Shadowing Practice: How Do British People Really Complain - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
269 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
British people don't always complain loudly.
2
Sometimes we prefer something a little more subtle.
3
Micro -complaining.
4
In this episode of the English Right Now podcast, we're exploring the British art of micro -complaining.
5
I'm British English teacher Roy.
6
Joining me is my dear friend Rob, and we're going to teach you at least 10 pieces of related moaning vocabulary.
7
Hello, Rob.
8
You all right?
9
How you doing?
10
can't complain i suppose yeah i can't do that very easily
11
but yeah hey how are you yeah well mustn't grumble you know it's okay brilliant
12
so i i i'm naturally quite a positive person uh
13
so in general i wouldn't answer something like oh yeah you know i wouldn't necessarily do
14
that but we're talking about micro complaining this idea of small
15
complaints
16
which is actually a key point of of british bonding i
17
find what what do you normally moan about moan about oh
18
well i'm only about the weather of course it's a very
19
british thing to do moan about the weather um bad customer
20
service in a shop you know uh they're the main things i think oh
21
and traffic traffic oh the traffic was terrible you know oh
22
these all sort of um uh oh that's annoying that's annoying
23
the phone's ringing there you go we can have a complaint
24
about this why is the phone ringing at this time i was going to record the phone ring that's
25
so typical law
26
we'll let it go to answer phone there you go yeah
27
i'm sure i'm sure i'd be i'm sure it'd just be a sales call yeah
28
or one of your family members asking for money these that's
29
a british complaint it's like sort of sugarcoating a bit of humor about something
30
that is genuinely annoying so So say that you, imagine you didn't know me and you meet me at a bus stop.
31
British people tend to make a little, they tend to have a little bit, have a tiny moan.
32
So moaning is kind of exaggerated, long complaining.
33
But we also say, I'm just going to have a moan, complain about something, usually informally, often without being seriously upset.
34
What would you complain about when you first met me at a bus stop?
35
At a bus stop, probably we'll moan about the bus being late, I would have thought, rather than going, isn't it great, the bus is on time again.
36
We typically go, look at you, what, tut, you'd like to tut a lot.
37
It's late again.
38
Oh, it's late, isn't it?
39
You know, that sort of thing.
40
Looking for something we can bond together about yeah
41
so i i would say that
42
so this idea of micro complaining is this small minor complaints
43
i've touched about this on my main channel as well
44
and we it helps british people to bond over something bond over something means develop a connection with someone
45
because of a shared experience or opinion
46
and we do don't we we bond over bad
47
and i think the key thing it's relatable yes like you moan about oh the buses they never come
48
and then there's two at once and all these kind of cliche
49
but it works yeah of course these are as you say
50
minor things we're not talking about yeah you know oh world
51
war three's broken out again it's kind of it's um it's minor things really just something to grumble about
52
or grumble don't we grumble's a good word
53
so grumble is is kind of complaining quietly
54
or repeatedly about something annoying like oh
55
and it's got this idea muttering isn't it bloody things honestly
56
like not quit quite clearly getting your words out um yeah i i agree you know
57
and you said that about you know this micro complaining
58
if i complain to you go oh the bloody buses honestly
59
you can't you can't you know you can't rely on them
60
these days what's going on what is the correct etiquette for
61
you it's usually to agree isn't it yeah you don't You don't have a big standoff, you know, a big argument about it, going, I think you'll find, actually, the buses are on time.
62
You know, you just tend to go, yeah, I know what you mean, you know.
63
Yeah, we either disagree.
64
We either, sorry, we either completely agree and support the opinion, or we don't get involved if we don't agree.
65
Yes.
66
It's weird, isn't it?
67
We kind of go, yeah, yeah.
68
No, no, I see what you mean.
69
Tell me about it.
70
These kind of throwaway expressions.
71
But we wouldn't necessarily, yeah, disagree.
72
Oh, the weather's crazy today.
73
No, it's not. Because that's confrontational.
74
Yeah, yeah.
75
Same old thing, isn't it?
76
We want to avoid a confrontation, avoid a scene.
77
We don't want a big argument or a big bust -up or particularly don't want to fight about it.
78
Because we're only talking about minor things here, aren't we?
79
So what if the bus is late or not late?
80
It doesn't really matter.
81
It's not the end of the world.
82
That's a great expression.
83
Not the end of the world.
