Shadowing Practice: 😕 I’m Not Feeling Like Myself Today | Easy English Conversation for Beginners - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hi, everyone.
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Welcome back to Everyday English Talk, the podcast where you can practice simple, everyday English with us.
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I'm Anna.
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And I'm Ben.
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Thank you for joining us today.
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Wherever you are, at home, on the bus, or taking a short break, we're happier here.
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Have you ever woken up and thought, I don't know what's wrong with me today?
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Maybe you're tired, grumpy, or just not feeling like yourself.
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Today, we're talking about some natural ways to talk about those not.
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So, good days in English.
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And don't forget, you can download the free PDF transcript and practice exercises in the description below.
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All right, let's get started.
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Before we start, let's look at four useful words and phrases you will hear in our conversation.
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Grumpy.
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Grumpy.
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It means you are in a bad mood and easily annoyed by small things.
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You might feel grumpy when your alarm is too loud or when your coffee isn't quite right.
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For example, he's a bit grumpy this morning.
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Drained.
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Drained.
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It means you are very tired and have almost no energy left.
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It's like your body is a battery and the battery is almost empty.
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For example, after work, I felt completely drained.
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Rough day.
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Rough day.
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It means you are having a difficult or stressful day.
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Maybe many small things go wrong or you just feel that everything is hard that day.
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For example, I had a rough day at work yesterday.
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Feeling off.
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Feeling off.
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It means you don't feel like yourself.
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Nothing may be seriously wrong, but you feel different, uncomfortable, or not quite right, and you may not know why.
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For example, I'm not sick, but I'm feeling a bit off today.
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Keep these words and phrases in mind as you listen.
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They'll help you understand how we talk about having a bad day.
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Hey, Ben.
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How are you doing today?
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I'm good.
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A little tired, you know, but good.
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How about you?
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Well, today I feel great.
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I really do. But yesterday...
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Oh, wow.
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Yesterday was not a good day for me at all.
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Really?
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What happened?
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Did something bad happen at work?
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No, nothing bad happened.
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That's the funny part.
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I just, like, woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
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Wait, woke up on the wrong side of the bed?
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Did you actually fall out of your bed in the morning or something?
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No, I didn't fall.
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Waking up on the wrong side of the bed just means, well, you wake up in a bad mood.
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You don't know why you just feel unhappy from the exact moment you open your eyes, you know, ah I see yeah,
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I definitely know that feeling so you were feeling grumpy Yes, I was feeling very grumpy Literally everything annoyed me.
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My alarm clock was too loud.
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The coffee was too hot the weather was too cloudy even my favorite clothes felt like Uncomfortable.
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Oh, wow.
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I hate mornings like that.
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Everything just feels difficult.
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Exactly.
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Like, for example, I dropped my keys near the door.
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Normally, I just pick them up and leave, right?
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But yesterday, I almost cried because I dropped my keys.
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I was just so grumpy.
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Oh, I totally know that feeling.
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So, how was the rest of your day?
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Did it get better?
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Not really, no. When I went to work, I was just.. feeling off.
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Hmm.
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So when you say you're feeling off, does that mean you're angry?
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Well, not exactly angry.
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Feeling off means something is just not right inside you.
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It's hard to explain.
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I wasn't sick, and I wasn't really angry at anyone.
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I just felt different, you know?
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My brain was slow.
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My energy was low.
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Ah, I get it you were not feeling like yourself.
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Yes, exactly.
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Not feeling like myself.
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Usually, you know, I like to chat with my coworkers.
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I like to smile and say good morning.
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But yesterday, I just wanted to be quiet.
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I just wanted to go home, close the door, and sit in silence.
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Wow.
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It sounds like you were having a rough day.
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I really was.
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Having a rough day is just so tiring.
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You just want the day to finish quickly so you can go to sleep.
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You know, I had a day exactly like that last week.
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I remember it clearly.
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I was just feeling a bit down.
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Wait.
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Feeling a bit down?
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Why?
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Did something happen?
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Did you get some bad news?
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No, no bad news at all.
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That is the strange thing.
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I just woke up feeling a bit sad, you know?
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A bit down.
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I was waiting for the bus, and I just felt heavy.
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I didn't want to listen to my favorite podcast.
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I didn't even want to look at my phone.
