percent (100%) where sometimes, you know, someone gives
a response, and you know, you see all the time in debates, like, they'll say,
somebody, like, somebody debating will give a long winded response,
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and then they'll say, you know, moderator will
say, "Well, you didn't actually answer the question."
Lindsay: Ohh, I saw this exact thing yesterday on the press conference at the White
House, the Vice President was asked a question and it was a question he
couldn't answer well because he just didn't have a good response for this
group of people. Right, and oh God, he just went on and on about how
great the president is doing all these other things but didn't actually
answer the question, and the reporter pushed him a bit and said, "Well,
what about this? This was my question." He just, he just blew it off.
Lindsay: So frustrating to hear, yeah (yes), wow.

20
Michelle: Right. So, that's another way. I mean, I guess, you know, in general I feel
"respond" is more general, whereas "answer," it's almost a piece of the
response, where there's more of a conclusion. So, like, yeah (yes), I feel
like "answer" is pretty much more succinct than a "response."
Lindsay: Yeah (yes). This must be like, I mean, something in a training book of how
to be a politician, learning how to do this, right, how to not answer but
respond and sound inspiring and all this stuff without actually answering
the question. Ohh, don't get me started. We won't get started on politics
today.
Michelle: We could, but we won't.
Lindsay: We could. Alright, so, okay, some other examples then, right, Michelle,
should I throw out a few more?
Lindsay: Okay.
Michelle: So, we're gonna (going to), we’re kind of jumbling these and talking about,
you know, why... We're going to dissect some.
Lindsay: Okay. So, here's an example. "He asked her to marry him, she responded
by crying before she gave an answer, which was no." Ohh my gosh,
nightmare scenario.
Michelle: Yes, really. So, yeah (yes), so, "She responded by crying." So, that's not the
answer. So, sometimes somebody could respond by crying and their
answer is yes, so, the answer is the more, the actual piece of information
here that this guy needs to know.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), I think that's actually a great example because that makes it
really clear, the differences. I like that, yeah (yes).
Michelle: Good, good, good, good. Well, we have a bunch of examples here; maybe
we won't do all of them.
Lindsay: Right, maybe we'll do two or three.
Michelle: Let's do a couple more.

21
Lindsay: Alright, so, what's the next one, Michelle?
Michelle: Okay. "How should we respond when customers ask us about our new
policies?"
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), okay, so, that's broader, right, because you don't know... In this
case you could say, "How should we answer?" but it does feel, like, more
zoomed in, it feels smaller, maybe a little more trivial, the idea of
answering, as opposed to responding.
Michelle: Right, right, right, exactly, yeah (yes). And then... Let's do two more.
Lindsay: Okay.
Michelle: This one, "He doesn't respond well to negative press."
Lindsay: Yeah (yes). In this case "respond" is kind of being used as like "react," "He
doesn't react well."
Michelle: Mhh hmm, mhh hmm, definitely. And then, I think another good one
would be this last one here, "The company told me they would have an
answer for me." Okay, sorry, this is as a noun.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), that's okay.
Michelle: That's different, but that's okay. "An answer for me by Tuesday as to
whether or not I got the job."
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), for sure, for sure, I love that. And then another example, we're
not bringing in the current situation too, too much but one thing that does
come to mind, a lot of companies have been sending out emails around
their, their Coronavirus response, right, the response, not their answer,
because there's no specific question, instead it is a response, they're
responding to the situation.
Michelle: Right.
Lindsay: Okay, so, that's all I'll say about that, but yeah (yes), that's another good
example.

22
Michelle: Definitely, yeah (yes). So, Lindsay, I think, you know, with "respond" it may
not always necessarily be to a question, which is what you just said.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), right, exactly. It may just to be something someone said or to a
situation, right. So, the basic thing, guys, to remember is that "the
response" is more general, could be more open ended, whereas "answer"
to me for sounds a little bit more direct, or it should be. It's more about an
answer to a question, whereas "respond," “response” could be to many
things.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), I think that makes it really clear. This is good. Guys, today
we've taken something that could be potentially quite confusing. I hope
you are really taking notes today, getting the transcript, writing this down
because these are some great examples to understand the differences, so
that you guys can start to use these. Okay? Don't shy away from it, go out
and start using these. Do we have a role play, Michelle?
Michelle: Sure, let's give it a try.
Lindsay: Should we do it? Okay, let's give it a try.
Lindsay: Here we go. What's going on here? I'm helping you practice for a job
interview. Okay, great. Alright.
Michelle: Alright, here we go.
Lindsay: Alright, "So, how long have you been in this field?"
Michelle: "Wow. How do I answer that? A long time."
Lindsay: "I think you need a more concrete answer when you respond to that
question."
Michelle: "Sorry, I don't respond well to practice situations. I always feel so funny."
Lindsay: "That's okay. One sec (second), got to respond to my text. Did you answer
Judy about the party?"

