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Episode: AEE 2325: English Fluency is Not a Ways Off

Author: Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan
Duration: 00:14:49

Episode Shownotes

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Full Transcript

00:00:00 Speaker_01
This is an all ears English podcast episode 2325. English fluency is not a ways off. Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English?

00:00:18 Speaker_01
We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection with your American hosts, Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz, and Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer. coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, USA.

00:00:39 Speaker_01
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 slash app.

00:00:58 Speaker_00
Do you ever need a way to express that something is far away? Today, learn four supernatural ways that natives say this when they give directions or talk about distance in English. Listen in today.

00:01:13 Speaker_01
Hey there, Aubrey. How's it going today? I'm great, Lindsay. How are you? Good, but I do have a question for you today to kick off the episode. You ready? Yes, let's hear it. So Aubrey, I think you're a swimmer, right? So how far can you swim?

00:01:27 Speaker_00
Oh, quite a ways.

00:01:28 Speaker_01
Probably a mile, maybe two miles. Wow, that's actually far. I mean, it must be in good shape, right? Because swimming is exhausting.

00:01:36 Speaker_00
It is exhausting, right? I've tried to like swim across a lake, which the difficult thing I think about distant swimming is the fear. Like if you're in the middle of a lake and there's no boat, right?

00:01:48 Speaker_00
You can't let your, you can't panic because you can drown.

00:01:52 Speaker_01
Well, it's the whole story of, do you remember the story of, I think it's Diana Nyad who did the swim? Was it around the world?

00:01:59 Speaker_00
world that she was trying to know where it was from Cuba to Florida to Florida. Yes. Yeah. Across. Yes. I just saw the there's a film that won all kinds or was at least nominated for all kinds of awards with Jodie Foster and Annette Bening. Yes.

00:02:11 Speaker_00
You see that film was amazing.

00:02:13 Speaker_01
Yeah, I saw it. It's a great movie.

00:02:15 Speaker_00
It's a great movie. You guys should watch it. I think it's just called Nyad. Right?

00:02:17 Speaker_01
Talk about someone. Yeah, Nyad. Talk about someone with how to stick to itiveness. Right?

00:02:22 Speaker_00
Seriously, I definitely couldn't swim that far. It's amazing. And then she's getting stung by jellyfish or something like she was so yeah, she was amazing.

00:02:30 Speaker_01
But she's so dead set on her goal. So that's that's another topic for another day. But I like what you said here, Aubrey for today's episode. I asked you how far you can swim. You said quite a ways, probably a mile.

00:02:41 Speaker_01
Now interesting that you said quite a ways.

00:02:44 Speaker_00
It's a very native chunk, right, to say quite a ways. It sounds probably kind of strange. This word ways is very flexible in English. It means a lot of different things.

00:02:54 Speaker_00
It came up, I was listening to the episode 2316 and I said, oh, you'd be scrolling back in the feed quite a ways to find an episode.

00:03:03 Speaker_01
Yeah.

00:03:03 Speaker_00
We use this a lot of different ways in English, and I'm excited to dive into this today.

00:03:09 Speaker_01
Me too. But first, before we get into it, guys, hit the follow button now. Make sure you're following All Ears English because that way we'll just drop right into your queue. So hit follow. All right, Aubrey, I'm excited to get into it.

00:03:21 Speaker_01
So there are three or four ways we say ways.

00:03:27 Speaker_00
And these are all separate from just, you know, the regular ways when you're like, how many ways can you do this? That's different. These are chunks where we're using ways to talk about distance.

00:03:37 Speaker_00
So this first one that we used already, quite a ways, just means really far, a great distance.

00:03:43 Speaker_01
Yeah, and I just want to make sure that we clarify the spelling because this is also separate from that amazing app that you use when you try to figure out the best way to get to the grocery store during traffic times, right?

00:03:53 Speaker_01
It's not Waze, the app, W-A-Z-E, but it is W-A-Y-S, and we have the article A. Quite a Waze, W-A-Y-S, okay?

00:04:04 Speaker_00
Exactly, so a is separate, a and Waze. You guys definitely need the transcripts for this episode. We need the transcripts.

00:04:10 Speaker_01
Yeah, because I'm looking at her notes and thinking, wow, that might be confusing for our listeners, right?

00:04:14 Speaker_00
For sure. Let's give some examples here, though. You could say, she ran quite a ways before running out of breath. This means she ran really far.

00:04:24 Speaker_01
Or that mountain is quite a ways from here. And what I'm saying is, it's very, it seems far away from here.