84
you know the worst case scenario but we wouldn't say that to a british person who was complaining
85
no we might we might then you know back down from our own opinion
86
but i do buses over i suppose it's not the end
87
of the world i suppose i could always get a taxi you know we might use it ourselves
88
but i wouldn't say rob if
89
that is your name met you at a bus stop obviously
90
uh it's not the end of the world mate cheer up
91
god yeah honestly i think that's this is strange as we're talking about yeah
92
if you knew somebody or a family member or a friend
93
or something you can be probably a little more honest can't
94
you yeah stop moaning oh yeah get over it yeah yeah yeah
95
but even then we might go we might empathize a little bit yeah mate it's annoying
96
but come on what can we do it's trying to shut it down
97
but even then i think friends we bond over moaning we
98
so earlier on you said
99
and it made me feel uncomfortable something you said made me feel uncomfortable oh oh look at
100
that you said oh isn't the transport amazing it's brilliant it's
101
always on time it literally made me feel ill i was
102
like oh okay what's wrong with this why is he over
103
enthusiastic why is he too excited about life why do i feel
104
that way um uh you're a comfort zone i suppose i
105
mean you mentioned earlier about you're quite a positive person
106
so you wouldn't say yeah i'm all right you know you're always very positive
107
and that can be really annoying as well it's it's
108
because it's not it's not normal you think oh what's wrong with this guy he's
109
so positive but i wouldn't say i'm positive to the point where it becomes abnormal um
110
but i would say in the sense of like you're right yeah yeah
111
it's more like i'm not enthusiastic about my positivity i'm not
112
like way i'm having the best day of my life you
113
know i'm not i'm just more like you know there's no point in moaning
114
so i might as well just carry on you're more glass
115
half full rather than half empty yes i think you're more
116
glass half smashed on the floor smashed on the floor too
117
many half glasses that's what it is yes all digging in your feet ow um
118
but you the thing is just to conclude you you sort
119
of you edge to the towards the positive whereas i might edge towards the negative yeah yeah
120
but even then we're not exaggerated in either way
121
and that's key i'm not like oh no what are you
122
talking about the sun's out fun's out all this um
123
and you're not like oh my life is over it's raining
124
again you know we're not too we're very central in our in our emotional expressions
125
and even it complaining i think if it got to a point where it became annoying and persistent we'd call it whinging,
126
whinges to complain in an annoying or persistent way and it's very common to say this, oh mate, stop whinging you know,
127
it's only five minutes that's when it becomes too much yeah so, you know, at what point do you think,
128
what would you think is an acceptable level of complaining?
129
an acceptable level of complaining is well, the things I would say,
130
you mean would be well i say it's it's it's kind of um
131
my mind on the spot you have i mean i wouldn't
132
go oh this is awful this is terrible yeah unless you
133
know there are certain circumstances where you do lose your rag
134
and get really oh good expression but um
135
but generally yeah it's not great is probably one of my
136
strongest complaints it's not great you know it's not amazing oh brilliant yeah
137
if you complain at a restaurant we've mentioned this before we
138
always start by going sorry for a start sorry you know
139
but the service isn't great not really you know yeah not
140
fantastic we wouldn't say sorry the service is terrible yeah straight direct like
141
that we often yeah we often sort of like
142
when we're meeting people
143
and we don't know people very well we kind of have
144
this bonding moment as we said over a minor complain about
145
something like the weather the transport maybe the cost of living um
146
but it's general things that people can relate to yeah things
147
that we're not going to cause a control a controversial moment
148
and we often say this expression i don't want to make a fuss make a fuss means react strongly
149
or draw attention to a problem
150
um you know the food was cold
151
but i i didn't want to make a fuss yes
152
but we do don't we in a weird way in a
153
roundabout way yes an indirect way yeah yes we we make
154
a fuss by not making a fuss yeah i mean we don't we don't sing
155
and dance about it though as you say we don't get on the table
156
and go my food is cold and i'm gonna vomit it Well, we go on about it again and again, don't we?
157
Oh, it's cold.
158
I don't want to make a fight.
159
It's cold, but no, it's all right.
160
Oh, it's not great.
161
We're grumbling again, aren't we?
162
Grumbling.
163
We play it down.
164
And I find that we grumble, we moan, but we don't necessarily go overboard aggression.
165
And we don't go too far either way.
166
That's the key.
167
We micro -complain.
168
And I think there is a strength in micro -complaining.