23
Michelle: "Yeah (yes), I told her I can't come. I think I hear the door. Can you answer
it?"
Lindsay: "Sure." Alright, this is good because we're doing all sorts of different things
in this situation. Right?
Michelle: Ohh, yeah (yes).
Lindsay: I mean, so, first you said, "How do I answer that?" That interview question
is what you're talking about. Right?
Michelle: Right, right. So, answering the question. And then you said, "You need a
more concrete answer when you respond to that question." So, "concrete
answer," that's a good chunk, that's basically, like, a firm answer.
Lindsay: Yes. And when you respond, again, guys, it's more open ended, you know,
opening the space a little bit more. And then you said, "Sorry, I don't
respond well." And this is using "respond" to mean kind of "react."
Michelle: Right.
Lindsay: Yes.
Michelle: Right, right, right, exactly. And then you said, "You got to respond to your
text." You could have also said "answer," that would be fine, but this is just
what you chose. And then you said, "Did you answer Judy about the
party?" So, asking a yes or no question really.
Lindsay: Mhh hmm. So, we know Judy said, "Are you coming to the party? Yes or
no?" And that would be the answer. And the last one, "I think I hear the
door, can you answer it?" And definitely, we talked about that earlier, you
would always answer the door, you wouldn't respond to the door, because
it's too, like, concrete of an action. Okay?
Michelle: It sounds like you're talking to the door if you say "respond to the door."
Lindsay: Yeah (yes). It is not the door that's talking; it's the person behind the door.
Michelle: Exactly, exactly. So, guys, this was an awesome question. I mean, you
know, the takeaway for today... But wait, hold on. Before we get to the
takeaway, we want to remind you, this is, I think this is a perfect episode

24
to have a transcript for, because we went through so many different

scenarios. If I were you, I would have my transcript, I would have a
highlighter. Right?
Lindsay: Yeah (yes). You could go deep with this episode, guys. This is a great
example of how to really understand those nuances. So, that link, do you
remember that link, Michelle, where to go?
Michelle: AllEarsEnglish.com/subscribe.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), she got it.
Michelle: I got it.
Lindsay: Alright, cool. What's the takeaway for today, Michelle? What are we going
to leave our listeners with today?
Michelle: Well, I love this question because it was so nuanced. We gave you some of
the basics today. Right? We got into it, we went much deeper into it, but
the rules are broken sometimes. My suggestion is to continue looking for
more examples, look for examples in the news, when you hear people
speak try to identify when people use different words, and what's so great
about these two words is they're used so frequently, so it's not like you're
going to have to wait a year before you hear someone say it and then say,
"Ohh yeah (yes)." Right?
Michelle: You can hear this everywhere. And you know, soon we can do a follow up
on more specific expressions, collocations, we gave you some today, like
"first responders," right, but try it out today and experiment with it, but
definitely, like, really be an investigator and listen for examples and see
how it fits into what we taught you today.
Lindsay: For sure. If you have any follow up questions from today, guys, send your
questions to Lindsay@AllEarsEnglish.com, we want to cover your
questions on the show. This has been a great one, Michelle. So, thanks for
hanging out today.
Michelle: Thank you, this was fun.

25
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), I'll talk to you soon, have a good one.
Michelle: Alright.
Lindsay: Take care.
Michelle: Thanks, you too, bye.
[Instrumental]
See you next time.

26
AEE Episode 1380: Grammar Part Six: A Few Tips to Add a Little Polish
to Your Job Interviews in English
Announcer: This is an All Ears English podcast Episode 1380: “Grammar Part Six: A Few
Tips to Add a Little Polish to Your Job Interviews in English.”
[Instrumental]
Perfection™ with your American hosts Aubrey Carter, the "IELTS Whiz,"
and Lindsay McMahon, the "English Adventurer," coming to you from
Arizona and Colorado, U.S.A.
[Instrumental]
Announcer: You only have one chance to make a good impression in a job interview,
so, make it count. Today we teach you how to use "few" and "little" to add
polish and impress the interviewer in English.
[Instrumental]
[Instrumental]

