there Michelle how's everything today how you doing hey yeah um are we gonna be done by three
not that I have to leave early but I just want to know for my schedule oh Michelle I'm just not
quite sure it depends on how quickly we record today all right all right it's fine it's fine
either way it's not that I need to leave early okay no it's okay it's okay but today we have
a great listener question yes and we're going to get into that listener question Michelle I love
it when we get questions from our listeners it is really the coolest thing in the world just to see
where you guys are at see what you are hearing out in the world and help you connect better
that's our goal but Michelle first we do want to let our listeners know about something what
is that guys we want you to hit follow wherever you are listening to all ears English because
we publish four days a week we never miss a week we never miss one of those four days
um and you want to hit follow so that you don't miss anything from us let us come to you and let
you know there's a new episode yeah exactly so if you don't hit follow you won't see it
drop down into your queue right for the episodes that you could listen to that week so hit follow
make it easy on yourself reminders from allers English from Lindsay Michelle and
Aubry and let's go for it so Michelle should I go ahead and read the question from The Listener
yes this is from Asami go ahead and read it okay uh so this student hasami by the way
has taken all of our courses which is amazing wow she or he is a long time loyal listener
um and here's the question I've heard Michelle saying not that I can think of right now several
times in this podcast I also heard Lindsay saying not that I ever clean for anyone
in episode 1791 Michelle that's a very interesting contrast between you and me um I'm not quite sure
what they mean if the sentence starts with not that yes I'd love you to break it down and give
some more examples love you guys Asami we love you too Asami we love you yeah I thought that would
give you a giggle Lindsay that is funny I love it so I love how specific this question is and how
Asami has several examples that really helps us plan the episode and it shows that Asami is really
really listening very closely um so this episode yeah we're gonna talk about it this episode is
about saying not that I or not that you he she whatever uh something right so um we're also gonna
direct you over to episode 1916 for fun is get out of here how to respond appropriately when someone
shares news in English so listen to that one very cool very cool I'm excited for this little
construction this little kind of function language function so here are some examples to get in so
just so we know that exactly what we're talking about today right Michelle here's the first one
not that I can think of right now this is what you said right bringing back what you said another way
to say this would be I can't think of any right now like any examples right right okay so that
would be the other way to say it right like that might be you know how seems like the most natural
like I can't think of any but not that I can think of right now as a very specific construction and
here is yours not that I ever cleaned for anyone oh my gosh I don't remember saying that at all
it's so funny it is funny um I could say that too um but another the other way to say this would
be I don't clean for anyone so that's what it's saying yeah I know right exactly but it is quite
Advanced and Native and natural right right yeah why would we say this instead of just the simple
way of saying I can't think of anything right now I feel like it's just a different unique structure
it has a little personality like especially the cleaning example like I feel like if you
had just said oh I don't clean for anyone it's I don't know saying ah not that I clean for anyone
um but also that example from the beginning I said not that I have to leave early
um yeah I could say it's not that I have to leave early but we basically cut off that it's right
yeah I think it's also a linking function you know so I have no idea what we were talking about not
cleaning for anyone but it definitely comes at the end of a statement right like I might have
said Michelle do you have any examples of a time that you needed to use this preposition and you
might say you know not that I can think of any now or it just comes at the end it doesn't come as a
separate sentence right kind of an answer like it's kind of an answer with personality right
like if you you might have I mean I imagine the beginning of your um sentence may have
been something like oh I need to like I need to get some I need to buy a new vacuum not that I
ever clean for anyone right it gives some con it gives a lot more context a lot more meaning
you know it just adds so much color to your English guys and that creates connection which
is what we're why we're here do you think it makes things more or less formal or not really
it doesn't really I think it makes things a little less formal a little more informal a little more
personal I would say would you say so yeah I agree I agree all right I think we need to dig into more
examples here just to make sure our listeners fully understand what we're talking about all
right so you want to do the first one yeah I need to pick up my dinner not that I'm gonna eat it now
but it's right by my work so this isn't really personality insertion it's more you're giving
more context like okay maybe it's three o'clock you want to make sure the person knows you're not
