Shadowing Practice: Stop Confusing BE, BEEN & BEING! | Slow English Listening Practice (B1) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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498 sentences
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1
Victoria, quick question.
2
What's the difference between be, been, and being?
3
Ah, three little words that can make a perfectly confident learner suddenly go very quiet.
4
Exactly.
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I hear them everywhere, but when I need one, my brain offers all three.
6
Very generous, not very helpful.
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Then let's sort them out.
8
Today we'll make these forms easier to understand through everyday situations, little conversations, and a few mistakes we can fix together.
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Good, because I'd like to be confident.
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I've been confused before, and you're being very helpful already.
11
There you go.
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Three different patterns before we've even introduced ourselves.
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Keep those sentences in mind.
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We'll come back to them.
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Hello, everyone.
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I'm Slava, and this is my wife, Victoria.
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Welcome to the Cambridge English Walking Podcast.
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Today, we're walking around Covent Garden in London.
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Join us for slow British English or listen like a podcast while you're walking, cooking, or making tea.
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Hmm, perhaps not while arguing with your kettle.
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You'll need your attention for this.
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Although, be quiet would be useful there.
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Already another example.
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But first, First, let's make one thing clear.
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These are forms of the same verb.
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So they're relatives.
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That explains why they look similar and still manage to cause an argument.
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Yes.
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You already know am, is, are, was, and were.
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Be belongs to that family, and so do been and being.
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Right.
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We aren't learning three completely unrelated words, we're learning where different forms fit.
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Exactly.
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Imagine three familiar situations.
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First, you're preparing for something.
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You say, I want to be ready.
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That sounds like me.
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I like knowing where we're going, what we need, and whether lunch is involved.
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Second, someone asks why you haven't answered their message.
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You say, I've been busy.
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Useful.
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Although it doesn't explain why I had time to send them a photograph of my coffee.
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That's a separate investigation.
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Third, someone is helping you patiently.
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You say, you're being very kind.
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So want to be ready, have been busy, and are being kind.
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The words around each form are doing important work.
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Yes, that's what we'll practice.
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Don't try to give each form one translation that works everywhere.
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Listen to the whole expression.
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Can we give everyone a small challenge before the explanations?
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Nothing frightening.
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I haven't brought a pencil. Of course.
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Listen.
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I want to.. more confident. Which fits?
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Be, been, or being?
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Take a moment to choose.
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I want to be more confident.
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If you chose be, lovely.
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If you didn't, keep listening.
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You'll hear why it fits.
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Now imagine your friend says, you seem tired.
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You reply, I've busy all day.
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Which word belongs there?
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I've been busy all day.
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We're looking back over a period connected to now rather than just saying how we feel this second.
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Finally, someone is deliberately making a silly noise while you're trying to concentrate.
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Stop, silly.
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What would you choose?
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Stop being silly.
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although that instruction might put a sudden end to half our conversations.
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We'll risk it.
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Notice that being appeared after stop, without am, is, or are.
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That's why learning a few different patterns matters.
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And if someone listening is thinking, I knew those answers, but I still hesitate when I speak, is this lesson for them too?
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Absolutely.
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Recognizing the answer is a good start.
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Now, we'll connect each pattern with a situation you can picture, then give you chances to say it.
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You can pause and repeat, or simply listen first and join in when you feel ready.
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Ah, this is already more interesting than memorizing three definitions.
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We can actually hear what people are trying to say.
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And by the end, you'll have practiced choosing for yourself.
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Let's start with B, the basic form and a sentence you might use before an interview, I want to be ready.
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Ready?
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Yes.
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Confident?
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Hopefully.
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But why can't I say I want to am ready?
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Am already means something with I.
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Ah, because want to needs the basic form afterwards.
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I am ready works alone.
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But after want to, we use be.
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I want to be ready. So...
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I shouldn't carry am into every sentence just because I'm talking about myself.
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Exactly.
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Listen to the pattern.
