Hi everyone, how are you? I’m Guilherme Alves, and welcome to another episode of Inglês Diário. It’s really, really good to have you here.

So, let me ask you something. Has anyone ever been on your case? I’m going to explain this expression, like someone being on your case, with a little story, alright?

This happened to me a couple of years ago at work. I had been working on this big report for a project, one of those tasks that, like, takes forever because it involves a lot of research and double-checking every little detail.

My boss, though, was super focused on deadlines, and every day she would check in with me about the report. It started with an email. Hey, how’s the report coming along? I thought, okay, no problem, she’s just, like, checking in. So I replied, still working on it, but it’s coming along.

The next day, she stopped by my desk, and she said, How’s the report? Do you think it’ll be done by Friday? I just assured her that everything was on track, but honestly, I was starting to feel a little pressure.

By Wednesday, it was non-stop. She sent me another email, just a quick reminder about the report. Then, during our team meeting, she brought it up again. She said, let’s make sure the report is ready by the end of the week.

I could feel the entire team’s eyes on me. At this point, it was clear. She was on my case about this report. I knew it was important, but, wow, the constant reminders were making it hard to focus.

What about you? Have you ever had a boss, a parent, or maybe a friend on your case about something? Maybe they just wanted to help, or maybe it was their way of showing their care, or maybe it was just plain annoying. Let me know the story. I’d love to hear about it.

And there’s another expression that you can also use, which is the verb nag. You can say someone is nagging you. This one honestly has a tone that’s a little more negative, but it means that someone is also annoying you because they’re constantly criticizing or maybe charging you.

So if you have, for example, a friend who’s always trying to tell you what you have to do, what you shouldn’t do, you can say this person is nagging you. Come on, man, you’re nagging me.

You can also say that a person is on your back. So when someone is, again, always criticizing or always charging you, you can say the person is on your back.

So just to remember the expressions that we have seen so far, we can say that a person is on your case, which is like, pegando-nos-so-bem.You can also say that the person is nagging you, like constantly annoying, charging. And also you can say that the person is on your back, which is pretty similar to the expression nagging.

So thank you for joining me today. I hope you enjoyed learning these super useful expressions. Don’t forget to subscribe and share this podcast with your friends. Talk to you next time. Bye for now.

Transcript

Hi, everyone! How’s it going? What have you been up to in this first month of the year? This is Guilherme Alves with a new episode of Inglês Diário. It’s just great to have you here with me today. How’s the weather where you are? Here, it’s been pretty nice — just perfect for recording this episode.

Today, we’re going to talk about an interesting expression: “The benefit of the doubt.” Have you heard it before? Maybe you’ve come across it while watching a TV show or reading a book, but do you really know what it means? And—here’s the big question—do you actually use it when you speak English? If not, no worries, because by the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly how to use it.

Let’s start with the meaning. When you give someone “the benefit of the doubt,” it means you’re choosing to believe them, even if you’re not 100% sure they’re telling the truth or doing the right thing. You decide to trust them instead of assuming the worst.

For example, imagine this: Your friend arrives late to dinner. They say, “Sorry, I got stuck in traffic.” You didn’t see the traffic, and maybe you’re thinking, “Hmm, were they really stuck in traffic, or did they just leave home late?” But instead of doubting them, you choose to believe their excuse. That’s giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Now, let me give you an example, or some examples to make it crystal clear:

Your coworker missed an important deadline. They tell you, “I had some technical issues with my computer.” You could get angry or assume they’re lying, but instead, you decide to give them the benefit of the doubt. You think, “Maybe they really did have a problem. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

Your friend cancels plans at the last minute, saying they’re not feeling well. Even though this has happened a few times before, you decide to trust them this time and give them the benefit of the doubt.

Now, let me ask you: When was the last time you gave someone the benefit of the doubt? Maybe it was a coworker, a friend, or even a stranger. Or… maybe someone gave you the benefit of the doubt! How did that feel? Let me know your story in the comments or send me a message—I’d love to hear about it.

