AEE: This is the VERY Episode You've Been Waiting For

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Ears English Podcast – "AEE: This is the VERY Episode You've Been Waiting For"

Episode Details:

• Title: AEE: This is the VERY Episode You've Been Waiting For
• Release Date: March 1, 2025
• Hosts: Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan

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Introduction

In this highly anticipated episode of the All Ears English Podcast, hosts Michelle Kaplan and Aubrey Carter delve into the nuanced use of the word "very" in American English. Aimed at intermediate to advanced ESL learners, the episode provides valuable insights into enhancing conversational skills, understanding idiomatic expressions, and mastering emphatic language usage.

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Personal Updates and Community Connection

Aubrey Carter [01:46]:
Aubrey shares an inspiring personal update:
"I'm actually volunteering tomorrow with my mom and my twins at a nonprofit called Feed My Starving Children. They package meals sent to communities in need worldwide. It's like a fun factory where we package rice and other essentials. I really love going there; it's well-run and rewarding."
This heartfelt contribution underscores the podcast's emphasis on connection, showcasing the hosts' commitment to community engagement.

Michelle Kaplan [02:31]:
Michelle reciprocates with her excitement about upcoming events:
"I'm very excited about the Super Bowl because I'm living near the area where it's in. I'm not a huge football fan, but the hype is contagious! Also, my Knicks are doing well, which adds to the excitement."
Her enthusiasm highlights the cultural aspects of American life, aligning with the podcast's goal to provide cultural insights alongside language learning.

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Main Topic: The Versatile Use of "Very"

The core focus of this episode revolves around exploring different contexts in which the word "very" can be employed to convey exactness or emphasis in conversations.

Listener Question: Sophia's Inquiry [03:31]

Listener Sophia poses a thought-provoking question:
"I'm wondering about the use of 'very' for emphasis. I heard it can mean something like extreme or absolute, especially when emphasizing something. For example, 'This is the very book I was looking for,' or 'At the very end of the road, you'll find the old house.' Could you explain more about this usage and share additional examples? Thank you so much."
Michelle acknowledges the depth of the question:
"This is a very advanced question, Sophia. Let’s dive into it." [04:13]

Understanding "Very" as Exact and Emphatic [04:47 – 08:20]

Michelle Kaplan [04:47]:
Michelle distinguishes between the common usage of "very" and the more nuanced emphatic use:
"When thinking about 'very,' focus on its typical use first. Sophia is asking about using 'very' for emphasis, which is less common but worth learning."

Aubrey Carter [05:01]:
Aubrey concurs, noting situational preferences:
"I usually prefer 'exact' in contexts like 'This is the exact book I was looking for,' instead of 'very.' However, 'very' does add a polished touch and is used occasionally, possibly more in other English-speaking countries like the UK."

Michelle Kaplan [05:27]:
Michelle further explains:
"Using 'very' in this way adds more feeling. It can express that something is surprising or impactful, such as finding a specific book unexpectedly."

Aubrey Carter [06:31]:
Aubrey provides additional context:
"It can also express gratitude or emphasize a coincidence, like trying to help a friend by emphasizing the exactness of what you found."

Example Scenarios and Detailed Breakdown

1. Exactness and Emphasis:

   • Sophia's Example:
     "This is the very book I was looking for." [04:13]
     Aubrey interprets this as expressing the exactness and adds:
     "It might mean you were looking for this book for a long time or it's a surprising coincidence that a friend has the same book." [05:27]

   • Alternate Expression:
     Aubrey suggests using "exact":
     "This is the exact book I was looking for." [05:27]

2. Emphasizing Extremes:

   • Sophia's Second Example:
     "At the very end of the road, you'll find the old house." [04:13]
     Michelle explains this usage to denote the extreme point:
     "It emphasizes that it's the ultimate point where you can't go any further." [05:49]

   • Additional Example:
     "She turned in her paper at the very last minute." [07:05]
     Aubrey relates this to urgency:
     "It means the last possible moment before it would be considered late." [07:05]

Role Play and Practical Application [13:30 – 16:45]

To solidify understanding, Michelle and Aubrey engage in a role play scenario:

Scenario: Aubrey acts as a patient at a doctor's office, and Michelle is the receptionist.

