Shadowing Practice: Think You're Fluent? Try This Proverbs Challenge! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Have you ever understood every word an American said, but you still had no idea what they meant?
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It could be that they were using a proverb.
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In this video, you will test your knowledge of 15 very common English proverbs.
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Proverbs are short sayings that native speakers use all the time, and they're part of the culture.
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They express common wisdom or life lessons, and often they're passed down through generations.
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Maybe your grandmother used them when she was giving you advice.
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Rather than stating something directly, proverbs often use figurative language or imagery to communicate a deeper meaning.
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For example, make hay while the sun shines isn't talking about hay on a farm.
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And the sunshine in this case means good times or when things are going well.
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Or for For example, another proverb is save it for a rainy day.
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It's not talking about actual rain.
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It's talking about problems or trouble in life.
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For example, you can say, I have a rainy day fund.
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And that means I have money for an emergency.
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When you understand these expressions, you will not only improve your listening, but you will also gain a deeper understanding of English speaking culture.
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Let's see how many English proverbs you already know.
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look at this proverb.
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Do you know what the two words that are missing are?
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Every cloud has a blank blank.
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Do you know the answer?
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The answer is silver lining.
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Every cloud has a silver lining.
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A silver lining is when a dark cloud has a bright silver colored edge when the sun shines behind it.
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So a silver lining represents hope.
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Something positive in a difficult situation.
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So even when there are dark clouds, meaning when things seem really bad, there is often something good that can come from the situation.
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For example, you can say, losing my job led me to start my own business.
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Every cloud has a silver lining.
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Or the canceled trip gave us time to visit family instead.
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Every cloud has a silver lining.
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Native speakers often use it this way.
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Look for the silver lining.
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There's always a silver lining.
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Let's look at the next proverb.
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Do you know the word that's missing?
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Don't put the cart before the what?
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The answer is horse.
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Don't put the cart before the horse.
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And that means don't do things in the wrong order.
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A horse should go in front of the cart because a horse pulls the cart.
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The horse should not be behind the cart.
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So that means don't put things in the wrong order.
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Start with the most important steps first.
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You can say, we need to finish the business plan before designing the website.
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Let's not put the cart before the horse.
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Or you can say, let's wait to buy the furniture.
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First, we have to buy the house.
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Let's not put the cart before the horse.
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Do you have a similar proverb in your language?
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And let's look at the next proverb and you might learn a new verb with this one.
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The proverb is don't count your chickens before they what?
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What's the verb?
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Before they hatch.
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To hatch means to come out of an egg.
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We can say the chicks hatched after 21 days.
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So don't count your chickens before they hatch means don't Don't assume that something will happen before it actually does.
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Don't be so sure that it will happen.
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You can say, you haven't gotten the job yet, so you shouldn't count your chickens before they hatch.
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Don't spend your bonus money before you receive it.
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Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
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And the past tense is hatched.
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Hatched with the t sound.
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Do you have a similar proverb in your language?
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I think I heard that in some languages it's don't count your chickens before fall, before autumn, something like that.
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Okay, let's look at the next one.
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A bird in the hand is worth two in the what?
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What's the answer?
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In the bush.
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So, one bird in my hand is worth two birds in the bush.
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And that proverb means it's better to keep something that is certain
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then risk losing it while chasing something that is not certain.
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For example, you can say, I accepted the job offer instead of waiting for another interview.
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A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
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I'm happy that I would at least have a job.
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Let's look at another proverb, and this one is also about birds.
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The early bird catches the what?
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The worm.
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The early bird catches the worm.
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This is a worm.
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Let's make sure that you're pronouncing it correctly.
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A lot of my students mispronounce this word and they say it like this word.
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Are you saying them differently?
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This one is worm and this one is warm.
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It's a warm day.
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They're commonly confused.
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Let's practice this pronunciation pattern a little bit more.
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So we say war, warm.
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So this word war and this word war have the exact same pronunciation.
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And we say warn, warn, or warning, warning.
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I gave them a warning.
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So these words have the or war.
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However, this word is spelled with an O, but the O is not pronounced.
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I know English pronunciation is crazy.
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We don't say warm.
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We say worm, worm.
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It sounds like this.
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Were, were, and then you add an M.
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Worm.
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Another word that sounds like that is work.
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Have you been saying work?
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That's not correct.
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It's work.
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And now let's say the two words.
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Worm, warm.
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Before we continue, I would just like to talk to you a little bit more about improving your American accent.
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You will follow my step by step program where you learn all the rules you need to know.
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Click on the link in the description below to learn more.
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Okay, now let's get back to the early bird catches the worm.
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And that means people who act quickly or arrive early often have an advantage.
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For example, you can say, we got the best seats because we arrived an hour early.
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The early bird catches the worm.
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Or, I applied for the job on the first day and I got the interview.
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The early bird catches the worm.
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I think you probably know this proverb.
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actions speak louder than what? Than words.
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Actions speak louder than words.
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And that means what people do is more important than what they say.
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For example, you can say, he promised to help me but he didn't.
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Actions speak louder than words.
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Don't just tell me that you will do it.
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You should actually do it.
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Otherwise, it's just talk.
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So if someone keeps disappointing you because they don't keep their promises and they just talk and talk, you can say, actions speak louder than words.
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Do you know this proverb?
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Where there's smoke, there's what?
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Fire.
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Where there's smoke, there's fire.
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And that means rumors often have at least some truth behind them.
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If people are saying that someone has done something wrong, there's usually a good reason for why they're saying it.
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There is some truth there.
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For example, you can say, several employees complained about the manager.
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Where there's smoke, there's fire.
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If everyone is talking about the problem, maybe it's true.