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I want to be.
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She wants to be.
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We want to be.
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The person changes, but be stays the same.
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That's surprisingly convenient.
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One little word that doesn't demand a different outfit for every person.
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Enjoy it while you can.
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Now, imagine you're learning to drive.
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You might say, I want to be a careful driver.
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Or, before meeting someone new, I want to be friendly.
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Not, I want to bin friendly.
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Right.
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Be fits after to here.
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Picture what you want.
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Ready, friendly, confident.
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Then build your sentence around, I want to be.
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Let's try something useful, everyone.
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Think about a situation that matters to you, at work, with friends, or when speaking English.
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How do you want to be?
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Perhaps, I want to be more patient, or I want to be clear when I explain something.
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Pause and make your sentence personal.
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Mine would be, I want to be understood, especially when I'm explaining that looking at a menu is serious research.
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Very serious.
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But want isn't the only word we can use.
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I need to be on time.
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I'm trying to be patient.
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I'd like to be there.
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Hmm.
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On time means at the planned time, not late.
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I need to be on time for my appointment.
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That's a sentence worth keeping.
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Now, imagine your friend is nervous about tomorrow.
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You say, you should be proud of yourself.
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They've worked hard, and you want to encourage them.
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Wait, should be?
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Where did to go?
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After should, we use the basic form directly.
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You should be proud, not you should to be proud.
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The same pattern works after can, could, and will.
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It could be expensive.
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We'll be ready.
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You can be honest with me.
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Ah, these sound familiar when we hear the whole expression.
140
Exactly.
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Here's a useful contrast.
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We need to be careful, but we should be careful.
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Same idea about care, different pattern before be.
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Let's give everyone a choice.
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I'd like to… more confident.
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Be, been, or being? Be.
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I'd like to be more confident.
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Now another.
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You should… kind to yourself. Be again.
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You should be kind to yourself, particularly when you're learning, because getting one answer wrong doesn't cancel everything you know.
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And be can start a sentence, too. Be careful. Be patient. Be honest.
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These can be instructions, advice, or encouragement.
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Depending on your voice, be quiet can sound rather different from, be quiet, please, the baby's asleep.
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Yes, and to make a negative instruction, use don't be.
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Don't be late.
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Don't be afraid to ask.
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I like that last one.
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Everyone repeat it if you can.
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Don't be afraid to ask.
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A useful sentence outside English lessons, too.
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If these examples are helping, subscribe and practice with us on our next walk as well.
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One last quick test.
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Your friend says, I should to be ready by 9.
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What would you change?
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Listen for the extra word.
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Remove to, I should be ready by 9, but keep it in I need to be ready.
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Say both sentences and notice what comes before be.
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Right.
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I want to be patient, I should be patient, and I'm trying to be patient.
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But what if I want to explain that my patience started hours ago?
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Then imagine someone asks, why are you so tired?
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You look back over your morning and answer, I've been busy since breakfast. Since breakfast?
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Hmm, that sounds like a long morning.
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But what is been doing there?
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Why not just say, I am busy?
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Because I'm busy describes your situation now.
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I've been busy since breakfast looks back from now to the time your busy morning started.
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Ah, like looking along a path behind us – we're standing here now, but we can see where it began.
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Exactly!
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For this pattern, picture a bridge between an earlier time and a bridge and now.
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We've been friends for years.
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The friendship started before today and continues.
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So been needs some company.
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I've been, you've been, she's been.
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It doesn't normally walk into this kind of sentence alone.
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Right.
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I've means I have, and she's means she has here.
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I have been busy, she has been busy.
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Useful.
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Although she's been busy could mean you've been planning another activity while I'm still checking the first one.
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Let's keep our grammar examples friendly.
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Listen instead.
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I've been tired lately.
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Lately means recently, around this time.
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Does that mean I must still be tired at the exact moment I say it?
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Not necessarily.
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You're describing a recent period connected to now.