• Aubrey [13:41]:
  "Yes, I'm Aubrey Carter. My appointment is at 2. Sorry, I'm here at the very last minute." [13:41]
  This illustrates using "very" to emphasize the urgency and exact timing of arrival.

• Michelle [13:53]:
  "That's the very same book I just got from the library." [13:57]
  Highlighting exactness by matching the exact title.

Through the role play, the hosts demonstrate how "very" can add depth and clarity to everyday conversations, making interactions more engaging and precise.

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Conclusion and Takeaways

Aubrey Carter [17:05]:
Aubrey reflects on the episode's content:
"I love this vocab deep dive. It's fascinating how native speakers use words like 'very' instinctively without dissecting their meanings. Highlighting these subtle differences enriches our understanding and usage of English." [17:05]

Michelle Kaplan [17:26]:
Michelle adds:
"Even as a native speaker, it's fun to explore language nuances. It allows us to appreciate the richness of English and encourages learners to experiment with their vocabulary for more expressive communication." [17:26]

Final Thoughts:
The hosts encourage listeners to integrate these nuanced uses of "very" into their conversations to enhance fluency and expressiveness. By understanding and practicing these subtleties, learners can achieve more natural and impactful communication in American English.

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Key Quotes

• Aubrey Carter [02:26]:
  "They make it really fun for the volunteers. It's really well run. I really love going, so I'm excited about that."

• Michelle Kaplan [05:27]:
  "Sophia is asking about using 'very' for emphasis, which is less common but worth learning."

• Aubrey Carter [07:05]:
  "It means the last possible moment before it would be considered late."

• Michelle Kaplan [10:25]:
  "It adds a little bit of extra something, a little bit of style to what you're saying to show that this is impactful, meaningful, a little bit of a surprise."

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Final Remarks

This episode of All Ears English Podcast serves as a comprehensive guide for ESL learners aiming to master the subtle uses of "very" in American English. Through engaging discussions, real-life examples, and practical role plays, Michelle and Aubrey provide listeners with the tools to enhance their language proficiency and connect more deeply in conversations.

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Join the Community:
For more episodes and resources, download the All Ears English app available on iOS and Android. Engage with a community dedicated to connection, not perfection, and continue your journey to speaking American English like a native!

Transcript

[Aubrey Carter]

This is an All Ears English podcast. This is the very episode you've been waiting for.

[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 host, Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl and Aubrey Carter, the aisle whiz coming to you from Arizona and New York City, usa. To get real time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android. Start your seven day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward/app.

Today we answer a listener question about a different way to use the word very English conversations. This can be used to be more exact or emphatic. Find out more from Aubrey and Michelle on this episode. Your data is like gold to hackers and they'll sell it to the highest bidder.

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[Aubrey Carter]

Hello Michelle, how are you?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Hi Aubry. I'm good, I'm good. Aubry, is there something coming up that you're very excited about?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, I'm actually volunteering tomorrow with my mom and my twins at. It's a non profit called Feed My Starving Children. Do you have that where you live, Michelle?

[Michelle Kaplan]

I've never heard of that. I have to look it up but it's. I, I haven't.

[Aubrey Carter]

I know they have locations elsewhere but I'm not sure where. But they package meals that are sent elsewhere in the world to communities in need and I really love going. It's kind of just like a factory where you're like packaging, you know, rice and, but, but it's, they make it really fun for the volunteers. It's really well run. I really love going, so I'm excited about that.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Oh, that's good. That's good. Oh, I'm so glad to hear that. So what about you?

