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Lindsay McMahon
This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 2458. Do you have the capacity to start using this word?
Michelle Kaplan
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection with your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl coming to you from Colorado and New York City, usa. And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglish.com subscribe in today's episode, you get a new word to uplevel your conversations about ability, speed bases and more. Listen in to expand your English vocabulary. Today.
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Lindsay McMahon
Hello, Lindsay, how are you?
Michelle Kaplan
I'm doing great. Michelle, what's going on for you today? What's up?
Lindsay McMahon
Everything's good? Yeah. Lindsay, are you interested in sports in any capacity?
Michelle Kaplan
In any capacity? Good question. Sure. Yeah, I like sports. I like to play 10 tennis. I sometimes like to go to a baseball game. So, yeah, I am in some capacities, I would say. What about you?
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, definitely, you guys, probably, if you listen to the show, you know, I love basketball.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes.
Lindsay McMahon
And I do like to go to a baseball game, but I, I can't. My brother is coming to town and he's like, oh, maybe we should go to a baseball game. I can't go in when it's so hot. I can't do it. I can't do it. It's a. I just can't do it. Yeah. So it has to be kind of the perfect night game and things like that. But I can't just sit down.
Michelle Kaplan
Night games, afternoon games are rough, especially if you end up in the sun, which you might.
Lindsay McMahon
It's just beating down on you. I'm not into that in any capacity. So today we are going to answer a listener question. I believe this is from Sophia.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes, we love Sophia and our other listeners that are sending in fantastic questions. This one came from our YouTube channel. So don't forget, guys, we do have a robust, amazing YouTube channel at Allers English on YouTube. So you can watch these episodes. Watch us articulate what we're saying here. If you prefer to learn by video, that is a good option for you. Go over to YouTube, type in allers English hit subscribe. Okay. Here is Sophia's question. Shall I read it?
Lindsay McMahon
Yes, please. All right.
Michelle Kaplan
Hi, Lindsay, Michelle and Aubrey. I'm Sophia. I. I've been a big fan of your podcast for a while. I was watching TV and heard the phrase in any capacity. It really caught my attention. Could you explain how to use the word capacity? Thanks so much. Your show has helped me a lot.
Lindsay McMahon
We love that. Yeah. Great question as always, Sophia. Thank you for listening. Thank you to everybody for listening. We really appreciate you. And we also wanted to say thank you to our listeners who have given us reviews. Right, Lindsay?
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah. Huge thank you to kn95 from China, someone by the name of Good Luck who gave us a five star review from Saudi Arabia. Another listener in China on June 23rd and Imran MZ on June 20th in the US beautiful five star review. Thank you. So we super appreciate these reviews, guys. It keeps us motivated, keeps us creating new content. So go over and leave us a rating and review wherever you're listening.
Lindsay McMahon
All right. All right. Thank you so, so much. All right, let's get into it. So let's talk about in any capacity first because Sophia brought that up. So what does that mean?
Michelle Kaplan
Oh my gosh. In any capacity means in any way, in any form. And I'm sure we'll get into. It's a little confusing because capacity can mean something else. Literally.
Lindsay McMahon
Right? Yes.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, we'll talk about that.
Lindsay McMahon
We're going to be talking about that later. Right now we're going to start with this expression and we're going to move into more specifically how capacity is used. Absolutely. So stay tuned for the whole episode. For sure.
Michelle Kaplan
Does it sound more formal to you, Michelle, when we say this in any capacity?
Lindsay McMahon
I think it sounds a bit formal. What do you think?
Michelle Kaplan
I do. I agree with that. I think it just up levels your speech a tiny bit.
Lindsay McMahon
Right.
Michelle Kaplan
It doesn't make you unreachable and up here on a pedestal academic. No, but it just elevates it a little bit.
