Learn English Podcast Conversation | Intermediate | English Podcast Improve Listening | Ep 33

welcome back to our Channel hello everyone I am Lisa and I'm Eric if you're looking to improve your English in an easy way you're in the right place so grab a snack sit back and let's dive into today's topic okay Eric what are the words today the first word today is apparently then we will continue with grumpy and be willing to do something then to call off and the final one is go the extra mile let's start with the first word Eric the first word is apparently apparently apparently great let's explain apparently to our listeners

sure Lisa apparently is an adverb we use when we're talking about something that seems to be true but we're not completely sure about it we often use apparently when we're sharing information we've heard from someone else or based on what we can see Let me Give an example sentence apparently the new restaurant in town is really good it means that you've heard that the new restaurant is good but you haven't tried it yourself and are not 100% certain about it here's my example the street is wet apparently it rained last night it means that you

can see the street is wet so you think it probably rained last night you didn't see the rain yourself but you're making a guess based on what you can see now now let's talk about how to use apparently in sentences we usually put it at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence for example apparently the shop is closed or the shop is apparently closed good point Eric now let's listen to a short dialogue using apparently hey Emma did you hear about the school dance no what about it apparently it's been cancelled really why

I'm not sure but apparently there's a problem with the venue that's too bad I was looking forward to it that was a good dialogue Mike wasn't completely sure about the information so he used apparently to show that exactly Eric did you ever use apparently when you were wrong about something yes I have once I said apparently it's going to snow tomorrow but it ended up being a sunny day oh that's funny the weather can be hard to predict have you ever heard any funny stories that start with apparently actually yes once my friend told me

apparently my cat can open the fridge I didn't believe it until I saw it myself wow that's an amazing cat it's interesting how we often use apparently for surprising or unusual information isn't it definitely it's a useful word for sharing information we're not totally sure about I agree it helps us talk about things without saying they're definitely true that's a good point Lisa apparently is a great word for our listeners to use when they want to share information but aren't 100% certain absolutely well that's all we have time for with apparently let's move on to

our next word the next word is grumpy grumpy grumpy grumpy is an adjective that describes someone in a bad mood or easily annoyed we use it when someone is not happy and might complain a lot we often use grumpy to describe how someone is feeling usually for a short time now let me give an example sentence my dad is always Grumpy in the morning before he has his coffee it means that your dad is in a bad mood and might be easily annoyed in the morning until he drinks his coffee he's not pleasant to be

around during this time exactly now it's your turn Lisa can you give us another example sure here's my example the baby is grumpy because she didn't sleep well last night great sentence it means that the baby is fussy and unhappy because she didn't get enough sleep she might cry more easily or be harder to please than usual that's right Eric now let's talk about how to use Grumpy in a sentence we can say to be grumpy or to feel grumpy for example he is grumpy today or I'm feeling grumpy because of the bad weather good

point Lisa now let's listen to a short dialogue using grumpy hi Tom how are you today not great I'm feeling really grumpy oh no why are you grumpy I didn't sleep well and I have a lot of work to do I'm sorry to hear that maybe some fresh air will help you feel better that was a good dialogue Eric do you ever feel grumpy sometimes yes I can be grumpy if I'm hungry or have to wake up very early I understand that what do you do to feel better when you're grumpy I try to eat

something or take a short nap those usually help me feel better what about you Lisa what makes you grumpy I can get grumpy when I'm stuck in traffic or when it's too hot outside those are good ways to improve your mood it's interesting how different things can make people grumpy yes it is and it's important to remember that everyone feels grumpy sometimes it's a normal emotion that's true we should try to understand when and why others are grumpy and manage our own grumpy moods absolutely well that's all we have time for with grumpy let's explain

our next word the next word is be willing to do something be willing to do something means to be happy or ready to do something it shows that you agree to do it without being forced for example she is willing to help with the project it means that she is happy or ready to help with the project that's right here's another example he was willing to stay late to finish the work it means that he agreed to stay late to finish the work and was ready to do it without any pressure exactly now let's briefly

