English Conversation 01 | Everyday English | Episode 04

Key Concepts

• Embarrassing situations
• Forgetting someone's name
• "In a bit of a hurry" (meaning being short on time)
• "Contact details" (information for getting in touch with someone)
• "Slipped my mind" (meaning forgetting something)
• "Around here" (meaning close by)
• "Terrible with" (meaning bad at something)
• Fluency Builder: "How's it going?" (a casual way to ask "How are you?")

Language Takeaway

1. In a Bit of a Hurry

• Meaning: To be short on time or moving quickly.
• Examples:
  • "Can you drive faster? I'm in a bit of a hurry."
  • "I can't talk right now. I'm in a bit of a hurry."
  • "I'm in a bit of a hurry, so I'll check these files later."

2. Contact Details

• Meaning: Information such as name, phone number, email address, etc., that allows someone to get in touch with you.
• Example: Information found on a business card.

3. Slipped My Mind

• Meaning: To forget something accidentally.
• Examples:
  • "I'm sorry I forgot to respond to your email. It just slipped my mind."
  • "Don't you know what day it is today? Oh, it's your birthday. It completely slipped my mind."

Putting It Together

1. Around Here

• Meaning: Close by or in this general area.
• Examples:
  • "Is there a bank around here?" (Is there a bank close to here?)
  • "There's a great restaurant right around the corner." (On the next street or very close by)
  • "Los Angeles is a great city. I used to live around there." (Near Los Angeles)

2. Terrible With

• Meaning: Bad at something.
• Examples:
  • "You're terrible with numbers. You can't even remember your own telephone number."
  • "I'm terrible with directions. I'm always getting lost."
  • "I'm terrible with faces. I can never remember what people look like."

Fluency Builder

• Focus: Making simple phrases sound more natural and native-like.
• Example: Replacing "How are you?" or "How are you doing?" with "How's it going?"
  • "How's it going?" is a more casual and natural way to greet someone.

Dialogue Scenario

• Situation: Nick encounters Anna, whom he met at a conference, but he has forgotten her name.
• Key Phrases Used:
  • "How's it going?" (Anna's greeting)
  • "Do you live around here?" (Nick asking about Anna's location)
  • "My office is right around the corner." (Anna indicating her office's location)
  • "I'm in a bit of a hurry." (Nick excusing himself)
  • "Here's my card." (Nick offering his contact details)
  • "You still have my contact details, right?" (Nick assuming Anna has his information)
  • "Your name has just slipped my mind." (Nick admitting he forgot Anna's name)
  • "I'm terrible with names, too." (Anna being understanding)

Personal Anecdotes

• Marco shares an embarrassing story about forgetting a family member's name at a reunion.
• Erica mentions that she sometimes asks for someone's business card or asks them to write down their email address as a trick to remember their name.

Conclusion

The lesson focuses on practical English phrases used in everyday situations, particularly in potentially awkward social interactions. It provides clear explanations, examples, and usage scenarios for phrases like "in a bit of a hurry," "contact details," "slipped my mind," "around here," and "terrible with." The Fluency Builder segment highlights how to make greetings sound more natural. The dialogue and personal anecdotes provide context and demonstrate how these phrases are used in real-life conversations.