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Wow, it's so interesting how our moods change like that for no reason.
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How did you feel by the evening?
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Oh, by the evening, I was feeling totally drained.
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Drained?
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Like a battery?
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Yes, exactly like a battery.
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When your phone battery is at 1%, it is drained.
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It has no power left.
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I was feeling drained.
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I had absolutely zero energy.
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Oh, no. What did you do?
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Did you still cook dinner?
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No way.
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I couldn't cook.
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I couldn't even watch TV.
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B. My mind was too tired.
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I literally just ate some bread and wanted to sleep.
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I know that feeling so well.
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When you feel drained, everything just feels heavy.
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Your body feels heavy, and your mind feels completely tired.
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Yeah.
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And sometimes, you know, we try so hard to find a reason, right?
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We ask ourselves, why am I feeling grumpy?
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Why am I having a rough day?
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Why am I feeling a bit down?
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I did exactly that yesterday.
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I asked myself all day, am I hungry?
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Did I sleep badly?
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Did someone say something mean to me?
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But no. Everything in my life was completely normal.
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So, Anna, when you woke up on the wrong side of the bed yesterday, did you try to fix it?
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I tried.
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I drank some warm tea.
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I listened to soft music at my desk.
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But honestly, I was just feeling off all day.
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I kind of just had to wait for the day to end.
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Well, sometimes that is all you can do.
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When I was feeling a bit down last week, I just took a warm shower and went to bed early.
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Did you feel better the next day?
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I did.
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I woke up feeling like myself again.
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My battery was full.
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I was not drained anymore.
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That is so good to hear.
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I feel much better today, too.
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You know, I think it is important to remember something.
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Oh?
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What is that?
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You don't always need a big reason to be in a bad mood.
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That is so true.
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Sometimes we look for a big problem, but there really is no problem.
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Exactly.
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Sometimes you just don't feel like yourself.
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And that is completely okay.
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You don't have to be happy every single day.
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It is totally normal.
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Everyone has rough days.
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Everyone feels grumpy sometimes.
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It makes us human.
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Yeah.
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The most important thing is to be kind to yourself.
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If you are feeling drained, just rest.
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If you are feeling off, take it slow.
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Tomorrow is always a new day.
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Now, let's look at five useful phrases from our conversation.
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As you listen to each example, try to read the sentence again after you hear it.
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You can pause the episode if you need more time.
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Listening and reading the examples again can help you remember the phrases and feel more comfortable using them in real conversations.
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Number one is wake up on the wrong side of the bed.
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We use wake up on the wrong side of the bed when we wake up in a bad mood, even though nothing serious has happened.
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For example, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
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I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
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She woke up on the wrong side of the bed, so she was quiet all morning.
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She woke up on the wrong side of the bed, so she was quiet all morning.
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Number two is be in a bad mood.
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We use be in a bad mood when we feel unhappy, annoyed, or not very positive.
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For example, I'm in a bad mood today.
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I don't know why.
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I'm in a bad mood today.
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I don't know why.
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Don't worry about him.
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He's just in a bad mood.
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Don't worry about him.
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He's just in a bad mood.
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Number three is not feel like myself.
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We use not feel like myself when we feel different from how we normally feel.
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For example, I'm tired today and I don't really feel like myself.
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I'm tired today and I don't really feel like myself.
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After a few days of bad sleep, I didn't feel like myself.
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After a few days of bad sleep, I didn't feel like myself.
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Number four is have a rough day.
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We use have a rough day when our day is difficult and several things go wrong or make us feel tired.
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For example, I had a rough day at work yesterday.
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I had a rough day at work yesterday.
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She's having a rough day, so maybe give her some space.
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She's having a rough day, so maybe give her some space.
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And number five is feel a bit down.
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We use feel a bit down when we feel a little sad, low, or less energetic than usual.
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For example, I'm feeling a bit down today, so I'm going to stay home tonight.
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I'm feeling a bit down today, so I'm going to stay home tonight.
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He felt a bit down after a long week at work.
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He felt a bit down after a long week at work.
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These five phrases are really useful when you want to talk about your mood in everyday English.
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And remember, you don't always need a big reason to feel this way.
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Sometimes, you just have a rough day.
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And tomorrow might be a much better day.
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If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more great content.
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Click the subscribe button and stay updated with our latest episodes.
