sometimes people ask you difficult
questions and sometimes you can't give
an answer maybe it's not appropriate to
answer maybe you just don't want to or
maybe it's not possible so here are some
ways that you can avoid answering
questions okay this first example is me
every weekend like every weekend when
someone invites you to go out to do
something when you want to say I can't
commit to this plan now later I will
know if this plan will happen or won't
happen then you can say yeah I don't
know maybe and let's play it by ear in
natural pronunciation let's play it by
ear let's play it by ear usually for me
this means no I'm buying some ice cream
and watching Netflix and I'm not leaving
my house Friday night and if you're
wondering yes this is the same as saying
let's wait and see I don't know right
now but later I will know maybe you
don't want to answer a question because
it makes you sad now of course if you're
talking about your dead dog that's a
very sad subject maybe you don't want to
answer the question how did your dog die
that's a stupid question but if the
question makes you sad you don't want to
answer it so you can say this I'd rather
not talk about it
remember rather means I'd prefer I'd
rather not talk about it
you can adapt this to other things for
example do you want to eat pizza I
rather not eat pizza right now my dog
just died but just remember that verb is
in the infinitive it doesn't change
he-she it doesn't change it's always
infinitive so not I'd rather not talking
no I'd rather not talk I'd rather not
talk about it
natural pronunciation I'd rather not
talk about it
notice that I'd we don't say like I'd
rather not talk about it we say I'd
rather not talk about it
we're using glottal ice teas here this
connects together not talk not talk I'd
rather not talk about it so it all
connects nicely that good natural
pronunciation sometimes maybe the
question is just rude and you don't want
to answer but you also want to say
that's a rude question you can say this
of course this is a very rude question
how much do you weigh never ask someone
that so of course his response could be
I don't want to answer the question but
also I want to let you know that is a
rude question don't ask me that you can
say this never you mind now you know
that never mind
means don't worry about it but if you
add you never you mind then saying
that's a personal question don't ask me
there now that sounds a little bit
old-fashioned but it's still okay to say
the next one mind your own business
that is personal that's for me that's
not for you mind your own business
notice the pronunciation here we've got
connected speech everywhere here this is
added with a kind of sound mind your
mind your you know that English is
non-rhotic so that our is not pronounced
unless the next word starts with a vowel
sound so in this case we have our
linking your own rone your own mind your
own business mind your own business mind
your own business how much do you weigh
mind your own business maybe sometimes
you can't answer that question because
that information should not come from
you it should come from a different
person
think of political situations like this
one
so of course maybe that information is
confidential in this case you could say
I'm not at liberty to say I'm not
allowed to give you this information
it's confidential I'm not at liberty to
say
I'm not at liberty to say so of course
this exact expression is very common
with politicians as well as the more
common one no comment
the easy one this is when when anyone
wants to say I don't want to talk about
it they will say no comment
natural pronunciation of this one I'm
not at liberty to say
when you ask someone for an answer
decision something in general and they
don't want to give you the answer right
now but they will say later I'll give
you the answer they can say this let me
get back to you notice we glottal eyes
both of those T's because the T is at
the end of a word so it sounds okay let
me get back to you let me get back to
you you could add on that or on that and
I don't know right now but let me get
back to you on that I'll give you the
answer later so that is a super common
expression that you'll hear from
companies if you want a decision right
now or if you want an answer from
someone about something general thanks
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in the next class bye
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