27
Aubrey: Hey (hi) Lindsay, how are you?
Lindsay: Hey (hi) Aubrey, I'm doing well. How are you doing, what's up?
Aubrey: I am excellent. It's actually getting really hot here, it was 95 yesterday. I
live in Arizona and it gets hot in April, so, we're already swimming.
Lindsay: 95? Wait, did you say it was 95?
Aubrey: 95, yes. We usually have our first 100-degree day in April unfortunately.
Lindsay: Ohh my gosh. So, what is the hottest day that you've seen in Arizona? Mid-
August, July, what are we talking about?
Aubrey: Like 118.
Lindsay: Ohh wow.
Aubrey: Yeah (yes). It gets to where it's too hot to be in the pool. Mostly everybody
has a swimming pool here or we use the public pools a lot, because in the
summer that's all you can do, it's too hot to do anything but swim. But
when it gets to 118, it's too hot to even swim. That's almost don't go
outside.
Lindsay: Wow, that's, wow, that's crazy. Okay, that's totally different from here.
Right now we're, like, in the 50s, the 60s here in Colorado, pretty typical
April weather here.
Aubrey: Kind of crazy because you're not that far. I could drive there in a day. So,
it's kind of crazy that it's that much colder.
Lindsay: It's really weird. So, anyways, what are we getting into today?
Aubrey: Well, I'm back for another grammar episode for our "Grammar Shouldn't
Make You Tense" series, part six today and I'm excited about this one.
We're going to talk about using "few" and "little" and how you can use
them to sound much more polished in job interviews and business emails.
Lindsay: Yes.
Aubrey: This is a good one.

28
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), because both of those situations, business emails and job
interviews, you only have one shot. Right? If it's just writing a business
email, they're just going to read your email, they may not see your face.
You can't build a rapport with your tone of voice, you have nothing but
your words, so, it's so important, guys.
Aubrey: Yeah (yes). I'm really curious, Lindsay, what are a few things that you look
for when expanding the All Ears English team?
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), good question. So, a few of the things that I look for is
definitely an optimistic attitude and energy, but for me one of the most
important things is drive, meaning good old-fashioned hard work. Because
it's hard work what we do, podcasting, it requires considerable dedication
and consistency. So, those are kind of the three things that I look for, or
three of the things. Yeah (yes).
Aubrey: That makes sense, for sure. I am kind of curious, because it wasn't that
long ago, it was, like, six or eight months ago that I interviewed, and I'm
curious if there is something in particular that stood out in my interview?
Lindsay: There was because you took that extra step, and it's kind of a cliché, right,
to say “take the extra step,” but it's so true, it's so effective because we
interviewed a lot of people. A lot of people were interested in working
with us, but what you did, Aubrey, is that you sent us a list of ideas of
episode topics after we interviewed you, and no one else had really done
that, and it was very exhaustive, it was a very long list, and we thought,
"Okay, she has the right stuff to join our team." Yeah (yes).
Aubrey: Nice, I love that. It's funny because I was talking to Jessica during the
interview and she asked if I had any ideas and I didn't at the time, I hadn't
really thought about that, but after the interview I thought I could come
up with some ideas, and it was a really long list.
Lindsay: I love that. I mean, that just shows that you wanted to work with us, you
had the ability to dig in and really think creatively, and, so, that can go
such a long way, it's true. Yeah (yes).
Aubrey: Nice. I'm loving the grammar episodes, it's really fun to get to, you know,
dive deeper into grammar and why it's important and how we can use it.
There's so much out there with grammar, you could waste a lot of time
focusing on the little nitpicky things and instead we want you guys to focus

29
on what you really should be spending your time on, that's what we do a
lot over on the IELTS Energy podcast. We want to break it down and just
talk about what is the most important, what's really the most vital, so, you
know how to spend your time. Right?
Lindsay: Exactly. So, guys, go on over and check out Aubrey and Jessica on the IELTS
Energy podcast. They're over there three days a week, podcasting,
teaching you about IELTS and what you need to increase that score. So
important. But yeah (yes), I think in general at All Ears English our
philosophy is let's not dig into all the nitty gritty details and waste our
energy, let's find out what's the most important thing we can do and bring
that, use that to connect. That's what this is all about, yeah (yes).
Aubrey: Right, exactly. Our last episode, 1376, we were talking to you guys about
infinitives and gerunds. And how do you. If you missed that one, go check
it out, because those are some of the most glaring errors that language
speakers can learn, can make, and we don't want you guys making those
errors, we want you to be able to communicate and show your fluency,
show the hard work you're putting in.
Lindsay: Yes.
Aubrey: And so, yeah (yes), this is another one of those today.
Lindsay: Alright, so, let's dig into it then. Let's talk a little, what are we talking about
today a little bit more. Are we talking about like "a few," "a little," what's it
about here, Aubrey?
Aubrey: Yeah (yes), this is a tricky thing. So, when I asked you that question, "What
are a few things that you look for when expanding the team? ," why
wouldn't I say, "What are the little things you look for?" The meaning of "a
few" and "little" are similar.
Lindsay: "Few," "little," you’re right, they are similar. Similar but different. So, I
think it comes down to the whole count/non-count scenario. Right,
Aubrey?
Aubrey: Exactly, right. "A few," you're talking about something you can count, you
were looking for a few qualities, you could count those on your fingers.
Where "little" is something you cannot count. So, I could have said,