[Aubrey Carter]

Is there something you are very excited about?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Mich, I am very excited. Well, this is. Gosh, you, yours makes you sound like a saint and mine is like, mine.

[Aubrey Carter]

Is just about two sports.

[Michelle Kaplan]

I'm excited. I'm very excited about, I would say, I mean I'm very excited about the super bowl just because I'm living near now, near the area where it's in. So I'm not a huge football fan, but I'm very excited for the area and I'm excited about the hype. But for me, my sports wise, I'm very excited about the Knicks because they're doing well, so.

[Aubrey Carter]

Okay, nice. So there's probably a lot of, like, fervor where you live for the super bowl, right? That's fun.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes, yes. There's stuff everywhere, so it's kind of fun. It's. It's fun to get into the hype. So. But we were using the word very, and we have a question from Sophia. This question came to us on YouTube. So, Aubrey, would you like to read us the question?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes. Hi, I'm Sophia, and I really love your podcast. Connection not perfection. I love that. I love when listeners let us know that they agree. Right. With this. It's so powerful to have a whole community that, like, gets behind this connection.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Exactly.

[Aubrey Carter]

And then she said, I'm wondering about the use of very for emphasis. I heard it can be used to mean something like extreme or absolute, especially when emphasizing something. For example, this is the very book I was looking for. Or at the very end of the road, you'll find the old house. Could you explain more about this usage and share additional examples? Thank you so much. What a great question.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Good. Yeah, this is a good one, Sophia. Very, very good. Very advanced question. And notice how much I'm saying very, but this is not the way that Sophia is asking about it. Sophia is asking about another way to use the word very. So very advanced. Before we get into it, guys, we want to remind you to hit follow wherever you are listening to the All Ears English podcast so that you never miss anything from us. So let's get into it. Aubry, do you use very like this a lot?

[Aubrey Carter]

I don't. I would usually say exact. If I'm gonna say this is the exact book I was looking for. This is the exact thing I asked for instead of very in that situation. What about you?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, I would agree. I think that this can be useful, but it's probably not quite that common. So when you're thinking about the word, definitely think more about the typical way that you would use. The first example Sophia was giving about extreme and things like that. However, this is definitely worth learning and worth a try because you. You will hear it from time to time, and it could be a fun thing to sprinkle into your lexicon every.

[Aubrey Carter]

Once in a while I definitely hear it. I use it every now and then. Maybe if I'm trying to sound a little more sophisticated, because I do feel like it does sound a little more polished. Say this is the very book I was looking for. It also might be more common in other English speaking countries, maybe in the UK for example. And her second example, I do use it that way to say it's at the very end of the street.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, yes, exactly. So the listener examples from Sophia, so not sure where they're from. So but let's just give them. And then we're going to talk about it. So again, this is the very book I was looking for. So here it means, as Aubry said, the exact book. So it's kind of a more emphatic. I could just say this is the book I was looking for. But saying this is the very book I was looking for, it adds more feeling. It's a bit more interesting and intense. Maybe you were looking for a very long time or maybe your friend had it and it's a coincidence she had the same book. Right. In some way it's surprising to you or shocking potentially.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah. Maybe you're wanting to like help this friend feel especially good about finding exactly what you needed. So you add this to emphasize. It's sort of a way to express gratitude, I feel like.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right, yeah, yeah, exactly. So here's another example that would be used in this way. So that is the very restaurant I was researching earlier.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes. And I would say that as well. Right. That is the very thing I was thinking of. So interchangeable with exact. But yeah, I definitely hear this sometimes for sure.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right, so now let's go. Aubry, you want to tell us a little bit about at the very end of the road.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, so this next example, at the very end of the road, you'll find the old house. This is emphasizing that it's the point at which you can't go any further. Right. The very end of the road. So that can be used to talk about extremes. And this is much more common. I use this a lot.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Exactly. So for example, she turned in her paper at the very last minute. So yeah, that kind of means exact, but it's also just the. The minute at which before, if she finished it any later, it would have been late.