169
If you compare us to a culture which is a lot more naturally positive, they bond more over camaraderie
170
and the strength of like oh yeah you know this is
171
a great day i'm having a great day whereas i think for british
172
if you said i'm having the best day of my life i'd expect you to be being sarcastic
173
or ironic yeah yeah yeah ironic would be a better word
174
but yeah i i would find it really weird as to
175
why you were telling me you were having such a good day
176
i i've got a feeling that the reason i feel
177
that like oh rob's rob's too much he's over the top
178
i feel it's like making a british people feel like what am i not getting from this experience
179
yeah what am i missing yeah am i missing out on something here yeah fomo yeah fomo
180
and like that i we often complain about things that are a bit of a faff
181
So a faff is something that requires more effort organization
182
or it's just an inconvenience and it's more effort than it needs to do.
183
What do you think is a typical faff?
184
It's filling in forms, for example.
185
Oh, yeah.
186
If you're online and you want to buy something, you have to set up an account, first of all, don't you?
187
Oh, that's a faff.
188
Why can't I just buy it?
189
You know, but now I have to add my email in, create a password, maybe add all my personal details it's a faff you know
190
it's a bit of a pain actually a bit of a pain it is it is an absolute
191
interestingly when we are we're talking about
192
because he's not you know it's a faff
193
which means it requires more effort than we need
194
but it's not a major problem it's a minor inconvenience
195
and a small problem which causes irritation but it's not serious you know filling in a form or putting your details in.
196
I mean, it's not end of the world territory, is it?
197
I say, no, it's what we might call a first world problem.
198
You know, it's not about life and death, is it?
199
It really is a small inconvenience.
200
It's something I would say a bit of a pain, which is an informal way of saying something is inconvenient or annoying.
201
Often when something is a minor inconvenience, a bit of a faff, we exaggerate.
202
So we go beyond micro complaining.
203
we we then exaggerate it
204
because it becomes funny like oh goodness me i've got to
205
fill out this i've got to put my details in again
206
honestly this is a nightmare yeah yes a nightmare that's quite strong actually roy a nightmare yeah it is strong
207
but we don't use
208
that for weak for minor inconveniences something really problematic i'd probably
209
say not ideal yeah classic understated way of saying something is a real problem yeah slightly annoying yeah
210
but we're talking in general
211
so we've got this kind of performative element haven't we to complaining
212
so we start off when we meet somebody
213
or we're getting to know them with kind of micro complaining finding things we can bond over
214
that are negative and then we move to step two
215
when we become friends or we know
216
that person we exaggerate beyond all sort of limits something minor
217
and we downplay things that are major
218
and then step three of the friendship is you being able
219
to say oh come on cheer up for god's sake you know these kind of things get a grip
220
but you'd never say that to an acquaintance
221
or somebody you just met would you no you wouldn't
222
or a business colleague anything like
223
that no no i think uh it's best to agree with them
224
but yeah yeah best friends partners then you can be a
225
little bit more honest um yeah sometimes sometimes we say the
226
truth as well within it we've got to do a whole lesson on british humor
227
but the way we hide truth within a joke i always
228
say within an hour we say something like somebody goes oh i'm just an awful person
229
and we say yeah
230
but i still love you you know it's something you know it sounds like a joke
231
but at the same time we are reinforcing that we think your behavior is a bit bad
232
it's true yeah yeah i used an expression before we uh before we wrap up i used an expression
233
earlier and i said sod's law which is the idea that
234
if something can inconveniently go wrong it probably will sod's law we just start recording
235
and the phone starts ringing yeah a couple of other ones i might use is oh just my luck
236
which is that's a good one isn't it Let's do it.
237
Oh, the train's been cancelled again.
238
Oh, the train's cancelled again.
239
Oh, just my bloody luck.
240
Just my luck.
241
You could imply that it's happening.
242
It's personal.
243
It's personal.
244
The fact the train is cancelled, they've cancelled it because of you.
245
We do make these minor inconveniences personally, don't we?
246
We make them personally.
247
You're right.
248
My bad luck, you know.
249
It's typical.
250
Oh, just my luck it starts raining and I haven't brought the coat out.
251
Just my luck.