discuss some gramar related to the word be willing to is followed by the infinitive form of the verb for example I am willing to learn English or they were willing to wait great now let's have a short dialogue using the phrase be willing to do something hi Emma I need some help with my math math homework are you willing to help me of course I'm always willing to help with math what do you need thanks I don't understand these questions would you be willing to explain them to me sure I'd be happy to let's look

at them together that was a good dialogue Eric Emma was willing to help Mark with his math homework yes that's right she agreed to help without any problem she even said she's always willing to help with math Lisa have you ever been willing to do something special yes I was willing to volunteer at a local animal shelter on weekends how about you Eric I was willing to help my friend move to a new house last month do you think being willing to help others is important yes it shows kindness and support which are important in

any relationship what do you think I agree being willing to help others strengthens our connections and builds Trust Lisa anything else you want to add about our phrase today remember that be willing to do something means being happy or ready to do something without being forced it's a useful phrase to show agreement and Readiness good explanation okay let's continue with the next word the next word is call off call off callof callof is a phrasal verb it means to cancel something that that was planned here's an example sentence we had to call off the meeting

because the manager was sick it means that we had to cancel the meeting because the manager was sick here's another example they decided to call off the picnic due to the rain it means that they decided to cancel the picnic because of the rain now let's briefly discuss some grammar related to call off this phrase is a phrasal verb and is often followed by a noun such as meeting or picnic for example call off the event or call off the trip great now let's have a short dialogue using the phrase call off in this dialogue

we'll have two friends John and Maria talking about their weekend plans did you hear that they called off the concert really why did they call it off off apparently the lead singer is sick that's too bad I was really looking forward to it me too I guess we'll have to find something else to do now let's talk about our dialogue Lisa what do you think about the situation with the concert well based on the dialogue the concert was called off because the lead singer was sick both John and Maria had been looking forward to it

but now they were disappointed what do you think about their reaction their reaction is understandable sometimes it might be disappointing when plans are cancelled have you ever had to call off something Lisa yes I had to call off a trip once because of bad weather how about you Eric I had to call off a meeting because of a last minute emergency do you think it's important to let people know early when something is called off yes informing people early helps them change their plans accordingly I agree it shows consideration and helps avoid confusion do you

know any other phrases that mean the same as callof yes phrases like cancel and abort have similar meanings okay I think we have explained callof fairly enough now let's move on to the last word of today what's the last word of today Eric the last word today is go the extra mile go the extra mile go the extra mile go the extra mile is an idiom it means to make a special effort to achieve something or do more than expected for example she always goes the extra mile to help her customers it means that she

makes a special effort to help her customer customers doing more than what is expected exactly Lisa here's another example if you want to succeed you need to go the extra mile in your work it means that to be successful you need to put in extra effort and do more than what is required absolutely now let's briefly discuss some grammar related to go the extra mile this phrase is an idiom and is used with the verb go in different tenses for example go the extra mile in the present tense and went the extra mile in the

past tense great now let's have a short dialogue using the phrase go the extra [Music] mile have you noticed how Sarah always goes the extra mile at work yes she really puts in a lot of effort like last week she stayed late to finish the project that's true I think that's why one respects her so much definitely she sets a great example by always going the extra mile now let's talk about our dialogue Lisa what do you think about Sarah's Behavior at work based on the dialogue Sarah makes a special effort to do her job

well and it's noticed and appreciated by her co-workers what do you think about the impact of going the extra mile I think going the extra mile can really make a difference in what people think about you and can lead to Greater respect and success have you ever gone the extra mile for something Lisa yes I once stayed up all night to help a friend prepare for an important presentation how about you Eric I helped organize a surprise birthday party for a friend by making decorations and planning games do you think going the extra mile is

always necessary not always but it can be very rewarding and help build strong relationships I agree it shows dedication and can make you stand out do you know any other phrases that mean the same as go the extra mile yes phrases like go above and beyond and put in extra effort have similar meanings exactly remember that go the extra mile means making a special effort to achieve something or doing more than what is expected it's a useful phrase to show dedication and hard work that's right and that brings us to the end of today's episode

we hope you enjoyed learning with us remember to study the new words and phrases we've discussed don't forget to tune in next time for more simple explanations and useful examples thanks for listening and keep improving your English one word at a time see you in the next episode bye for now the podcast where we make learning English easy and fun I am Lisa and I am Eric we explain common English words and phrases in simple language in each episode so let's start and make English simple together okay what are the words today Eric the first