[Aubrey Carter]

Right, exactly. It has the same meaning as ultimate. But we don't use ultimate that way, oddly enough, like it has that definition. But we wouldn't say she turned in her paper at the ultimate minute. We don't. Instead we say the Very last minute.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right. So we can generally think of, I mean, overall, it's a pretty much the same idea, but these two kinds of buckets. So there may be more, but we're going to stick with these examples. But this is certainly enough to start with, so we're going to continue in just a second.

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Okay, so let's review the two ways that we were touching on so far. So the first one is to be emphatic, exact, maybe a little bit of a shock. And let's do some more examples to really hammer this home. Aubrey, what's the first one?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, I might say that is the very dress I was thinking of wearing tonight. If maybe your friend showed up in that same party dress you have on, or maybe they chose one for you out of the closet to suggest it, say, that is the very one I was planning on wearing.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah. So it's a little bit. I mean, it's a little bit different than just saying, that is the dress I was thinking of wearing tonight. This kind of puts a little bit of an extra something, a little bit of style to what you're saying to show that this is impactful, meaningful, a little bit of a surprise. Yeah.

[Aubrey Carter]

Kind of emphasizing the coincidence of it, Right?

[Michelle Kaplan]

Exactly.

[Aubrey Carter]

It's like we're wanting to point out, like, what A funny coincidence. And we can do all of that by just adding very.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Right. So interesting how just that one little word can really change how the sentence sounds here. Let's do another one. That is the very reason I didn't want to go to this museum today. It's too crowded.

[Aubrey Carter]

Oh, this is good. We would definitely do this. Right. You're emphasizing you probably did not want to go. It's almost like saying I told you so. Like this. This is why I did not want to go. Exactly.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Exactly.

[Aubrey Carter]

Right.

[Michelle Kaplan]

It is very much like saying I told you so. So, okay, again, both of these are pretty related, but we're gonna go over to the other context. So again, the second one was a certain extreme or a point. So I'll do the first example. There's a twist at the very end of the movie. I couldn't believe it.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes. And this is not like you're really emphasizing that. It's right at the very end. So this wouldn't be like 10 minutes before the movie ended. This would. In the final seconds. The final minute.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah.

[Aubrey Carter]

And then another example. Paul has been my very best friend since first grade. So, yeah. This again, emphasizing it. Right. That you may have had other friends, but not only was he your best friend, you want to emphasize how close you are by saying very best friend.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Or she found her ring at the very bottom of the suitcase. So right before the suitcase ends, it was at the bottom. So again, this is. Again, they're both pretty much the same way of using it, but some of one is a little bit more about an extreme point and what the other one is slightly more just exact. But don't really worry about completely the difference between these two. Just focus on the meaning here. I mean, Aubrey, why could these be useful for connection?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah. I love what we mentioned a moment ago, that if you were wanting to emphasize how much of a coincidence something is, it's really fun to use it that way. If you're also wanting to sort of compliment someone. Right. That they're able to guess something or they knew something, this is a really fun, playful way to do that.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes, exactly. So let's talk about some other ways you might be able to say this. Maybe a little bit more for the first context. Now, the first one is exact, which we've been saying this whole time. Right. So you could do that so that that is the exact reason I wanted to talk today. Or you could say exactly the reason. Right?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah. And some people will have a tendency to say one of these or the other. Many people will say Both. They're definitely interchangeable.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Exactly, Exactly. Now I'm just saying it. So those are the two that. The very and exact that we're focusing on today. So should we put it all together in a role play?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes. It looks like you work at the front desk of a doctor's office and I come in.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes, exactly. All right, so I'll start us off. Hello. Do you have an appointment today?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes, I'm Aubrey Carter. My appointment is at 2. Sorry, I'm here at the very last minute.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Oh, that's okay. Oh, wow. Are you reading that book?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yes, I love it so far.

