Happy English Podcast

Have you ever tried talking about sports in English and suddenly, you get mixed up with using play, do, or go? Is it “I play skiing”? “I do skiing”? “I go skiing”? Or maybe you’ve heard things like, “I play tennis”… but also “I go swimming”… and then someone says, “I do yoga”… and now you’re thinking… wait, what’s the rule here?

Don’t worry - you’re not alone. This is one of the most common questions English learners have. So in today’s podcast English lesson, we’re going to look at how to use play, do, and go when talking about sports and activities, and how you can sound more natural when you talk about them. 

The Happy English Podcast
Helping people speak English better since 2014
Over 1,000 episodes • 8 million downloads

📘 Build your vocabulary with my free Vocabulary Workshop
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🌐 Learn more about my English lessons and courses
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Game. Match. Two simple words, right?

But then when you watch sports in English, you understand the game… but not always the language.
Which one should you use? Sometimes I hear people say things like, “I watched a baseball match,” and yeah… it’s understandable, but not so natural.

So what’s the difference? When do you say game, and when do you say match? And how do native speakers actually talk about sports in everyday English? How about win, lose and beat? That’s what we’re going to look at today.

The Happy English Podcast
Helping people speak English better since 2014
Over 1,000 episodes • 8 million downloads

📘 Build your vocabulary with my free Vocabulary Workshop
https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

🎥 Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts

🌐 Learn more about my English lessons and courses
https://www.myhappyenglish.com

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to English Tips in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every week with a short, simple tip to help you speak English more naturally and confidently.

Today, let’s look at a really common conversational phrase - “to be honest…”

We use to be honest when we want to soften our thoughts or feelings, Like when we need to say something negative Or if we need to disagree or decline an invitation.
Like if a friend asks,  “Did you like the movie?”  You could say: “To be honest, I thought it was kind of boring.”
Or if your coworkers invite you to get together after work, but you don’t want to. You can say,   “To be honest, I’d rather stay home tonight.”

Using to be honest, makes your opinion sound less direct and a little softer. And, it shows that you’re being open and sincere.

So remember, when you want to share your real opinion, try using “to be honest…” It’s simple, natural, and very common in everyday English.

Lemme know in the comments how it goes, and remember to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s English Tips in a Minute. Hey, thanks for listening - and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

The Happy English Podcast
Helping people speak English better since 2014
Over 1,000 episodes • 8 million downloads

📘 Build your vocabulary with my free Vocabulary Workshop
https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

🎥 Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts

🌐 Learn more about my English lessons and courses
https://www.myhappyenglish.com

Just. Already. Yet. Three little words. They should be simple, right?

But then when you try to use them in conversation, you’re not really sure which one sounds right.
Should you say, “I just finished”? Or “I already finished”? Or “I haven’t finished yet”?

These are small words, but they can be kind of confusing. So for today’s podcast English lesson, we’re going to look at how you can actually use just, already, and yet in everyday conversation.

The Happy English Podcast
Helping people speak English better since 2014
Over 1,000 episodes • 8 million downloads

📘 Build your vocabulary with my free Vocabulary Workshop
https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

🎥 Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts

🌐 Learn more about my English lessons and courses
https://www.myhappyenglish.com

Have you ever studied will and be going to and thought… “Okay, I understand the rule… but I still don’t know which one to use when I speak”? Maybe your textbook says something like: “Use will for the future,” and “Use be going to for plans.” And technically… that’s correct. But in real conversations, native speakers are not thinking about grammar rules. We’re reacting in the moment. And depending on the situation, we naturally choose will or gonna.

So for today’s podcast English lesson, we’re going to look at several very practical situations where you can use will and gonna in everyday conversational English.

The Happy English Podcast
Helping people speak English better since 2014
Over 1,000 episodes • 8 million downloads

📘 Build your vocabulary with my free Vocabulary Workshop
https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

🎥 Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts

🌐 Learn more about my English lessons and courses
https://www.myhappyenglish.com