eating dinner at three o'clock right so that's why you might use it so it's just kind of like yeah
it's elaborating it's elaborating in a linking way in a way that doesn't break up the information
because what's the other alternative I need to pick up my dinner I'm not going to eat it right
now it's right by my work it's kind of boring and repetitive yeah right it's choppy it's choppy we
try to get away from choppy let's show another example okay another example is I'll get there
a few minutes early not that she'll be there but I like to get myself situated before meetings start
right and so what would be the other way the more standard choppy boring way to say it Michelle I'll
get there a few minutes early she won't be there but I like to get myself situated right which it's
fine you could say that too but this gives you other Alternatives maybe a little more Personality
yeah right right right should we do another one yes I lost my place okay we have to clean the
place not that anyone's coming but it's filthy in here yeah kind of what you're doing here is you're
heading off or hedging on what you think the other person's gonna think right yeah that's true
that's true you are kind of like thinking ahead you're kind of thinking ahead like if you said to
me we have to clean the place I would say oh is someone coming over and instead you prevent that
by saying oh not that anyone's coming over but it is filthy in here nice yeah CS yes yes yes yes yes
um so I mean people might also say something like oh there's no way this is happening like
oh there's no that way that I'll ever clean for someone so or clean for anyone so that's another
way you could use it but this I really like this Direction and I and I I just this is just like one
of those examples of one of my favorite questions you know because it's so specific it's so unique
it brings up something in language that Lindsay do you think this is in the textbooks no way no
because I can't cover this no way it's too nuanced yeah if it were in the textbooks I think it would
be in the B2 textbook by the way uh we just opened our B1 course back in April which was
super exciting and our listeners here are getting ready for B2 they were working their way through
B1 to be ready for B2 so this is the kind of thing Michelle we may put into the B2 course but yeah
I don't think a textbook could handle it I don't think so only dollars yes only all there's English
so but yeah this is just an example of a great question she Asami came to us with examples of
her own really unique fun structure so guys keep your questions coming um send them on over and
if you can think of examples like that you've heard yeah choose something from the podcast
and write it down send it to us we'll explain it yeah that would be fun that would be fun should
we do a role play just to get more context it's all about context right let's do it so we are
friends going shopping all right okay is there anything else we need hmm nothing I can think
of yeah I think we're done let's try to get to the register quickly not that we're in a rush
but I just hate waiting I got it yeah you get it I hate waiting too oh man okay so what did
we say here you said I said okay is there anything else we need you said hmm not that I can think of
right that's your famous phrase yes yes I guess so you said uh yeah I think we're done let's try
to get to the register quickly not that we're in a rush but I just hate waiting so you're kind of
like yeah because it's what you said before you could say let's try to get to the register quickly
and then I could say well wait like are we are we rushing somewhere are we going somewhere like you
know or at least I might I might wonder right exactly so it's almost like you're saving the
person you're covering the person you're making them feel more secure in a way it's just strategic
connection skill because you are making them you're answering their questions in one statement
kind of yes yes exactly so um this is good I mean today I I think the takeaway is what we've really
been talking about here Lindsay you really hit on it you know this idea of making it's really kind
of making things easier for The Listener you're giving the answer to an unasked question because
you realize that they might have that question whether they're going to ask it to you that
whether they were going to actually ask you a question or they're just wondering
something in their head like with the lunch example oh I'm gonna go pick up my lunch it's
three o'clock so the person might and I mean my dinner at three o'clock the person might
wonder why does she eat dinner at 3 P.M and then they're like no no not that I've
so it is kind of you know showing how to link things together in a way that might make it easier
for The Listener and that brings about Connection in itself 100 Michelle I love it so well said I
mean that's it that's it how to answer an unasked question you know that's really the function here
um and that makes it a connection skill so good yeah guys so go and use this it's also very high
level like I said probably would fall into that B2 Upper Intermediate low advanced level so you
would really build that connection with native speakers if you were to insert this so go for
it so good okay I love it all right well thank you for this question and thanks for hanging
out Lindsay and thanks for listening all right I'll see you soon Michelle take care bye bye
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