[Michelle Kaplan]

That's the very same book I just got from the library.

[Aubrey Carter]

So funny. It's the exact book I was looking for. You'll love it. Oh, sorry. Is there a restroom here? Of course.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Very last door on the right.

[Aubrey Carter]

Thanks. Oh, this is really good. Lots of good natural uses for all of these.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Exactly. Lots of. Lots of them in here today. So, okay, I said, no, you said, sorry, I'm here at the very last minute. So basically, at the minute at which, if you were any later, maybe I would have given the appointment to someone else.

[Aubrey Carter]

Right, Right. Like, maybe if it starts at 2, she might have gotten there right at 1:59 or even like 203. Right, right. And this. This happened to me yesterday. I took my daughter to get a haircut and they were about to close. I didn't realize. And I think very similar, like, oh, you got here at the very last minute before we would have said, nope, no more tonight.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yep. Yes. And then what did I say about the book?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, you said, that's the very same book I just got from the library. And this is interesting. You could just say, that's the very book I got from the library. But often we'll add same. Either way means the same thing.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Exactly. Or now I keep on saying exactly, and it's bothering. I can't stop myself. Okay. And then you said, it's the exact book I was looking for. So maybe it's exactly the genre you like. You were hoping for a page turner. So it's the exact book I was looking for.

[Aubrey Carter]

And yeah, and this is interesting because exact is a tricky word where sometimes it's not clear if you mean that exact title or like the exact genre like you're saying, Michelle, like the exact type of book. But also interesting that we could say very here it's the very book I was looking for. But that would probably. I would assume they meant the exact title. If they say very fairy, wouldn't you.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, that's what I would think, because. Yeah, right. If we switched them and. Yeah. So saying that's the very same book I got from the library. I'm saying the very same title. Right? It is. Right. But if you say it's the exact book I was looking for, to me it screams genre. I don't know.

[Aubrey Carter]

Right. It's like I was looking for a mystery and that's exactly what I got. Yeah. Interesting.

[Michelle Kaplan]

And then you say, oh, sorry, is there a restroom here? And I said, of course. The very last door on the right. So at the point at which you can't continue down the hall. That's the one.

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah. That is interesting. We say you could just say last door on the right. But we will say this too. Very last door on the right.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Kind of to really emphasize.

[Aubrey Carter]

Emphasize. Yeah. Maybe the one there's like the last door. The one before that is like someone's office and they accidentally go there sometimes. So you're wanting to make sure they go to the very last door.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes, very. Right. You know, you don't want them to barge in on a meeting or.

[Aubrey Carter]

Right. Whatever.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yeah, very good. So very good, guys. Head on over to episode 2356 of Ollie's English. That was. Learn some new English while you're at it. And Aubry, any takeaways for you today?

[Aubrey Carter]

Yeah, I love this vocab. I love that you did the deep dive to kind of think about these and how we use them. This is the type of vocabulary that. That native English speakers don't stop and think about. You know, do I use very or exact or. And what do they mean? So this. I always love this to. To have something weird about English highlighted like this.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Same here. And it's fun, even as a native speaker, to really have to think about my own language in a different way. Because like you said, most people aren't thinking about what is the difference between these two, but we get to really get into it and. And can consider our language in a different way.

[Aubrey Carter]

Right. I'm excited for you guys to use these, use both of them to just add some spice, add some flavor to your language. It's fun.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Yes. All right, well, I guess we've reached the very end.

[Aubrey Carter]

Aubry, nice. I like what you did there.

[Michelle Kaplan]

Thank you.

[Aubrey Carter]

Awesome. I'll see you next time, Michelle.

[Michelle Kaplan]

All right. Bye, Aubry, thanks for recording. Bye, guys.

Thanks for listening. To all ears, English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our 2 minute quiz, go to allearsenglish.com fluencyscore 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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