word today is ambitious then we will continue with ultimately and to suspend then to stick around and the final one is to be on the go okay let's start with the first word Eric the first word is ambitious ambitious ambitious ambitious means having a strong desire to be successful achieve goals or reach a high position in life that's right Eric when we say someone is ambitious we mean they want to do great things and work hard to reach their goals exactly now let me give an example sentence Sarah is very ambitious she wants to become

the CEO of a big company it means that Sarah has Big Dreams and is working hard to reach a top position in a company good example here's another one my brother is ambitious about his music career he practices guitar every day it means that my brother really wants to succeed in music so he works hard and practices a lot great it's important to note that we often use ambitious with the preposition about when talking about a specific area or goal for example he is ambitious about his studies we can also use ambitious with two followed

by a verb for example she is ambitious to start her own business now let's listen to a short dialogue using the word ambitious hey Emma what are your plans after graduation I'm quite ambitious actually I want to start my own tech company wow that's really ambitious do you think it will be difficult yes but I'm determined I've always been ambitious about my career that was a nice dialogue Eric I noticed they used ambitious twice once to describe Emma's Big Goal and wants to talk about her attitude towards her career you're right Lisa what do you

think about being ambitious is it always a good thing H that's an interesting question Eric I think being ambitious can be good because it helps people work hard and achieve their dreams but sometimes very ambitious people might forget about other important things in life like family or relaxation I agree with you Lisa it's important to have a balance do you know anyone who is very ambitious yes I do my friend Jake is very ambitious he wants to become a famous chef he's always trying new recipes and entering cooking competitions that sounds exciting how does Jake

work on his ambition well he practices cooking every day he also watches many cooking shows and reads cookbooks to learn new things that's a great example of ambitious people working hard to reach their goals I agree well I think that's all we have time for with the word ambitious shall we move on to our next word yes let's do that the next word is ultimately ultimately ultimately great choice what does ultimately mean Eric it means in the end or finally you use it when you are talking about the final result of something now let's give

some example sentences ultimately they decided to move to a bigger house it means that in the end after thinking about it they choose to live in a larger house perfect the second example she studied hard and ultimately passed the exam it means that because she worked hard she finally passed the test good job Lisa now let's talk a bit about the grammar of ultimately it's an adverb so it usually goes before the verbal at the end of a sentence you don't need to use any special prepositions with it right it's quite simple to use how

about we give a short dialogue using ultimately sure let's set the scene Jane and Tom are friends talking about their weekend plans hey Tom what are you doing this weekend I'm not sure yet I have a lot to do but ultimately I think I will visit my parents that sounds nice spending time with family is important yes I agree what about you Jane I have some work but ultimately I will relax at home that sounds like a good plan that was a nice dialogue so Eric do you think Tom made the right choice yes I

think so visiting family is always a good idea what do you think Lisa I agree family time is very important and Jane's plan to relax at home is good too it's important to relax yes we all need some rest do you use ultimately Lisa sometimes especially when I talk about decisions how about you yes I use it when I talk about final results it's a very useful word absolutely and it's easy to use in sentences I agree okay I think we covered it well I hope our listeners find it easy to use ultimately now yes

I hope so too Eric okay let's move on to our next word what's the next word Eric the next word is to suspend to suspend to suspend to suspend is a verb it means to stop something temporarily or to prevent someone from participating in an activity for a while for example the teacher decided to suspend the class due to the snowstorm it means that the teacher stopped the class temporarily because of the snowstorm here's another example the student was suspended for breaking the school rules it means that the student was prevented from attending school for

a period of time because they broke the rules now let's briefly discuss some grammar related to to suspend this verb is often followed by a noun or pronoun for example to suspend the game or to suspend him great now let's have a short dialogue using the word suspend in this dialogue we'll have two friends Tom and Sarah talking about their soccer practice did you hear that the coach decided to suspend practice for the week yes I heard apparently the field is too muddy to use that's too bad I was looking forward to it me too