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You might feel better today and still say, I've been tired lately.
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Good, because one cup of coffee can change the situation quite quickly.
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Sometimes.
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Now, compare two useful words, for and since.
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I've been here for ten minutes.
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I've been here since two o 'clock.
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For tells us how long, ten minutes.
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Since tells us the starting point, two o 'clock.
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Yes.
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We've been married for several years.
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We've been married since our wedding day different ways to look at the same period.
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Let's practice, everyone.
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Choose for or since.
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I've been busy this morning.
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Which one fits? Since.
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I've been busy since this morning.
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Now try I've been busy three hours.
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For three hours.
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At that point, I'd like someone to offer me a sandwich.
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Here's another everyday use of been.
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Have you been to London before?
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That asks about your experience, whether you've visited.
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So that bridge picture helps with some examples, but this one is about a visit.
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It doesn't mean the person has stayed in London ever since.
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Exactly.
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I've been to Edinburgh means I've visited Edinburgh.
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You can say it while sitting at home in Cambridge.
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And if somebody asks when, I could say I went there last year.
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We change the pattern when we name that finished time.
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Right.
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I've been there before before.
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I went there last year.
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Keep those two examples together.
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What about I've been waiting?
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There's another action after been.
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Have we invited too many words into the sentence?
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No, they each have a job.
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Have been waiting can describe an activity continuing over a period.
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I've been waiting for ten minutes.
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Perhaps I'm still waiting, or perhaps my friend has just arrived.
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Either way, those ten minutes matter now.
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Yes, but we don't need to study every tense today.
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Notice these useful patterns.
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I've been busy, I've been to London, and I've been waiting.
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Your turn.
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Say one true sentence starting with I've been.
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You could choose a feeling, a place you've visited, or an activity.
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Take your time.
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For example, I've been busy this week.
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You can repeat that first, then change one detail.
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One more check.
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If I say, I am being busy, have I put the wrong words together?
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Yes.
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Use, I've been busy, when you're looking back over a recent period.
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Or simply say, I'm busy, for your situation now.
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Listen to both, then choose the meaning you want.
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Right.
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I've been patient through all these examples.
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Does that earn me a compliment?
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Certainly.
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You're being very patient now, Slava, and that little change gives us something new to explore.
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Wait, that sounds different from your patient.
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Are you complimenting my whole personality or just my excellent behaviour during this conversation?
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Let's start with this conversation and see how the afternoon goes.
262
Your being patient focuses on how you're behaving in this situation.
263
Ah, like a camera showing what someone is doing rather than a label describing them in general.
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Exactly.
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That picture helps here.
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Your kind can describe a quality.
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Your being kind highlights the kindness you're showing now.
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For example, someone helps me carry a heavy bag.
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I could say, thank you, you're being very kind.
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Yes or someone listens while you explain a problem without rushing you.
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You're being very patient with me.
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Useful.
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Much nicer than, Congratulations, you haven't walked away yet.
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Slightly nicer.
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Now let's try a less friendly example.
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Imagine someone keeps interrupting a waiter.
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Their friend says, you're being rude.
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That points to their behavior in that moment.
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It doesn't have to mean they're always rude.
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Right.
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But it's still a strong comment, so your tone matters.
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You're talking about how someone is acting, not giving them a free pass.
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Could I say, sorry, I'm being impatient.
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Perhaps I keep checking the time while somebody is helping me.
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Absolutely.
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You're noticing your own behavior.
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Sorry, I'm being impatient.
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Please take your time.
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That can make a difficult moment friendlier.
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Hmm.
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Now I'm wondering about happy.
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If I feel happy today.
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Should I say, I'm being happy?
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Usually, no. Say, I'm happy.
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A feeling happening now doesn't automatically need being.
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I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I'm cold work too.
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So, being isn't a special button I press whenever something is temporary.
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Exactly.
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Think about behavior in examples like being helpful, being careful, or being silly.