30
"What's a little bit interesting in a future employee?" Right? Because that's

something that's not countable.
Aubrey: But this is, the trick is to know which to use and when, because not only
do you have "a little" and "a few," but we also have them without the
article, "few" and "little," and when used correctly they sound so
impressive and they add a lot of polish to your speech, but when used
incorrectly you can actually say the total opposite of what you really
meant. Right?
Lindsay: Yeah (yes). And I know this can get tricky for some of our listeners, you
know, in certain Asian languages, in Japanese, I don't believe there are
counters or articles, that kind of thing, and I don't know about... What
about French? Yeah (yes), I guess there are, right, there are articles in
French.
Aubrey: Yes, we do have articles in non-count nouns, but it is very different from
language to language. So, you shouldn't always translate directly.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), so, be careful that you're not making that mistake, guys, first of
all, don't be translating directly. I know I made that mistake when I tried to
learn Japanese, and that just doesn't work.
Aubrey: Exactly. So, yeah (yes), as far as, like, breaking down when do you use
which one, we use "a few" when talking about things we can count, and
like, "A few projects." And then "a little" for things you can't count, like "a
little effort." And then with no article, "few" and "little," it means less than
expected. And again, "little," something you can't count, "I have little
experience," would mean that you don't have much experience, "I have
little experience but am a hard worker." And then "few," again, for
something you can count, right? "I have few job opportunities at the
moment."
Lindsay: Okay, so, really important not to make a mistake here, and we're going to
show you guys in a little bit how it can sound really weird if you do use the
wrong one.
Aubrey: Exactly, right, yeah (yes).

31
Aubrey: And this will come up in regular conversation as well, it is so useful in job
interviews and business emails, but it's going to come up in your day to
day conversations as well. Now that we, I think, are pointing it out, you'll
start hearing it more and more, natives use these all the time.
Lindsay: Mmh hmm, for sure. Okay, what else? Let's dive in, yeah (yes).
Aubrey: Great, yeah (yes), let's talk about the first one. So, "a few," you're talking
about like three to five things, because for two we would say "a couple,"
and for more than five we would say "several."
Lindsay: "Several," "many," mhh hmm, yeah (yes), exactly. Okay, so, "a couple."
Aubrey: Yes, "a few," and they're used for count nouns, a few years, a few options.
What is the sentence you would potentially use in a job interview saying "a
few"?
Lindsay: Okay, so, you could say, "I have a few skills that are particularly suited to
this position." Yeah (yes).
Aubrey: And this one's interesting because contrast that, if you accidentally say
"few skills" without that article, if you say, "I have few skills that are
particularly suited to this position," how does the meaning change?
Lindsay: Well you're basically saying the interview is over, that you should leave.
You're saying, "Why am I even here?" because you're saying you have no
skills. Right?
Aubrey: Exactly, saying, "I have less than you expect."
Lindsay: Yeah (yes). So, guys, don't make that, but this is a good example of how if
we make this mistake it could be really detrimental, because you'll confuse
the interviewer, first of all.
Aubrey: Right, exactly.
Lindsay: And you just don't want to make these mistakes, yeah (yes).

32
Aubrey: Yeah (yes). So, the second one, "a little" we use for non-count nouns, it
means a small amount or a bit, not a lot.
Aubrey: A little experience, a little energy. What would be a good sentence for an
interview using "a little"?
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), so, "Though my resume is a little sparse, I assure you that I'm
qualified for this role." So, I like that bonus word today, Aubrey. What
does that mean, "sparse"?
Aubrey: Yes, "sparse," means a little light, a little... There's not a lot there, there's
maybe not a lot of education or not a lot of experience on your resume,
you'd say it's a little bit sparse. It's a great word to use.
Lindsay: That's a good one. Kind of the opposite of "dense" or "robust," something
like that, yeah (yes).
Aubrey: Exactly. Those are also both really good words, yes.
Lindsay: Really good words, we love the words.
Aubrey: Take notes today, these are great vocabulary words.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), yeah (yes), alright. So, what would be number three?
[Instrumental]
Announcer: Today Aubrey is on the show for the grammar series, but you can catch
her more regularly over on IELTS Energy podcast from All Ears English.
Aubrey and Jessica give you expert Examiner tips to score seven or higher
on IELTS. Go and search and subscribe to the IELTS energy podcast.
[Instrumental]
Aubrey: Yeah (yes), the third one, "few" without the article. The meaning here
changes a lot, we use it for countable nouns, "few jobs," "few
opportunities," means not very many. It means less than you would
expect.