252
Sod's law or typical typical something you might say
253
when you're annoying it's an annoying but unsurprising thing happens oh typical rains every day
254
and it doesn't does it but we do you're absolutely right you make
255
that little micro complaint a little bit personal and i think that helps us relate
256
yeah thank you rob for complaining with me today oh no trouble no i know you do it
257
so naturally i know how you do it i don't know
258
do you do you practice yeah practice are you professional training sods law though
259
when i think of a complaint i can't think of one
260
um yeah yeah it's the weather it's the uh well done well complained about complaining yeah i think
261
if there were an olympics an olympic event of complaining you'd bring home the goal but you
262
if you want to support this podcast uh please do consider buying a cup of tea for myself
263
or for rob uh it helps keep this podcast going and alive
264
but i just want to say rob thank you very much
265
for joining me moaning grumbling complaining it was a minor it
266
was a minor it's a minor inconvenience i had to miss my lunch to do this
267
but yeah minor what a nightmare
268
that phone call was as well typical thank you rob for joining me i'll see you in the next one
269
and thank you everyone bye
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
📺 Same Channel
B11
Making the perfect cup of tea | English Right Now Podcast
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2Talking about the Cost of Living in the UK | Real British English Conversation
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2What does 'posh' actually mean in British English?
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2The TRUTH About British Schools!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
✨ Recommend Video
B2462 sentences
British Complaints with Luke from Luke’s English Podcast | Real British English
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
133 sentences
9 Things Australians SECRETLY Judge You For!! 🇦🇺 | Australian Culture
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B14
61 sentences
complaining at the restaurant | English conversation practice
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1108
29 sentences
Talking to a Neighbour About the Noise
British AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B2116 sentences
British People Never Say "I Like you" - They Do This Instead
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
237 sentences
비오는 날 영국인이 좋아하는 건? | 영국영어 팟캐스트 This or That ep06 A rainy day walk
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B222
12 sentences
Don't Complain about a life you choose #life #lifestyle
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2410 sentences
Is Rosie Ramsey The Strict Parent?!? | Shagged. Married. Annoyed.
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
40 sentences
Every appointment ever for anything in the UK.
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2486 sentences
Say These 200 DAILY WORDS in a British Accent! (MODERN RP)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B12
22 sentences
Daily Conversation B1 Talking About Annoying Things
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “How Do British People Really Complain”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: complaining, minor, annoying, british. This video has 269 sentences and 2964 words to shadow. The speech runs for 16:54. The speaker talks at a natural 175 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| complain verb | /kəmˈpleɪn/ | To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment. |
| microwave noun | /ˈmaɪkɹoʊˌweɪv/ | An electromagnetic wave with wavelength between that of infrared light and radio waves. |
| complaint noun | /kəmˈpleɪnt/ | The act of complaining. |
| inconvenience noun | /ɪnkənˈvinjəns/ | The quality of being inconvenient. |
| fuss noun | /fʌs/ | Excessive activity, worry, bother, or talk about something. |
| nightmare noun | /ˈnaɪt.mɛɚ/ | A very unpleasant or frightening dream. |
| cancel verb | /ˈkæn.sl̩/ | To cross out something with lines etc. |
| naturally adverb | /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ | In a natural manner. |
| necessarily adverb | /ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/ | Inevitably; of necessity. |
| podcast noun | /ˈpɑdˌkæst/ | A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on… |
| awful adjective | /ˈɔːfʊl/ | Very bad. |
| whereas | /(h)wɛɹˈæz/ | In contrast; whilst on the contrary; although. |
| acceptable adjective | /əkˈsɛp.tə.bəl/ | Worthy, decent, sure of being accepted or received with at least moderate pleasure. |
| relate verb | /ɹɪˈleɪt/ | To tell in a descriptive way. |
| uncomfortable adjective | /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/ | Not comfortable; causing discomfort. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| break out verb | To escape, especially forcefully or defiantly. | |
| cheer up verb | To become happier or less downcast. | |
| fill out verb | /fɪl ˈaʊt/ | To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information. |
| get over verb | To overcome. | |
| set up verb | /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ | To make ready for use. |
| start off verb | To begin. | |
| wrap up verb | To cover or enclose (something) by folding and securing a covering entirely around it. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Because we're only talking about minor things here, aren't we?
- We're grumbling again, aren't we?
- What do you think is a typical faff?
- Why can't I just buy it?
- We do make these minor inconveniences personally, don't we?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | i've touched · we've mentioned · train's been cancelled |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | person who was · culture which is · pain, which is |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | been cancelled · is cancelled |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 126 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: enthusiastic /ɪnˌθjuːzɪˈæstɪk/, empathize /ˈɛmpəˌθaɪz/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: smash /smæʃ/, friendship /ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/, controversial /ˌkɑn.tɹəˈvɝ.ʃəl/, aggression /əˈɡɹɛʃən/, confrontation /ˌkɑn.fɹənˈteɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: inconvenience /ɪnkənˈvinjəns/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, necessarily /ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/, acceptable /əkˈsɛp.tə.bəl/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like complain, microwave, complaint.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.