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Don't add it to every feeling.
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Let's test that.
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You're standing outside without a coat.
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Would you normally say, I'm cold, or I'm being cold?
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I'm cold.
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Now imagine someone is refusing to answer a simple question just to annoy you.
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You're being difficult could describe that behavior.
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Ah, cold describes how I feel.
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Being difficult describes how I'm acting.
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That difference is starting to click.
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Lovely.
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And being doesn't only appear after am, is, or are.
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Remember our earlier example, stop being silly?
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Unfortunately, yes.
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A phrase that could seriously affect my contribution to this podcast.
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Don't worry.
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A little silliness is welcome.
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After stop, we use the ing form for the activity or behavior we want to end.
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So, stop being rude and stop being so hard on yourself.
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That second one means stop judging yourself too harshly, right?
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Yes.
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Imagine a learner makes one mistake and says, my English is terrible.
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You could reply, you're being too hard on yourself.
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That's worth remembering.
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One mistake doesn't tell the whole story.
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Everyone, try saying that sentence as if you're encouraging a friend.
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Here's another pattern.
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Thank you for being patient.
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After for, we use being here, not be.
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And, I enjoy being here.
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After enjoy, being fits too.
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Same form, but we're not describing bad behavior or giving instructions.
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Exactly.
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Learn these little groups together.
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You're being helpful, stop being silly, thank you for being patient, and I enjoy being here.
335
Can we try one positive example too?
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I don't want everyone leaving this lesson ready to accuse their friends of being rude.
337
Good point.
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Your being really helpful is lovely when someone explains something clearly.
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Or say, thanks for being honest with me, when someone tells you something difficult but useful.
340
Your turn.
341
Someone has waited kindly while you practice.
342
Finish thank you for… What would you say?
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Thank you for being patient.
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Now we've met all three forms.
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Let's put them side by side and catch a few sneaky mistakes.
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Ah, a mistake lab.
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Should I put on special glasses, or will my normal ones protect me from bad grammar?
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Your normal ones will do.
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And nobody needs to feel embarrassed here.
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These are mistakes that help us understand the pattern.
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Right.
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First patient, I want to bin more confident.
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I can hear something is wrong, but how do we fix it?
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Everyone, choose before I answer, be, been, or being.
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We need, I want to be more confident.
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After want to, use the basic form, be.
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Good.
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One sentence saved.
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Now, I have be very busy this week.
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That one sounds like it left home without finishing getting dressed.
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It needs been.
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I have been very busy this week.
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or more naturally in conversation, I've been very busy this week.
364
And our third patient says, thank you for be so helpful.
365
Lovely message, slightly broken delivery.
366
Thank you for being so helpful.
367
Remember the whole phrase, thank you for being.
368
You can change help to patient, kind, or honest.
369
Hmm.
370
So instead of asking which word looks right, I should listen to the words around the gap.
371
Exactly.
372
They give you clues.
373
Want to be, have been, thank you for being.
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These little groups make choosing much easier.
375
Let's make it harder.
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Same word, careful, three different situations.
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First, we're about to cross a busy road, what could I say? Be careful.
378
A short warning.
379
You're telling someone what to do, so the basic form works on its own.
380
Second, somebody asks whether I've taken care while carrying their expensive camera.
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I say, I've been careful with it.
382
Yes, you're looking back at how you've handled it.
383
And third, I'm watching you check every button before touching anything.
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You're being very careful.
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Which is reasonable.
386
One wrong button and suddenly I'm taking photographs of my own nose.
387
A powerful artistic choice.
388
But notice, careful stayed the same while the situation and the words around it changed.
389
Right.
390
Now a mistake I might genuinely make as a learner.
391
Yesterday, I have been tired.
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What needs changing?
393
If you mean you felt tired yesterday, say, I was tired yesterday.
394
We normally use the past simple with a finished time, like yesterday.
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Ah, so we shouldn't force been into every sentence about the past.