Lindsay McMahon
Right. And it would sound a little bit odd, I guess, if you used it in, you know, do you want a sandwich? In any capacity. Right. It's really weird. It doesn't really sounds a little funny there. Right. So it is a little bit more formal sounding. It sounds. It's used a lot professionally. I mean, legal documents, things like that. But it could also Be used in everyday conversations, maybe just not about sandwiches.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, right. It's. This is. Yeah, let's just give some examples to it.
Lindsay McMahon
Yes, exactly.
Michelle Kaplan
So she is unwilling to help me move in any capacity. I expected more from her.
Lindsay McMahon
Oh, that's not good. Not helpful. All right. Or this one goes back to sports. I don't watch sports in any capacity. I would rather read.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah. Or he was not able to do any freelance work in any capacity due to his contract. Yeah. Like in any. In any way.
Lindsay McMahon
Good. Yep. Or if I can help you in any capacity, I'd love to get involved. Yes.
Michelle Kaplan
All right. So, Michelle, do you find yourself dropping this phrase, using this phrase?
Lindsay McMahon
This is not something that I use every day or anything like that, but I certainly would use it, I think, more to talk about. I don't want to say it has to be something high level, but it's. It's a little stronger sounding than just in any way, in any capacity. Right. What do you think? Do you do?
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, when I want to sound a little fancier, a little more elevated, I will, I think on a human to human basis. If you know someone well, you may not use it.
Lindsay McMahon
Right.
Michelle Kaplan
Because it kind of creates a little distance.
Lindsay McMahon
True.
Michelle Kaplan
Right. So anytime we try to be more formal, maybe more academic, we create a bit of distance between ourselves and the person in front of us, which sometimes that's fine. We're giving a speech, we're talking to our boss, we're applying for a job. But it. It's kind of on that edge of getting a little distant. Right, True.
Lindsay McMahon
Right. So I mean, you could basically, for a less formal situation, you just. More conversational. You could basically replace this with. At all, in any way. So, for example, I don't watch sports at all. Or if I can help you in any way, I'd love to get involved. Right. Because capacity kind of elevates a little bit. Creates that distance. I think that's a good way to put it. Yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
And here's a good story. I think someone. I was dating someone once back in New York, and the person. This is how I know it creates distance. The person sent me a text message or an email to essentially say they didn't want to see me anymore by saying, maybe we'll know each other in the future in another capacity. I'm like, okay, now we've closed the door on this relationship.
Lindsay McMahon
No, that's. I mean, that's a good example. I'm sorry that happened. I'm glad that you found your. Your person, though. So it's okay. But yeah, that's true. That's a little. That's a bit too formal. Right.
Michelle Kaplan
For closing the door. Yeah, for sure. So we have to pick and choose when we want to use these words. And they're. Every word has an undertone. It really does. It's fascinating, Michelle.
Lindsay McMahon
True. It really does. Yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
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Lindsay McMahon
All right, so there are. There are more ways to use it that I went through, but we're actually going to go over two basic ways we think are the most common. So one is just what you can take in or what you can do. So, for example, I don't have the mental capacity to study anymore. Tonight it's saying it's kind of like what you can hold, what you can do, what. What you have the space for.
Michelle Kaplan
Right, exactly. Or he has the capacity to be a straight A student, but he just doesn't apply himself. Yeah, right. Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
So it's kind of like his ability. Right. He's able to. He could be a straight A student. Right? He has the capacity to be. Right, Exactly.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes.
Lindsay McMahon
Right. I mean, Lindsay, here's a question, a conversation question. Do you have the capacity to exercise on a Friday night after work?
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, it's a good question. Generally, I have not. Historically, I just want to melt into the weekend. Right. I want to go to a movie. But lately I actually have been. I know, that's an annoying answer. I have been actually going to Orange Theory on Fridays, like 5 or 4:30. Yes, I know. Oh, yeah, yeah. It's not what you wanted to hear, but yes, sometimes I do in the summer. I like to start the weekend feeling active.