33
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), and this is what we were talking about earlier, right, how we
can make this mistake and it would sound very weird.
Aubrey: Exactly, right. So, you might say, "As there are few available positions in
my field, I am particularly motivated to learn about the job being offered."
Lindsay: Sounds very professional.
Aubrey: Yes, right? These are great sentences to use in a job interview to just
sound a little more polished, a little more impressive with your language.
Lindsay: Definitely. And number four would be "little," just "little" by itself. Right?
Aubrey: Exactly. Yeah (yes), we use this for uncountable nouns, "little experience,"
"little derive" like you were talking about. But if you found someone who
has a little drive, this would not be a great thing in an employee.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), that's so funny that that word came up, I didn't even see that
later in the lesson today, but "drive" is a great word, guys. Again, it
means... It kind of means a hardworking person, but it means someone
who has a desire to do something, create something. So, drive is energy,
drive is hard work, really good one to use.
Aubrey: Yes. You would never in an interview want to say, "I have little drive."
Lindsay: Unless you didn't want to get hired.
Aubrey: Exactly, you're not going to get hired for that job. But you could say, you
know, "Due to my youthful appearance, you may assume I have little
experience, but I have actually worked several years as an engineer."
Lindsay: So, again, "You may assume I have little experience." So, guys, you're going
to want to have the transcripts from today's episode. Make sure you've
got them, you subscribe, AllEarsEnglish.com/subscribe, or you can always
get them in the iOS app as a premium user. But I think this is a good one,
Aubrey, where listeners are going to want to be able to see the words
written on the transcripts here, yeah (yes).
Aubrey: Yes, definitely. Yeah (yes), because you'd have to write down every word
to get the notes here, so, yeah (yes), that's a good idea, for sure.

34
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), yeah (yes). So, do we have a role play here?
Aubrey: Yeah (yes), let's do a role play. I was thinking I could give you a job
interview, turn the tables a little bit.
Lindsay: That sounds good to me, let's do it.
Aubrey: Alright. "Why are you interested in this position?"
Lindsay: "Well, I have a few reasons. First, I'd like to gain a little experience, and
second, your company is one of the very few that are making interesting
strides in this industry. Third, I like to push myself to grow, and there's
little to gain by staying at my current job." Got a lot of them in there, wow.
Aubrey: Right? Packed in every one that we're teaching you today, so, it's true, you
really want the transcripts just to get the sentences from this role play.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), for sure,
Aubrey: Okay. "According to your resume, you've recently finished your degree
and have not yet worked in this field."
Lindsay: "It is true that I have little job experience, and I've had few opportunities
to work in this field, however, I have a few skills that set me apart."
Aubrey: "What can you offer that other applicants cannot?"
Lindsay: "Well, I have several ideas that can streamline your processes and I'd love
to share them." Nice, very nice.
Aubrey: Excellent.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), that's good when you say, "I have ideas," in an interview, it's a
good thing, it's a good thing.
Aubrey: Yeah (yes).
Lindsay: Should we go back here, Aubrey, a little bit, just to highlight the ones we
used for our listeners real quick?
Aubrey: Definitely. So, Lindsay's first answer, I think you used all four, let's break
them down. You said, "I have a few reasons," which means...

35
Lindsay: And then I said... Yeah (yes), go ahead, sorry.
Aubrey: And then, "I'd like to gain a little experience." Right, so, then you have that
one, the count with "a few reasons," and the non-count, experience you
can't count, so, here you would use "a little".
Lindsay: Exactly. And then what do we have next? "There is little to gain a by
staying at my current job." Right, so, we're not going to say "a little" here,
guys, "There is little to gain," not very much. Okay?
Aubrey: Exactly. And we also had in there, "Your company is one of very few that
are making interesting strides in this industry." This is where you can use it
without the article, you're complimenting their company here, you're
saying it's one of few that are doing great things.
Lindsay: Definitely. It makes it clear how important, how common, you know, these
words are, "few" and "little" and "couple," very common. Yeah (yes).
Aubrey: Right, that you can use all four in one statement, that's amazing.
Lindsay: Amazing. What else, what else did we say? Here, I said, "It is true that I
have little job experience," meaning not very much. Right?
Aubrey: Mhh hmm. "But I have had few opportunities to work in this field,"
meaning not very many.
Lindsay: And then I said, "However, I have a few skills that set me apart." So, that's
different, guys, that's countable, right, in that case.
Aubrey: Exactly. Yeah (yes), you're wanting to emphasize that it's not less than you
would expect, it's more, right, "I have a few skills."
Lindsay: Yes.
Aubrey: Mhh hmm, and that's where it would be a mistake to say, "I have few
skills," because that would mean not very many and less than you expect.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), I love that. And I think it's a good idea, also kind of a
cliffhanger, to make your interviewee, or your interviewer ask more
questions, you kind of set that curiosity in their mind. "I have a few ideas, I