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Before we continue, let's quickly look at how these phrases are different.
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They all describe a not, so, good day, but they describe different feelings.
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Grumpy and in a bad mood are very similar.
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They mean you are not feeling happy and you can get annoyed or upset easily, even about small things.
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Feeling off is a little different.
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It means you don't feel like yourself, but you may not know exactly why.
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You're not necessarily sad or angry.
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You just feel that something isn't quite right.
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A bit down means you feel a little sad or low.
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It's usually not a very strong feeling.
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So saying I'm a bit down sounds softer than saying I'm very sad.
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And drained is mainly about your energy.
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It means you feel extremely tired and have almost no energy left.
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You can feel drained even when you're not sad or angry.
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So remember, grumpy is about your mood, feeling off is about feeling different,
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a bit down is about feeling a little sad and drained is about having very little energy.
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Before we move on, let's listen to a short story from Anna.
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She'll use some of the phrases we just learned in a more natural, connected way.
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Hey, it's Anna.
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Today I want to tell you a short story about my rough day yesterday.
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I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
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I don't know why.
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I was grumpy from the first minute.
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The bus was late, my coffee was cold, and at work I made a few small mistakes.
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I was feeling off all morning.
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By the afternoon, I was completely drained.
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I was also feeling a bit down.
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I just wanted to go home, lie on the bed, and do nothing.
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But in the evening, I took a warm shower, listened to some soft music, and went to bed early.
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This morning, I feel like myself again.
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My battery is full.
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I'm not drained anymore.
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So, that was my rough day.
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And honestly, I think it's okay to have days like that.
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Sometimes you just don't feel like yourself.
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Tomorrow is a new day.
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That was a simple story, but notice how many of today's phrases Anna used naturally.
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You can do the same when you talk about your own day.
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Exactly.
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You don't need a complicated story.
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Just talk about how you felt, what happened, and what you did.
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Before we finish, let's quickly recap the five key phrases from today.
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Wake up on the wrong side of the bed.
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Be in a bad mood.
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Not feel like myself.
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Have a rough day.
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Feel a bit down.
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Now, here's a small challenge for you.
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Try to use at least two of these phrases this week.
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You can use them when you talk to someone, or simply write a sentence in your diary.
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For example, you can say, I had a rough day today, or I'm feeling a bit down today.
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And if you have a little more time, record yourself speaking for 30 to 40 seconds about how you feel today.
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Then listen to your recording and say it again.
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Listening and repeating your own sentences can help you feel more comfortable using these phrases.
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Thanks so much for listening and practicing with us today.
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See you in the next episode, and remember, it's completely normal to have rough days.
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Be kind to yourself.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “😕 I’m Not Feeling Like Myself Today”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: feeling, rough, bed, drained, mood. This video has 271 sentences and 2295 words to shadow. The speech runs for 15:37. The speaker talks at a steady 147 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 86% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| mood noun | /muːd/ | A mental or emotional state, composure. |
| drain noun | /dɹiːn/ | A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an otherwise contained volume; a plughole (UK) |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| everyday adjective | /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/ | Appropriate for ordinary use, rather than for special occasions. |
| alarm noun | /əˈlɑɹm/ | A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy. |
| uncomfortable adjective | /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/ | Not comfortable; causing discomfort. |
| 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… |
| unhappy adjective | /ʌnˈhæpi/ | Not happy; sad. |
| subscribe verb | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). |
| naturally adverb | /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ | In a natural manner. |
| necessarily adverb | /ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/ | Inevitably; of necessity. |
| complicated adjective | /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/ | Difficult or convoluted. |
| silence noun | /ˈsaɪ̯ləns/ | The absence of any sound. |
| hungry adjective | /ˈhʌŋ.ɡɹi/ | Affected by hunger; having the physical need for food. |
| badly adverb | /ˈbæd.li/ | In a bad manner. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How are you doing today?
- Did you get some bad news?
- How did you feel by the evening?
- Did you still cook dinner?
- We ask ourselves, why am I feeling grumpy?
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 | Have you ever woken · has happened |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is drained · was not drained |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might feel · may be · might be |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | were having · was waiting |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 56 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, necessarily /ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/, complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, energetic /ˌɛn.əɹˈdʒɛt.ɪk/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like mood, drain, phrase.
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.