So, next time someone’s actions or words make you pause, remember this expression: “The benefit of the doubt.” It’s a great way to practice kindness and trust in your daily life. And, of course, it’s a useful phrase to add to your English vocabulary

.

Thanks for tuning in! I hope you enjoyed this episode and learned something new. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and share your thoughts. Talk to you soon!

Bye for now!

Key expressions:

The benefit of the doubt = o benefício da dúvida

Jump to conclusions = tirar conclusões precipitadas

Transcript:

And today we're going to talk about the story of Emily. Emily was in her late 20s, working a very monotonous 9 to 5 desk job that you really didn't like in everyday. 

She felt like she was stuck in a cycle of spreadsheets, meetings, and she really wanted to change this. 

One day, while she was participating in a work meeting, she saw one post on Instagram that really caught her attention. It was an advertisement for a volunteer program in which she could go to a remote village in Southeast Asia, and the idea of escaping her boring life and doing something different really steered her curiosity. 

As the weeks went by, she couldn't stop thinking about the opportunity. She was really considering turning over a new leaf. What does it mean to turn over a new leaf? When you turn over a new leaf, it means that you start something new. Like you make a significant change in your life. And that's what Emily was trying to do. 

She wanted to turn over a new leaf. She wanted to start something new. She was tired of the daily grind, like working hard every day in her monotonous job, and she wanted to do something new. After some weeks of contemplation, she finally decided to apply for the volunteer program. 

She couldn't wait to take the plunge. What does it mean to take the plunge? When you take the plunge, you basically take a big step or you make a bold, courageous decision. And that's what she did. She left her job and she started in a new volunteer program. 

So today we learned basically two new expressions, the first one being turning over a new leaf, which means starting fresh or making a significant change in someone's life. And the second one taking the plunge, which means making a bold decision or taking a big step.

Today we’re going to learn some expressions related to getting angry.

Our first expression for today is "blow a fuse." Imagine a person who suddenly gets angry and has an explosive reaction, just like when a fuse blows and the lights go out. When someone "blows a fuse," it means they lose their temper or become extremely angry in a sudden and dramatic way.

Example: "My boss blew a fuse when he found out about the mistake in the report. He was yelling and slamming doors.”

Now, let's move on to our next expression, "see red." This expression comes from the idea of seeing the color red, which is often associated with anger and fury. When someone "sees red," it means they become extremely angry or filled with rage.

Example: "When I heard the news of the pay cut, I saw red. I couldn't believe they would do that to us!”

Our next idiom is "hit the roof." Picture a person's anger escalating to such an extent that it reaches the roof. This idiom is used to describe a situation where someone becomes extremely angry or outraged.

Example: "When I told my parents I had failed the exam, they hit the roof. They were furious!”

Let's explore another phrasal verb, "fly off the handle." Imagine a door handle being flung off violently when opened with too much force. This expression is used to describe someone who suddenly and uncontrollably loses their temper or becomes very angry.

Example: "Don't mention politics around Tom. He tends to fly off the handle whenever someone disagrees with his views.”

Lastly, we have a collocation that describes the act of suppressing or holding back anger. It's "grit one's teeth." When someone "grits their teeth," it means they are making an effort to control their anger or frustration, often by clenching their jaw tightly.

Example: "Even though her colleague made a mistake, Sarah gritted her teeth and calmly explained how to fix it.”

That wraps up today's episode. I hope you enjoyed learning about these expressions related to getting angry. Remember, language is a powerful tool to express emotions, and understanding these expressions can help you navigate through various social situations.

So the protagonist of today’s story is a guy called Mar and he simply loves taking up new challenges. One day, he learns about a local marathon happening in his town, and he decides to give it a shot. Mark has always been passionate about fitness, so this seems like the perfect opportunity to push himself further.

Mark starts training hard, running every morning and following a strict exercise routine. 