Lindsay McMahon
So. Yeah, that's good. That's good. Well, good. I'm, I'm happy for you. That is good.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then the next, you know, the original meaning, kind of the literal meaning. Michelle, we need to talk about that.
Lindsay McMahon
Right, right. So it's like the. Wait, sorry, I just lost my spot. Okay, here we go. So it's, it's like the ability or the other is what something can have, can hold, which is similar to the last definition. But a lot about of this is about venues, right. How much of actual space can hold. So you'll hear this a lot. So Lindsay, what's an example of this?
Michelle Kaplan
Sorry, we can't have any other people in yet. We are filled to capacity.
Lindsay McMahon
Yes. Or we just got the fire marshal in and he says our capacity is 30.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
So a lot of times you'll see those signs in places around the US you'll see what the, you can see what the actual capacity is.
Michelle Kaplan
Yep. And sometimes when I went to the podcast show London, this was a big issue. Each room, it was a central London conference, and so each room was small and had a certain capacity. So the guy was literally opening the door as people came out. It was a little frustrating, actually. But it was a cool venue to have a conference right in I Islington area.
Lindsay McMahon
Really cool spot in London. So this is a trade off for.
Michelle Kaplan
Inner city conferences, right?
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, right, right. I mean, another time you might see this is for parking lots. Right. Do you ever, when you're going into kind of a big parking lot, you might see a light and it says, you know, at capacity or filled to capacity.
Michelle Kaplan
Yep, totally. Sometimes you go to the airport, you see that, and they're like, oh, gosh, what am I gonna do?
Lindsay McMahon
Right. Yes.
Michelle Kaplan
100. Michelle, do you get claustrophobic if a place has a high capacity or is crowded? Like you go to a concert or something?
Lindsay McMahon
It's not, it's not about being claustrophobic. I, I don't know. Or is it? I, I mean, I don't get claustrophobic in an elevator or something like that. It's not really about the space to me, but I, but it does bother me to have to be barely moving if you want to walk somewhere. I, I, I don't know that it's a phobia. I think it's just to find it very irritating. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Michelle Kaplan
I do. There's certain moments when I get a little bit scared. Like, I went to the US Open a bunch of years ago and saw Venus and Serena play each other, actually.
Lindsay McMahon
Wow.
Michelle Kaplan
But I realized that the US Open complex for the US Open tennis is really sketchy in the sense that there's not a lot of exits. And you're up there, and it's like a. It's a round area, and I'm looking around, and we're like, you know, person to person, elbow to elbow, and I'm thinking, what if something happens here? Where's the exit? It's not safe, you know, so moment. Sometimes I'll have a moment like that, and I'll think, oh, scary, right?
Lindsay McMahon
Oh, I got that. I get that for sure. Yeah. So. But, yeah, so you can see, guys, this is a very useful word, a useful expression. Lots that you can do with it. So let's do a role play. Lindsay. In this role play, we are friends, and we're reviewing a proposal that we received from a party venue, because we are going to throw a shower for our friend. Not a. Not a shower, like, put them in the shower, but maybe a bridal shower, a baby shower, whatever. It is a celebration.
Michelle Kaplan
All right, here we go. Okay, look at this. Do you understand this?
Lindsay McMahon
Not in any capacity. No. It is way higher than what they said.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah. And I didn't know they also have a capacity of only 20. That's not even close to what we need.
Lindsay McMahon
So frustrating. Let's find somewhere else.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah. Planning an event, not easy, right? A venue. Finding a venue.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah. Yes. Yes, exactly. The worst is when, you know, I mean, I don't know if you had this for your wedding, but if some. Some wedding venues, you might think, oh, this is a beautiful venue. I love it. And then you realize it doesn't have the capacity to hold all the people you would want to invite. And some people are okay with making the cuts, and you have to kind of decide, would you rather have the place or all the people?
Michelle Kaplan
It's a good point, because the venue does matter, but the people matter, too.
Lindsay McMahon
Right?
