Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak.
I'm Feifei.
Neil: And I'm Neil.
Feifei: In this programme, we're talking about 'about'!
Neil: About 'about'?
Feifei: About 'about'!
Neil: This is getting silly! We are indeed talking
about the word 'about' - but not as it's usually used.
Feifei: Indeed. Let's demonstrate. Is Mark about today?
Neil: Yes, I saw him this morning.
Feifei: So, when I asked: 'Is Mark about today?' I
wasn't asking if Mark was somehow related
to the concept of 'today' I just meant, 'Is
Mark here?'
Neil: 'About' means 'here', or 'somewhere near here'.
Feifei: Mark's about. Mark's near here. By the way,
who's Mark?
Neil: No idea. But I know he's near here!
Feifei: Well, that's reassuring. Time for some more
examples about 'about'.
Examples: Hi, is Sue about? Just need to give her some
files.
Will you be about this evening? I want to
ask a big favour.
There's no one about. It's a bit scary.
Don't talk like that. There are children about.
Feifei: There we are. 'About' meaning in or close
to an area.
Neil: You know, there's another word that behaves
like this.
Feifei: You're talking about - 'around'!
Neil: Indeed. We could ask: 'Is Mark around?'
Feifei: And we know the answer to that: you saw him
this morning.
Neil: Except - I didn't really see him. Because
Mark doesn't exist...
Mark: Hi. I'm Mark.
Neil: Ah, Mark!
Feifei: We were just talking about you!
Neil: We were just talking about 'about'.
Feifei: And 'around'.
Neil, Feifei, Mark: Bye.