All Ears English Podcast – Episode 2535 Summary

Title: So I Said to Myself, "You're Gonna Love This Episode!"
Hosts: Michelle Kaplan & Aubrey Carter
Date: December 23, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Michelle and Aubrey discuss the natural English expressions "I said to myself" and "I told myself" and their value in making stories engaging, vivid, and native-like. Targeted at intermediate/advanced English learners, the episode provides nuanced grammar tips, pronunciation insights, and lots of real-life examples and role plays. The focus is on how reporting inner thoughts boosts conversational storytelling, deepens listener connection, and helps express goals, regrets, or self-encouragement in authentic American English.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Expressions: "I Said to Myself" vs. "I Told Myself"

• Definition & Usage

  • Both mean “I thought,” commonly used to narrate internal thoughts or add color to a story.
  • "I said to myself" is slightly more conversational and common for reporting thoughts.
  • "I told myself" can be more formal and is often used for giving oneself advice, encouragement, or making resolutions.

• Literal vs. Figurative Use

  • These phrases generally describe thoughts, not actual spoken words.
    • Aubrey: "We don't usually talk to ourselves out loud...It's a thought in my brain that I said to myself." [03:59]

2. Examples & Variations

• Standard Thought Reporting:

  • “When I found out my mom was visiting, I said to myself, I need to clean my house.” [04:18]
  • “He saw that her car wasn’t in the driveway and immediately said to himself, I wonder where she went.” [05:02]

• Self-Encouragement and Resolutions:

  • “I told myself this year would be different.” [06:06]
  • “Before the presentation, I told myself, don’t panic.” [07:24]
  • “I told myself I’d leave the house earlier today, but here we are.” [12:11]

• Expressing Regret or Hindsight:

  • “I told myself not to trust him, but I ignored it.” [08:21]
  • “I told myself to double check, and I should have.” [08:28]

• Habitual Thinking:

  • “Every day I say to myself, I’m going to exercise today. And then it never happens.” [09:33]
  • “For years I told myself I didn’t have time to learn a new language, and then I realized I needed to prioritize it.” [09:46]

3. Grammar & Tense Nuance

• Past Tense: “I told myself” or “I said to myself” for a specific moment or repeated action in the past.
• Present Simple for Habit: “I say to myself…” to indicate things you routinely think.
• Shifting Tense in Storytelling:
  • Switch from past to present to bring the listener into the moment for vivid storytelling.
    • Aubrey: "He was yelling at everyone. And then as we start narrating what we thought, we move to present tense to pull the listener in..." [10:05]

4. Conveying Tone & Voice

• Effective storytellers change their tone or use a “character voice” for the reported thought to make stories more dynamic and relatable.
  • Michelle: "You kind of put on a voice in a little way, right? Oh, I literally said to myself, okay, this needs to stop." [16:25]

5. Role Play Demonstration [12:11–16:51]

A practical, realistic dialogue shows how these phrases are used in real life:

• Aubrey: “Hey, sorry I’m late. I told myself I’d leave the house earlier today, but here we are.” [12:11]
• Michelle: “It’s fine. On the walk over, I said to myself, she is probably stuck in traffic again.” [12:23]
• Aubrey: “Every morning lately, I say to myself, today I’m going to be on time. Hasn’t worked yet.” [12:29]
• Michelle: “Story of my life. I told myself I wouldn’t buy any more coffee out. And then the second I passed a cafe, I said to myself, well, one cup won’t hurt.” [12:36]
• Aubrey: “That’s so real. When I opened my bank app last night, I literally said to myself, okay, this needs to stop.” [12:45]

6. Cultural and Learning Tips

• Reporting one’s own thoughts adds authenticity and connection.
• These expressions help learners sound more natural and engaging in conversation.
• Mixing “said” and “told” prevents repetition, modeling native conversational flow.

7. Memorable Quotes

• Aubrey [02:57]: “If you just say ‘this happened and then this happened and I thought this,’ it’s pretty boring, right? But we report speech, we narrate speech and thoughts in order to draw the listener into the story.”
• Michelle [10:20]: “I love these layers of English...these are things that you can uncover. And even for native speakers, when you hear these things, you’re like, oh, I didn’t realize I do that.”
• Aubrey [18:20]: “Reporting thoughts...makes you a better storyteller, makes conversation more interesting...especially if you don’t follow through!”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Episode Goal: 01:00–02:57
• “I said to myself…” Explanation: 03:26–04:39
• “I told myself…” Meaning and Regional Nuance: 05:20–07:06
• Other Uses (Encouragement, Resolution, Regret): 07:06–09:21
• Present Tense Usage in Storytelling: 09:21–10:53
• Role Play of Everyday Use: 12:11–16:51
• Tips on Voice & Tone: 16:25–17:29
• Takeaways & Final Thoughts: 18:09–19:08

Takeaways

• Using “I said to myself” and “I told myself” livens up stories and makes English sound more native.
• These phrases are versatile: use them for reporting thoughts, resolutions, encouragement, regrets, and habitual thinking.
• Switching verb tense in storytelling (from past to present) engages listeners and makes stories vivid.
• Changing your vocal tone when quoting your own thoughts adds impact and authenticity.
• Experiment with both “I said to myself” (conversational) and “I told myself” (sometimes more formal or motivational), and be aware of their slightly different connotations.

Further Learning

• Listen to Episode 2401: “How to Be a More Interesting Storyteller,” focusing on using “I was all,” “I was like,” etc. [17:41]
• “Connection NOT Perfection”: Embrace making mistakes while practicing natural expressions for real-world connection.

Recommended for learners aiming to sound more fluent, engaging, and natural in American English conversation.