Michelle Kaplan
So what can you do? You have to have that discussion with your. With your partner. All right, let's go through the role play, Michelle. So first I asked you, hey, look at this. Do you understand this?
Lindsay McMahon
And you said, not in any capacity. Right. Because basically, the proposal, it was a much higher quote than I expected. So it. Yeah, I could have said, I don't know. Not at all. Right. I think. I think it's well used here because it's A little bit. A bigger deal, right? It's a little bit bigger than just saying not at all or not in. I don't know. It sounds to me. It sounds appropriate here.
Michelle Kaplan
Yeah, sure. If you want. You're up, leveling things a little bit. You're reviewing a proposal. So, I mean, maybe, you know, you're talking with a friend, but maybe you're, I don't know, working with a consultant, sitting with the consultant also. So you want to upload your language. Or maybe you just want to say something different. Okay. Just throwing him something different. Other things. You. And then you. Yeah. You also could have said, no, not in any way. Or no, not at all. I probably would have said, no, not at all. But it's good to throw in new things sometimes.
Lindsay McMahon
Yeah, right. Yeah, exactly. I'm being a little dramatic, I think, here. Right. And then what did you say?
Michelle Kaplan
I said. You said, there's no. It is way higher than what they had said. Said and that. I said, yeah. And I didn't know. They also have a capacity of only 20. So now we're talking about the number of people that could fit in the space. Yeah.
Lindsay McMahon
So we're realizing really quickly we're going to have to find somewhere else because we. Because if I say they only have a capacity of only 20, Lindsay, what does that mean? I mean, you said it. Does it mean we need more people or fewer people?
Michelle Kaplan
I mean, you. Yeah. You can't fit everyone in that you want to into that space. You're going to have to find a new. A new venue for the party.
Lindsay McMahon
So. Yeah. Yeah. This is really not a good spot. It's too expensive. It can only fit 20 people. Oh, my gosh.
Michelle Kaplan
Moving on, Moving on.
Lindsay McMahon
So, guys, head on over. We also have episode 2449, which is take the Plunge into Enthusiastic English. Excellent. Lindsay, what's the takeaway for today?
Michelle Kaplan
Takeaway for today is we've given you a new option.
Lindsay McMahon
Right.
Michelle Kaplan
It's really nice to gather new options for ways to slightly uplevel what you want to say.
Lindsay McMahon
Right.
Michelle Kaplan
So we've given you one new way to do it. Just know that it does sometimes create a little distance. Like in my example of the. Of the email breakup.
Lindsay McMahon
Right.
Michelle Kaplan
Just the fact that the person wrote me an email that, you know. But yeah, but it does create a little distance. Makes it a little more formal, but it's good to have options for being in different contexts.
Lindsay McMahon
Okay.
Michelle Kaplan
Yes.
Lindsay McMahon
All right. Well, we've given you a lot to think about today, and we hope that this helps you in some capacity today.
Michelle Kaplan
Nice, Michelle. Way to get that in there. I love it.
Lindsay McMahon
All right. All right.
Michelle Kaplan
You take care.
Lindsay McMahon
All right. Have a good one. Thanks Sophia for the question.
Michelle Kaplan
All right.
Lindsay McMahon
Bye bye bye.
Michelle Kaplan
Thanks for listening. To all ears. English Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com forward/fluency score. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.
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Hosts: Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan
Release Date: August 11, 2025
Audience: Intermediate to advanced English learners, professionals, university students, and ESL teachers
The episode opens with Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan welcoming listeners and introducing the day's topic. They emphasize the podcast's focus on enriching English vocabulary and enhancing conversational skills through practical usage of everyday expressions.
Michelle highlights the podcast's popularity, noting it has been downloaded over 200 million times, and invites listeners to engage via their YouTube channel for a more visual learning experience.
The central theme of the episode revolves around a listener question submitted by Sophia from their YouTube channel.
Lindsay and Michelle express gratitude towards listeners for their engagement and reviews, acknowledging the global audience supporting the show.
