(sound effect)
Did you see me? I was running.
The English word, "running" though is an interesting
and strange word because we use it for a lot more things
than the thing that I was just doing now.
So if you want to know how we use the word running
in a bunch of different ways, stay tuned.
(upbeat tune plays)
You can probably hear me right now
because my van isn't running, but if I turn the key...
and start my van now you can hear
that my van is running.
Right now my van is running
and it probably makes it hard for you to hear me.
Let me turn it off.
We use the English word "running" when we talk
about machines that are doing what they're supposed to do.
In fact, I came home earlier
and I could hear that the washing machine was running
because Jen was doing laundry.
You could hear that my van was running
after I turned the key because the motor was turning
and the van was doing what it was supposed to do.
So another way we use the English word running is to talk
about machines or appliances in our house that are
doing the things that they're supposed to do.
So today has been a bit of a crazy day.
I've been running late.
I've been running behind all day.
I got up this morning
and I went out for breakfast with my brother
and then we ended up doing some other things
before I came home and then the internet wasn't working
and I needed to make this video and I had a lot
of other things to do, but I was already running behind.
I was already running late.
In English, when you use the word running
in the phrase running behind or running late
you're simply saying that you're doing everything late.
If you have a whole list of things to do,
you're doing every single one
of those things later than you were expecting to.
I did make it to breakfast on time with my brother
but we talked for too long
and then I was running late for the rest of the day.
I'm even running late now.
I have to finish this video quickly
because I have other things I'm supposed to be doing
and I was supposed to be doing them a while ago already.
So anyways I'm running late.
I'm running behind, but that's okay.
That's just life.
Another way we use the word running
in English is in the phrase a running joke.
A running joke is a joke that's told over and over again
between a group of people or between two people.
Jen and I have a running joke here on the farm.
Whenever we see a mouse or if we see a rat
we say we should get more cats.
This is a joke because we already have lots of cats.
We have six or seven cats that live on this farm.
We don't need any more cats
but it's kind of a little joke we tell each other.
It's a running joke.
Every few months we'll see a mouse, we'll see a rat
and one of us will say to the other, "Hmm,
maybe we should get more cats."
It's just a little running joke that we have.
Another way we use the word running in English is to talk
about someone who is in charge of something.
I work at a school.
I'm in charge of running the classroom.
But my boss is in charge of running the school.
He is the one who is in charge.
He is the one who takes all the responsibility.
Jen has a flower farm.
She is running a small business.
So another way we use the word running in English,
we use it to talk about someone who is in charge
of something, someone who is the director or the boss,
the person who is really making all the decisions.
For our farm, that person is Jen.
She is running a small business.
Another way we use the English word running is to talk
about something that's happened over
and over again day after day or week
after week or year after year and is still happening.
I have as of today, walked for 31 days running.
That means for the last 31 days, including today
I have been going for a walk every single day.
On this YouTube channel,
I have been putting English lessons online
for six years running.
That means for the last six years I have put English lessons
on this YouTube channel and I'm still gonna keep doing it.
So another way we use the English word running is to talk
about something that's happening day after day
week after week or year after year.
We also use the English word running
in the phrase "off and running" to talk about something
that has started.
At the beginning of the school year we're off and running.
We have the first day of school
and then we're off and running for the rest of the year.
When you start a new job, you're off and running.
After the first day of work, you're off and running.
It means you've started the job
and you're gonna keep doing it.
So we use the English word running
in the phrase "off and running" to talk about something
that has started.
You can also use this to talk about an actual running race.
You know, the starter pistol went off
and they were off and running.
You can use it for actual running
but we use it for a lot of other things as well.
Sometimes I'm really busy because I have a lot
of "running around to do".
In English, when I use the phrase running around,
I'm simply talking about errands.
I'm talking about things I have to do that day.
Sometimes I think a Saturday is going to be a nice quiet day
and then I realize I have a lot of errands to do.
I have a lot of things to do.
I have a lot of running around to do.
Now you're not actually running when you do this.
I mean, you might be a little bit.
Generally it means I'm going to drive to
different places to do different things that I need to do.
But certainly if I have a day where I'm really
really busy doing a lot of errands,
I would probably say I have a lot of running around to do.
So I opened the fridge this morning
and there was only this much milk left in the milk pitcher.
So we are "running out" of milk.
That's another phrase we use
with the word running in it in English.
That has nothing to do with actual running.
When you are using something in your kitchen
or even something else in your life and it's getting low,
you need to buy some more.
We often say that we are running out.
We are currently running out of milk.
We're running out of peanut butter,
and we're running out of butter, I think.
So it might be a good idea to go and do some shopping today.
So the English phrase to be "running out of"
when you are running out of something means
you still have some, but whatever you're using
you're going to need to buy some more soon.
Well, thank you so much for watching this English lesson
about different ways to use the word running
in English that have nothing to do with actual running.
I hope you were able to learn a few phrases that you can use
in your next English conversation.
Hey, if this is your first time here
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and sometimes I even have time to respond.
Have a good week. Bye.
(upbeat tune plays)