396
Sometimes was or were is exactly what we need.
397
Exactly.
398
Compare, I was tired yesterday, and I've been tired lately.
399
Yesterday is a finished time time, lately connects the recent past with now.
400
Your turn, everyone.
401
Choose the better sentence, I've been busy lately or I've being busy lately.
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I've been busy lately.
403
Now another one, somebody keeps laughing during a serious conversation.
404
Stop be silly or stop being silly.
405
Stop being silly.
406
A sentence that Victoria is delivering with rather worrying confidence.
407
Only because it's useful practice.
408
And if these examples are helping, give the video a like, then let's try something more personal.
409
Imagine you're learning English and getting frustrated.
410
You tell a friend, I want to be fluent, but I've been nervous about speaking.
411
Your friend replies, you're being too hard on yourself.
412
You don't need to be perfect.
413
Just try one sentence.
414
Wait, before we move on, can we give listeners a sentence to repair themselves?
415
How about, I should being more patient with myself?
416
Good one.
417
Take a moment.
418
Say your answer out loud.
419
I should be more patient with myself.
420
After should, use be without to.
421
And honestly, that's useful advice as well as useful English.
422
Hmm.
423
There they are together, without a grammar exercise in sight.
424
A goal, a feeling over time, and someone's behavior now.
425
And each form has a job.
426
Next, we'll practice short everyday conversations so you can choose the words when it's your turn to speak.
427
Well, I like that idea.
428
Suppose we're deciding whether to spend our next free afternoon exploring somewhere unfamiliar or returning to a place we already know.
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Oh, that's easy.
430
Somewhere new.
431
A different neighborhood, an unexpected cafe, perhaps a street we've never noticed.
432
Hang on.
433
I'm not entirely convinced novelty automatically makes an experience better.
434
Familiar places can be relaxing.
435
There's something to be said for knowing what to expect.
436
There's also something to be said for admitting that you simply don't want to consult a new map.
437
But fair enough.
438
I take your point.
439
A familiar place can feel comforting.
440
Notice that exchange, listeners.
441
Victoria challenged my opinion, but then acknowledged part of my argument.
442
If you heard only, I take your point, you might mistakenly assume we now agree.
443
Right.
444
So here's your first listening question.
445
Has Slava rejected exploring somewhere new, or has he simply questioned whether it's always the better choice?
446
I haven't rejected it.
447
I've challenged the assumption behind it.
448
In everyday conversation, that difference can easily get lost, particularly when someone speaks confidently.
449
A firm tone doesn't always mean an extreme opinion, and a polite response doesn't necessarily mean agreement.
450
Actually, let me revise my suggestion.
451
Instead of spending the entire afternoon somewhere unfamiliar, we could explore a new area for an hour and then return to a favorite café.
452
That might strike a better balance.
453
Now that's a proposal I can get behind.
454
Though, knowing us, the discussion about which café to visit could take longer than the walk itself.
455
Oh, please.
456
You'd probably draw up a short list, weigh up the options, and demand written evidence that the coffee was worth the journey.
457
Only if the committee insisted.
458
But listen to those phrases.
459
Strike a balance.
460
Get behind a proposal.
461
And weigh up the options.
462
And did you notice my correction?
463
I started with one plan, reconsidered, and offered a compromise.
464
Real conversations aren't perfectly straight lines.
465
People adjust their position when they hear a convincing point.
466
Let's take that a step further.
467
Imagine a colleague says, I'm open to the idea, although I'd have reservations about the cost.
468
Are they enthusiastic, completely opposed, or cautiously interested?
469
I'd say cautiously interested.
470
Reservations here means doubts or concerns, not a table booking.
471
Context tells you which meaning fits.
472
Now, repeat this phrase aloud.
473
I'd have reservations about… and add something of your own.
474
Perhaps I'd have reservations about changing the plan at the last minute.
475
Good.
476
And here's your final speaking challenge?