Michelle Kaplan [04:29]: “In any capacity means in any way, in any form. And I'm sure we'll get into. It's a little confusing because capacity can mean something else. Literally.”
The hosts delve into the meaning of the phrase "in any capacity," clarifying that it often implies any possible way or form while distinguishing its more formal tone compared to casual expressions.
Lindsay McMahon [04:54]: “Does it sound more formal to you, Michelle, when we say this 'in any capacity'?”
Michelle Kaplan [04:58]: “I do. I agree with that. I think it just up-levels your speech a tiny bit.”
They discuss how using "in any capacity" can make speech sound more formal and elevate the conversation, making it suitable for professional or academic contexts but potentially creating distance in more personal interactions.
The hosts provide several examples to illustrate the usage of "in any capacity," demonstrating its application in different contexts.
Michelle Kaplan [05:50]: “She is unwilling to help me move in any capacity. I expected more from her.”
Lindsay McMahon [06:07]: “I don't watch sports in any capacity. I would rather read.”
Michelle Kaplan [06:16]: “He was not able to do any freelance work in any capacity due to his contract.”
These examples highlight how "in any capacity" can be used to express limitations or capabilities in various scenarios, from personal relationships to professional constraints.
The conversation shifts to the impact of using formal expressions on personal relationships and communication dynamics.
They explore how formal language can inadvertently create emotional or social distance, making interactions feel more detached, especially in close-knit or informal settings.
Michelle shares a personal anecdote about a breakup message that used "in another capacity," illustrating how formal language can signal the end of a relationship.
This story underscores the emotional weight that word choice can carry, influencing the tone and outcome of interpersonal communications.
The hosts expand on the various meanings of "capacity," distinguishing between its use related to ability and its reference to physical space or limits.
Michelle Kaplan [10:00]: “Do you have the capacity to exercise on a Friday night after work?”
They discuss "capacity" in terms of mental and physical ability, as well as in the context of space limitations.
Lindsay McMahon [10:00]: “I don't have the mental capacity to study anymore.”
Michelle Kaplan [11:51]: “Sorry, we can't have any other people in yet. We are filled to capacity.”
These examples demonstrate how "capacity" can denote both personal limits and the maximum occupancy of a space.
Lindsay and Michelle share personal experiences to illustrate how "capacity" is used in everyday situations, such as attending events or dealing with crowded places.
These narratives help listeners understand the practical implications of the word and its emotional undertones in various contexts.
To reinforce the lesson, Lindsay and Michelle engage in a role-play where they review a proposal for a party venue, utilizing the phrase "in any capacity."
Lindsay McMahon [14:45]: “Not in any capacity. No. It is way higher than what they said.”
Michelle Kaplan [15:03]: “Yeah. Planning an event, not easy, right? A venue. Finding a venue.”
This interactive segment allows listeners to see the phrase in action, highlighting its usage in evaluating the suitability of a venue based on capacity and cost.
As the episode concludes, Lindsay and Michelle summarize the key points, encouraging listeners to incorporate "in any capacity" into their vocabulary to enhance their English proficiency.
Michelle Kaplan [17:41]: “Takeaway for today is we've given you a new option. It's really nice to gather new options for ways to slightly up-level what you want to say.”
Lindsay McMahon [18:12]: “We've given you a lot to think about today, and we hope that this helps you in some capacity today.”
They emphasize the importance of understanding the context and formality when choosing to use such expressions, ensuring effective and appropriate communication.
In this episode, Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan effectively dissect the usage of the word "capacity," particularly within the phrase "in any capacity." Through definitions, examples, personal anecdotes, and role-playing, they provide a comprehensive understanding of the term's flexibility and the nuances of its formality. Listeners are encouraged to integrate this expression into their vocabulary thoughtfully, considering the context and the desired tone of their conversations.
Remember: Embrace connection over perfection as you practice and expand your English language skills!