but it's better to wait until the field is safe at least it's just suspended and not canceled now let's talk about our dialogue Lisa what do you think about the coach's decision to suspend practice based on the dialogue the coach suspended practice because the field was too muddy which made sense for safety reasons what do you think about Tom and Sarah's reaction Tom and Sarah are disappointed but understand the reason for suspending practice have you ever experienced something being suspended Lisa yes my flight was once suspended due to bad weather how about you Eric my

gym membership was suspended during the pandemic Lisa do you think suspending activities is sometimes necessary yes suspending activities can be necessary for safety or other important reasons I agree it's better to suspend something temporarily than to risk harm or failure do you know any other words that mean the same as to suspend yes words like postpone delay and interrupt have similar meanings okay any anything else you want to add about our the word today Eric just remember that to suspend means to stop something temporarily or to prevent someone from participating in an activity for a

while it's a useful word to know in many situations that's right Eric well let's continue with the next word okay the next word is to stick around to stick around to stick around what does to stick around mean Eric it is a phrasal verb it means to stay somewhere and not leave it's often used when you want to stay in a place for a bit longer that's right to stick around is an informal phrase and we often use it in casual conversations yes Lisa let me give an example sentence after the meeting I decided to

stick around and talk to my colleagues it means that after the meeting was finished I chose to stay and chat with my colleagues that's a good example I'll give another one you should stick around for the party it's going to be fun it means you should stay for the party because it will be enjoyable now let's have a sample dialogue to show how to stick around can be used in a conversation hey Lisa are you leaving the park soon no I think I'll stick around for a a bit longer what about you me too I

want to stick around and watch the sunset it's really beautiful here that sounds like a good idea let's stick around together and enjoy the view that was a nice example Eric the phrase stick around was used twice in our conversation yes and it shows how we can use it in different sentences now let's have a friendly chat about the dialogue sure So Lisa why did Mark want to stick around and watch the sunset well I think sunsets are really beautiful and relaxing what about Sarah I think she wanted to enjoy the nice weather and spend

more time outside it's always nice to relax at the park that's right Lisa do you often stick around places after events sometimes if I'm having a good time or if I want to talk to friends I like to stick around how about you I do too especially if the place is nice or if there are interesting people to talk to it makes the experience better absolutely it's always fun to stick around and enjoy the moment well I think we have explained to stick around very well today yes I agree I hope our listeners found it

helpful and now feel more confident using to stick around in their conversations all right let's move on to our last word of today what's the last word Eric the last word today is on the go on the go on the go let's explain on the go to our listeners this phrase means being busy active and moving from place to place it's used to describe someone who doesn't have much free time and is always doing something or going somewhere that's right we use this phrase when we want to talk about people who are very busy or

always moving now let me give an example sentence Sarah is always on the go rushing from work to the gym and then to meet friends it means that Sarah is very busy and active she goes from one activity to another without much rest or free time here's my example as a busy mom I often eat breakfast on the go it means that the mom is so busy that she doesn't have time to sit down for breakfast she probably eats while traveling or doing other things good point Eric now let's listen to a short dialogue using

on the go hi Emma want to grab lunch today sorry Tom I'm on the go all day I have back-to-back meetings wow you're really busy do you ever take a break not often being on the go is normal for me during the work week maybe we can meet for coffee sometime when you're less on the go that sounds great I'll check my schedule and let you know that was a useful dialogue Eric Emma was too busy to have lunch because she was on the go all day yes that's right she had many meetings and didn't

have time for a proper lunch break exactly Eric are you often on the go sometimes especially during the work week I usually have a busy schedule with work errands and exercise what about you Lisa I'm not always on the go but I have busy days too I like to have some quiet time at home to relax that's a good balance do you think it's healthy to always be on the go I don't think it's healthy all the time it's important to have rest and relaxation too what do you think I agree being on the go

can be exciting but we also need time to rest test and recharge that's true on Theo is a useful phrase for our listeners to describe busy active Lifestyles absolutely it's a common expression in English for talking about busy schedules and active people well said Eric all right we've reached the end of our episode today yes that's all for today's episode of Simply explained English we hope you found it helpful and fun Please Subscribe and like the video and practice the words of today join us next time for more simple explanations of English words and phrases

until then keep practicing and keep learning bye for now bye-bye