477
Answer this question in 30 seconds.
478
Is it better to plan your free time carefully or leave room for spontaneity?
479
Give an opinion, acknowledge the other side, and finish with a conclusion.
480
You could begin, on balance, I'm inclined to think.
481
Pause if you need more thinking time.
482
There's no prize for rushing, and a brief pause is perfectly natural.
483
And don't judge yourself by whether you used the most sophisticated vocabulary.
484
Ask whether your meaning was clear, your examples supported your point, and your tones suited the conversation.
485
We'd love to hear your answer in the comments.
486
Are you more of a careful planner or a spontaneous explorer? And why?
487
Write a few sentences in English.
488
We'll enjoy reading your different perspectives.
489
If this conversation helped you, give the video a like and subscribe to Advanced English Walk and Talk.
490
You'll find the PDF transcript through the link in the description so you can revisit the expressions and try the challenges again.
491
And Slava, for someone who claims to enjoy familiar places, you've managed a rather long walk through London today.
492
Any regrets?
493
Only that we haven't reached a decision about the café.
494
Apparently, advanced English improves your ability to discuss options, not your ability to choose one.
495
Well, we can work on that next time.
496
Thanks for walking and listening with us.
497
Stay curious, keep speaking, and we'll see you on our next adventure.
498
Bye!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Stop Confusing BE, BEEN & BEING!”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: busy, sentence, patient, word. This video has 498 sentences and 3803 words to shadow. The speech runs for 27:27. The speaker talks at a steady 139 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 84% 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
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| reservation noun | /ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/ | The act of reserving, withholding or keeping back. |
| pause noun | /pɔːz/ | A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation. |
| instruction noun | /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/ | The act of instructing, teaching, or providing with information or knowledge. |
| rude adjective | /ɹuːd/ | Lacking in refinement or civility; bad-mannered; discourteous. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| explore verb | /ɪkˈsploɹ/ | To examine or investigate something systematically. |
| learner noun | /ˈlɜɹnəɹ/ | One who is learning; one receiving instruction. |
| 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… |
| grammar noun | /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/ | A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general. |
| cautiously adverb | /ˈkɔːʃəsli/ | In a cautious manner. |
| listener noun | /ˈlɪs(ə)nɚ/ | Someone who listens, especially to a speech or a broadcast. |
| impatient adjective | /ɪmˈpeɪʃənt/ | Restless, short of temper, and intolerant of delays. |
| unfamiliar adjective | /ˌʌnfəˈmɪli.ə(ɹ)/ | Strange, not familiar. |
| compliment noun | /ˈkɑmpləmənt/ | An expression of praise, congratulation, or respect. |
| weigh verb | /weɪ/ | To determine the weight of an object. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get behind verb | To come to believe or support something. |
| weigh up verb | To assess a person or a situation. |
| draw up verb | To compose (a document), especially following a standard form; prepare a plan. |
| walk around verb | To walk with no planned destination; to meander. |
| walk away verb | To withdraw from a problematic situation. |
| walk through verb | To explain (something) to (someone), step by step. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How do you want to be?
- Then imagine someone asks, why are you so tired?
- Why not just say, I am busy?
- What about I've been waiting?
- Should I say, I'm being happy?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | you've been planning · I've been waiting · Have been waiting |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've been · we've even introduced · haven't answered |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is involved · being appeared · be understood |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | shouldn't carry · should be · should to |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 172 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, you're, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: reservation /ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/, cautiously /ˈkɔːʃəsli/, impatient /ɪmˈpeɪʃənt/, harshly /ˈhɑːʃli/
- Long words — get the stress right: reservation /ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/, unfamiliar /ˌʌnfəˈmɪli.ə(ɹ)/, confidently /ˈkɑnfɪdəntli/, mistakenly /mɪˈsteɪ.kən.li/, spontaneity /ˈspɒn.tə.neɪ.ə.ti/
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 reservation, pause, instruction.
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.