36
have a few skills." Instead of saying them right out front, you wait for them
to ask. Creates a sense of intrigue, I think.
Aubrey: No, definitely. And it's pretty polished. Right? It's a very polished way of
speaking instead of just listing them off to say a high-level sentence like
this and create a conversation.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), I love it, I love it. And then, then the last one I said was, "I have
several ideas that can streamline your processes." I love that, so good. This
reminds me a lot of business English skills, Aubrey.
Aubrey: Ohh, definitely. Right? This business course that we're creating is going to
be so useful for anyone who's working and wanting to add that polish to
their emails, the way they speak, and yeah (yes), it's going to be great. I'm
excited for it.
Lindsay: Me too, I cannot wait, because our listeners have been asking for a
business course for years, like, a comprehensive business course that they
can rely on to help them move up in their career. So, guys, it's coming, it's
coming. We are working on it. What's the takeaway for today, Aubrey?
Aubrey: You, you guys definitely want to use "few" and "little," "a few" and "a
little," all four of these, if you use them correctly, they add polish and a
high-level professional tone to job interviews, business emails, and your
regular conversation. It shows a prospective employer that you have
mastery of the English language.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), I love it. So, guys, go back, get the transcripts, make sure you
practice this and try to learn this because this is so important. Again, you
don't get another chance when it comes to business English, right, you get
one shot, right, you either succeed or you don't, so, that's important. And
where should our listeners go to find you, Aubrey, on another podcast?
Aubrey: Yes, come check us out, Jessica and I, on the IELTS Energy podcast, and we
have lots of different voices, you're there a lot, Lindsay, Michelle, and our
students come. It’s, I love doing student interviews where they can tell us
why they joined Three Keys IELTS and how it helped them to get the score
they needed to get past IELTS and move on with their dreams, that's my
favorite thing about this job.

37
Aubrey: Yeah (yes), we love that idea, we want to help you guys unlock your
dreams, such a good idea. Right? Love it, love it, so good. Okay, Aubrey,
thanks for coming over here, and we'll see you back on the next grammar
episode in this series. See you soon.
Aubrey: Yeah (yes), see you next time.
Lindsay: Alright, take care, bye.
[Instrumental]
See you next time.

38
AEE Episode 1381: How to Persuade a Difficult Audience in English
Announcer: This is an All Ears English podcast Episode 1381: “How to Persuade a
Difficult Audience in English.”
[Instrumental]
Perfection™ with your American hosts "Former IELTS Examiner," Jessica
Beck, and Lindsay McMahon, the "English Adventurer," coming to you
from Denver and Portland, U.S.A.
[Instrumental]
Announcer: In today's episode we answer a question from an Instagram follower, how

and when do we use the phrase "just because" in English. Find out today.
[Instrumental]
[Instrumental]
Lindsay: Hey (hi) Jessica, how you doing today?

39
Jessica: I'm doing great. Yeah (yes), I love posting on our Instagram page and
reading all the comments. We each have our own days that we post, right,
so, I just got to post something yesterday and sort of scrolling through and
answering people's questions, it's super fun.
Lindsay: It's really cool. I mean, this is the channel where I feel like we are really in
touch with our listeners. Guys, we get to communicate with you pretty
much every day of the week, and it's just another way to connect, right,
video, audio, whatever it is, we're happy to be over there with you, guys.
But what are we talking about today, Jessica?
Jessica: So, we had a great question from someone on Instagram, I posted a

couple weeks ago teaching you guys the idiom "to take a crack at," to, like,
try something new. Right? And somebody commented on that post.
Alright, I'm going to read it.
Lindsay: Okay.
Jessica: So, this subscriber, follower, that's what it is. The follower of All Ears
English on Instagram, Little Black Star 1993 says, "Girls, can you do an
episode on the phrase 'just because'? I assume this is used for when you
don't really have a reason to do something, but I'd love to hear from you
on the situations in which I could use it. Thank you." And that was a great
question, I had never really thought about this before.
Lindsay: Absolutely. And guys, don't forget, you can send us a message right there
on Instagram and ask your question for an episode. We do get a lot of
questions, so, you've got to be a little bit patient, but ask your question, let
us know what you're curious about in terms of English. So, Jessica, let's get
into this. I think there's about three different ways in which we use this
"just because." What do you think?
Jessica: Yeah (yes), totally. I mean, like, we reflected on this for a while before
recording, right, because we want to bring you guys the best advice that
we can, and we came up with the three main ways that natives use this.
It's interesting, right, because it's not just like one meaning or one
situation, but I think the most common situation is, like, when you want to
dodge an answer. Like, if someone asks you why you're doing something
or why we have to do something and you either don't have an answer, like
you don't have a reason, or you just don't want to get into it, like, you