As days turn into weeks, Mark's enthusiasm and determination remain high. He runs for miles, visualizing himself crossing the finish line with a sense of accomplishment. However, after a while, he starts experiencing a few setbacks.

One day, Mark wakes up feeling tired and fatigued. He finds it difficult to muster the energy to go for his morning run. He wonders what's happening because he had been progressing so well until now.

Mark's friend, Sandra, who is also an experienced runner, notices his exhaustion and offers some advice. She tells him, "Hey Mark, it seems like you're running out of steam. Remember, even the most dedicated runners face these challenges. You need to listen to your body and take some rest.”

She says he is running out of steam. What does it mean to run out of steam? It means to lose energy, enthusiasm, or momentum in pursuing a task or goal. It's often used to describe situations when someone starts feeling tired or worn out, making it difficult to continue with the same level of effort.

Mark realizes that he has been pushing himself too hard without giving his body enough time to recover. He follows Sandra's advice and takes a couple of days off from his intense training routine to recharge his batteries.

During this break, Mark reflects on his progress and came to the conclusion that he had "hit a wall." It means to reach a point where progress becomes difficult or impossible due to physical or mental exhaustion. Mark realizes that he had hit a wall and needed to reassess his approach.

After his short break, Mark resumes his training but with a more balanced approach. He learns to listen to his body, adjusting his pace and setting realistic goals. Slowly, his energy returns, and he begins to enjoy running again.

So, in this story we have seen two expressions:

And the second one was hit a wall, which means reaching a point where progress becomes difficult or impossible due to physical or mental exhaustion.

So today's story is actually Samantha's story.

And the thing is Samantha was waiting for her job interview for weeks. She had prepared for every possible question and rehearsed her answers or practiced her answers until she felt confident she could impress the interviewer.

On the day of the interview. she arrived early and she sat, she was feeling very nervous in the waiting room, going over her notes trying to practice and rehearse the questions once again. And finally, the interviewer called her in and they began the interview.

Samantha thought it was going very well. She answered all the questions with ease and felt like she was really connecting with the interviewer towards the end of the interview. though, the interviewer asked Samantha when she would be available to start if she got the job. without thinking, Samantha blurted out.

And this is the first expression I'm going to teach you today to blurt out. What does it mean to blurt out?

It means that you say something suddenly and impulsively without thinking it through or without considering the consequences.

So when you blurt out you simply say something without thinking, without considering what the effect of what you're saying really is.

So the thing is Samantha simply blurted out that she could start working next Monday. That's what she, what she blurted out. I can start next Monday.

But then she realized that she had jumped the gun.

What does it mean to jump the gun when you jump the gun? It means that you said something too soon.

Now, the point is not necessarily that you said the wrong thing, it was like inappropriate or something, but it means that you said something before the appropriate time. That's the point.

So if you say something before the appropriate time or you start to celebrate, a possible result before it comes, you can say that you have jumped the gun and that's what Samantha did. She said she could start working next Monday, but she didn't even know if she got the job.

So coming back to the story, the interviewer looked at her for a moment and then smiled and he said, "I appreciate your enthusiasm, Samantha, but we still have a few more interviews to conduct. We would like to know our decision in a few days." So the interviewer noticed that Samantha had jumped the gun.

Samantha left the interview feeling embarrassed, she knew she had jumped the gun and had potentially hurt her chance of getting the job from that day forward. She made sure to think twice before speaking too soon.

Uma expressão muito comum em inglês é "on the same page", ou seja, "na mesma página". Quer saber como usar essa expressão no dia a dia? Check it out.

The focus of today's story is on two interesting expressions.

I hope you enjoy it!

If you want to get in touch with me, follow me on instagram (teacher_guilhermealves) or check my website (teacherguilhermealves.com.br).

Você conhece alguém que fala demais? Aprenda como falar sobre pessoas assim (e aproveite e envie esse vídeo pra pessoa).

Como dizer que algo "vai funcionar" ou "vai dar certo" em inglês?

Veja algumas variações no episódio de hoje.