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Where there's smoke, there's fire.
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This popular proverb mentions the name of a city.
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Do you have a similar proverb in your language?
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It means when you are in a particular place, you should behave the way the people of that place behave.
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You should do what the locals do.
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When in blank, do as the blank.
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What is the name of the place?
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Rome.
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When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
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You should adapt to the customs and the culture of the place that you are visiting.
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For example, you can say, everyone took off their shoes before entering the house, so I did too.
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When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
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Or, people usually greet each other with a kiss in that place.
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When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
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Do you have the exact same proverb in your language?
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Let's look at this proverb.
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Don't cry over spilled what?
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Milk.
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Don't cry over spilled milk means don't waste your time worrying about mistakes that can't be changed.
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You can say, we missed the deadline, but let's move forward.
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Don't cry over spilled milk or the file is gone and we're going to have to recreate it.
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Don't cry over spilled milk.
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Let's look at this proverb.
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Two blank are better than one.
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What's the word?
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Heads.
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Two heads are better than one.
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And that means two people working together usually solve problems better than one person alone.
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We can say, we came up with a much better idea after brainstorming.
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Two heads are better than one.
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People use the next proverb when they want to say that other people's lives are better than theirs.
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The blank is always blank on the other side.
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Do you have the same proverb in in your language?
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The grass is always greener on the other side.
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People often think that others have a much better situation than they really do.
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Their life looks better, but it's probably not better.
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For example, we can say, he thought that working for another company would be better, but it had the same problems.
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The grass is always greener on the other side.
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She envied her friend's job until she learned how stressful it was.
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The grass is always greener on the other side.
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Is there a similar proverb in your language?
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I think I heard that in some other languages people say, the neighbor's wife is more beautiful than mine.
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How about in your language?
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Do you know this proverb?
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A picture is worth a thousand blank.
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What's the word?
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A picture is worth a thousand words.
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And that means an image can communicate an idea much more effectively than a lot of words.
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We can say, the graph explained the results immediately.
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A picture is worth a thousand words.
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Let's look at the next proverb.
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Do you know this one?
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The apple doesn't fall far from the what?
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From the tree.
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The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
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And that means children often resemble their parents, maybe in personality or in talent or in behavior.
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For example, you can say, She's a great singer, just like her mother.
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The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
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And what do you say in your language for this one?
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Let's look at the next proverb.
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You can't have your cake and blank it too.
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What's the verb?
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Eat.
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You can't have your cake and eat it too.
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And that means you can't enjoy two conflicting advantages at the same time.
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So you can either look at the cake or you can eat it, but after you eat it, it will be gone.
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So you can say, you can't spend all your money and still expect to save for retirement.
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You can't have your cake and eat it too.
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You'd like to get in shape, but you don't want to exercise.
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You can't have your cake and eat it too.
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Let's look at this proverb.
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Too many cooks spoil the what?
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What is the answer?
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The answer is broth.
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Too many cooks spoil the broth.
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A broth is kind of a soup.
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It's a thin soup.
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It's a liquid made by boiling meat or bones or vegetables in water.
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We can say the chicken broth gave the soup a rich flavor.
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And the idea is that if too many people try to cook the same soup, they may each add different ingredients or they will make different decisions.
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and the final result will be worse.
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So, too many cooks spoil the broth means too many people trying to control a project can make it worse.
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For example, we can say, we had eight managers making changes to the presentation.
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And in the end, it became confusing.
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Too many cooks spoiled the broth.
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Everyone wanted a different design.
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Too many cooks spoiled the broth.
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Let's look at this proverb.
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Don't put all your blank in one basket.
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What is the noun?
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All your what?
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All your eggs.
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Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
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And that means don't risk everything on one plan or one investment.
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We can say, I suggest that you apply to several different universities because you don't know which one will accept you.
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Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
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How many of these proverbs did you already know?
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Let me know in the comments below.
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Thanks for watching and keep practicing your English.
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Why Proverbs Matter for Real-Life English Communication
Ever listened to a native English speaker and understood every word, but still felt lost? Chances are, they used a proverb—those short, culturally rich sayings that pack decades of wisdom into a few words. The video breaks down how proverbs like "make hay while the sun shines" or "save it for a rainy day" aren’t just about farming or weather—they’re shortcuts to shared life lessons. Mastering these isn’t just about vocabulary; it’s about unlocking cultural fluency, which is key for IELTS speaking practice and everyday chats.
3 Must-Know Proverbs to Sound More Natural
- Every cloud has a silver lining: Find the positive in tough times. Example: "I lost my job, but found a better one—every cloud has a silver lining."
- Don’t put the cart before the horse: Do things in the right order. Example: "Let’s finish the plan before buying supplies—don’t put the cart before the horse."
- Save it for a rainy day: Prepare for hard times. Example: "I’m saving this money for a rainy day."
Shadowing Tips to Master Proverbs (and Pronunciation!)
Shadowing—repeating phrases right after the speaker—is a great way to nail pronunciation and rhythm. Here’s how to use the video for shadowspeak practice: Step 1: Watch the video once to grasp the proverbs’ meanings. Step 2: Pause after each example and repeat, focusing on stress (e.g., "SIL-ver LIN-ing"). Step 3: Use a shadowing app to record yourself and compare to the speaker. This works for IELTS speaking practice too—proverbs add depth to your answers! Remember, practice makes perfect. Even 10 minutes a day with shadow speak can boost your confidence and make proverbs feel like second nature. Ready to try? Hit play and start shadowing—your English pronunciation will thank you!
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 | haven't gotten · I've been asked · have created |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is hatched · is spelled · I've been asked |
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.