40
don't want to get into the reason, that's really the most common time we
use "just because."
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), and this really makes me think a lot of, you know, a mother
and maybe a teenage kid or a preteen kid, right, if a kid is questioning,
"Why, why, why, why can't I stay out past 10 p.m.?" Just saying, “just
because.”
Jessica: I know.
Lindsay: What do you think, as a mother, Jessica, would you see yourself using this
or some variation of this?
Jessica: I already use it, yeah (yes). I mean, I do like... As much as I can I do really
try and, like, respect James' curiosity, right, I try to treat him, I mean, not
like an adult, of course, but, like, I'm a person who thinks and wants to
know the motivations, like, I do want to have those conversations. But
sometimes, guys, if it's end of the day and I'm tired, you know, and I'm
like, whatever, like, "James, like, you can't watch anymore, no more screen
time." Right? "It's time to go to bed, time to read." and he's like, "But
why? We got to stay up late last night." and I just don't want to get into it,
I'm like, "Just cause, right, just cause."
Lindsay: Right, there are times where you just don't have the tolerance for it, I can
imagine. I would imagine the older they get, the trickier they get around
those arguments, "But last Tuesday we were able to do this here, so why
not this?"
Jessica: Yes.
Lindsay: Ohh my gosh, yes. Good tool to have.
Jessica: He's a little lawyer already, like, he has his defense set, he has all the
reasons. Right, I'm like, I don't want to get into it, "Just because. Alright,
buddy?"
Lindsay: Ohh my gosh, that's awesome, I love it, a little lawyer, that's fantastic. So,
guys, that is the first way we use it, right. Generally, like, parents to a kid
or someplace where you just want to end the conversation and you just
want to say "just because." Okay?

41
Jessica: Exactly.
Lindsay: Yeah (yes). And so, there's a few others. What is the other one, what's the
next one, Jessica?
[Instrumental]
Announcer: Guys, where is everything happening these days? It's all happening on
Instagram. Go and search for the All Ears English Instagram channel to stay
updated on the fun things that are happening at All Ears English. Search
for the All Ears English Instagram channel and follow us there. See you
over there.
[Instrumental]
Jessica: I love this one. So, if you are, if you want to give someone some advice
maybe, right, or maybe you want to open a dialogue about something, you
want to be sensitive when you're introducing this topic or this advice we
also use "just because," like, right away in that instance. Is this something
you do, like, have you used this tool?
Lindsay: Yeah (yes). I think I do it when I'm imagining, again, that, you know, that
questioning is going to come up right away. You know. So. Or, actually, so,
we're talking here about the sensitive moment, right, we're opening up,
opening it up and we know that that person in their mind is going to be a
little bit concerned about what we're saying. Right?
Jessica: Exactly.
Lindsay: So, so saying something, opening it up by saying, you know, "Just because
I'm concerned about this I want to talk more."
Jessica: Exactly, yeah (yes).
Lindsay: It's like you're building your defense right from the start.
Jessica: Exactly. We're all little lawyers today when we're thinking about when to
use "just because." That's true, right? Like, you're having empathy for the
other person, and what it really is like you think the other person might be
offended in some way. Right?

42
Lindsay: Yeah (yes), exactly.
Jessica: Or might be closed to what you are saying and not want to hear what
you're saying. So, you want to tell that person that you're doing this
because you have good motivation. Right?
Lindsay: Yes.
Jessica: "Just because I'm worried, just because, just because I've noticed lately
that, like, there's some unhappiness or some negativity." So, you're setting
that intention from the beginning using that phrase "just because" with
that emotion, right, "I care, I'm worried, I love you," and that’s when,
you're going to follow that with, "I think we should stop baking so many
cookies."
Lindsay: This would be a common line people might be using right now, right,
during, kind of being in quarantine, people might be cooking a lot more,
eating a lot more at this moment. Absolutely, I love that. So, it's like in a
sense it's meaningless, but it's more about the tone you're setting for what
you're about to say, that's the key right there.
Jessica: Yeah (yes), you're setting your intention. Right? You're letting the person
know that, like, you're not criticizing them or being mean, right, like,
you're doing this from a good place, but it's going to be hard to hear, I'm
just, like, letting you know that right now.
Lindsay: I love it, I love it. And again, guys, this is something you're not going to get
in your textbooks, you're not going to see this really written in any
traditional English course, but we're getting it right here right now,
because it's important for connection. Yeah (yes).
Jessica: Exactly. Guys, oh my gosh, there is... You are. Go ahead and Google, you're
not going to find an English lesson like this about this phrase anywhere
else. Yeah (yes), totally.
Lindsay: No way, no way, no way.
Jessica: Okay, so, what is the third... Ohh, I said "Google" and my phone turned on.
Lindsay: Ohh, yeah (yes), it'll do that.

43
Jessica: Always listening. So, what's the third situation we use this?
Lindsay: Alright, so, this is the one where you are anticipating someone really
asking why right away, and you're going to head that off by including it
right in your statement. Okay? So, for example, "We're doing X just
because we believe Y." Okay, so, what would be an example of that,
Jessica?
Jessica: Well, just yesterday actually. So, as we're recording this, we're recording
this on a Monday, so, that means yesterday was Sunday Funday for us,
and I was kind of lazy but, you know, I do want to be active, right, and it
was a beautiful day outside. We went for a super long walk in the morning
and then we sort of, like, lazed around reading and stuff and I thought, you
know what, it's, like, really nice outside, we need to take advantage of this.
So, I went up to James and I was like, "Just because it's so beautiful and it's
going to be rainy the rest of the week, we're going to go outside again and
go play laser tag in the park."
Lindsay: That's awesome, I love that. So, it's a whole statement right in itself and
it'll get him off the couch out into the sunshine, I love it, I love it.
Jessica: Right. Because, like, I already could anticipate what he would say if I simply
just said, "Alright, we're going to go to the park right now."
Lindsay: Right.
Jessica: I know for a fact he would say, "Well, we already had like a super long
walk this morning, we already went outside." Like, I knew he would say
that. So, instead, I anticipate that, right? Head it off from the beginning.
Lindsay: I love it. Guys. This is about knowing your audience, right, knowing who
you're talking to and what they're likely to say as a response, and kind of
building that connection, building that argument. So good, such a good
skill for connection.
Jessica: Ohh my gosh, it's so great. It's that, that skill of empathy, right? Like you
said, knowing your audience, anticipating their feelings, and just being
ready and making sure that that connection, that reason for
communication is clear from the beginning, and that's really what this
phrase "just because" communicates.

44
Lindsay: Yes, I love it. So, that is your answer for our Instagram listener. Guys,
remember, go ahead and ask your question on Instagram. Don't be shy,
don't hesitate, let us know what's on your mind because the best episodes
come out of questions from you guys based on real authentic English. Yeah
(yes).
Jessica: Exactly. So, guys, if you're not following us on Instagram follow us on

Instagram, we have, like, new, little, quick win lessons almost every single
day, guys, and you get to hear from all of us. Michelle, Lindsay, Aubrey,
me, just yeah (yes), follow us on Instagram, it's so much fun.
Lindsay: It's so great. Alright, we'll see you guys over on Instagram, and Jessica,
thanks for hanging out on the episode today.
Jessica: My pleasure, it was super fun.
Lindsay: I'll talk to you soon, bye.
Jessica: Alright, bye.
[Instrumental]
See you next time.

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Connection NOT Perfection™

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Michelle: Hey (hi) Lindsay, I am good, I am good. How are you?

Lindsay: Yeah (yes), yeah (yes).

Lindsay: Ohh, that's good.

Michelle: I'm glad you don't remember either.

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Michelle: Let's do it, definitely.

Michelle: Yeah (yes), yeah (yes), thank you.

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Lindsay: Yeah (yes), exactly, we want a little bit of everything.

Michelle: Yeah (yes).

Michelle: Yeah (yes).

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Lindsay: Yeah (yes).

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Michelle: "Okay, Lindsay, well, don't take it out on me."

Michelle: "On me."

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Lindsay: That's a bad sign.

Michelle: Very bad sign.

Michelle: But they can be used in the same way.

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Lindsay: I keep saying it because there's something...

Michelle: It's natural.

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Lindsay: Ohh, for sure, for sure, no doubt.

Michelle: Yeah (yes).

Lindsay: Do you use this one sometimes?

Lindsay: I do, no, I do, I like it.

Michelle: You do? Ohh, good.

Lindsay: I think it's descriptive, I think it's great.

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Lindsay: Yeah (yes), yeah (yes), for sure.

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Michelle: Alright, you too.

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

AEE Episode 1379: How Do You Know the Difference Between

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Michelle: Hey (hi) Lindsay, how's it going?

Michelle: That's right.

Michelle: Awesome. Lindsay, I mean, we always love listener questions.

Lindsay: We love them.

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Michelle: Yeah (yes).

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Lindsay: Yeah (yes), yeah (yes).

Michelle: "Respond" isn't a noun, but "response" is the noun form.

Michelle: So, "I need a response."

Lindsay: I would say "answer."

Michelle: Yeah (yes).

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Lindsay: Yes, yes.

Lindsay: Okay, yeah (yes).

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Michelle: Actually, sometimes you do, maybe we should do another episode,

Lindsay: There's always a complication.

Michelle: Yeah (yes).

Michelle: But it's not, exactly. I agree.

© All Ears English www.allearsenglish.com

Lindsay: Yeah (yes), yeah (yes).

Michelle: Yeah (yes).