00:04:31 Speaker_00
Yeah, it's at a great distance, right? But that's so much more formal to say that mountain is a great distance from here. No, yeah, that would be very far. And I probably say this the most often. Oh, it's quite a ways.

00:04:42 Speaker_01
Yeah, but it really is. So it's kind of slangy, I guess, wouldn't you say?

00:04:46 Speaker_00
Yeah, I probably wouldn't write this. There are lots of, you know, many more formal ways to write it, maybe in a very informal email, but it's definitely more spoken English.

00:04:56 Speaker_01
Agreed. Yeah. Is there another meaning, another way we use this?

00:05:00 Speaker_00
Yes. So this exact same phrase, we use it to mean that we made progress. We might say like, we've gotten quite a ways on this project. It means we got a lot done. We made some progress.

00:05:10 Speaker_01
Right. I love it. So it's the metaphorical version of swimming. How far have you swam? Yes. Number two, a ways to go. So this is looking ahead. How much more do you have to do or to go?

00:05:23 Speaker_00
Exactly. Yeah. And this could be both the metaphorical, right? We've got a ways to go on this project, meaning we've still got a lot of progress to make, or it could also be physical distance to say you have a long distance to go.

00:05:36 Speaker_01
Exactly. I love it. Yes.

00:05:38 Speaker_00
So we still... You guys have... Go ahead, Aubrey. We still have a ways to go before we get there. So maybe you're on a road trip across the... You still have 300 miles to go. We still have a ways to go.

00:05:48 Speaker_01
Yeah, and that does happen on a cross-country road trip. I mean, 3,000 miles to go, essentially from the East Coast to the West Coast. And three days later, you're still in the desert of Utah or Arizona, and it just feels really long.

00:06:02 Speaker_00
Yeah. Exactly, right? And we use this so often to talk about those distance, right? Oh, we've come a long ways. We only have a short way to go, right?

00:06:11 Speaker_00
It's interesting how instead of using the word distance, we often will replace it with this more native chunk.

00:06:17 Speaker_01
Yeah, this is interesting. And then the third way that our listeners need to know today is if something, again, very similar to number two, right? Something is far away. It's a ways off.

00:06:27 Speaker_01
Now, this could be in terms of time, or it could be distance too, right?

00:06:31 Speaker_00
Exactly right. You could say, the meeting is 30. Well, let's see, the meeting is a ways off. And you mean it's like in two months, right? So yeah, it could be time.

00:06:44 Speaker_01
Yes, exactly. Like, you know, I'm thinking, oh, there's this conference I want to go to next summer, but it's still a ways off. So I'm not going to register or book my flight yet. Right. That sort of thing.

00:06:54 Speaker_00
Exactly. And also physical distance. Right. You could say she lives a ways off. It'll take at least 30 minutes to get there. And that just means she lives really far.

00:07:02 Speaker_01
And be careful. So here's a warning for our listeners. Don't be confused with the difference between a ways off and way off. Like you're way off. You're completely wrong.

00:07:14 Speaker_00
Exactly. If I say, Oh, I thought she'd get here at eight, but I was way off. This has nothing to do with distance, right? This means I was wrong about something.

00:07:22 Speaker_01
Yeah, that could be another episode for another day.

00:07:24 Speaker_00
I mean, not in the same ballpark. They're so similar, right? So be careful. It's amazing how one little letter and it's such a different meaning.

00:07:32 Speaker_01
Oh my gosh, now we're not going to complicate it anymore or anything, but we'll add a fourth. I had a fourth one, Aubrey. What is it?

00:07:39 Speaker_00
And so this is a ways away. It sounds kind of silly and repetitive. It means far away. It is the exact same meaning as a ways off. I grew up saying this a lot. I feel like this might be a little more regional depending on where someone grew up.

00:07:53 Speaker_00
They'd be more likely to say a ways away. But I did find it in some song lyrics. There's an REM song where they say we can reach our destination, but it's still a ways away. It means it's still far off.

00:08:05 Speaker_01
I think it probably is regional just by nature of the fact that if you're asking someone where something is in a rural area, you're more likely to use that. Oh, that guy's house is down there, but it's a ways away, a ways off.

00:08:17 Speaker_01
But in the city, you're going to say it's three blocks that way and two blocks to the west.

00:08:21 Speaker_00
Good point, because nothing's a ways away.

00:08:24 Speaker_01
Nothing's a ways away. It makes sense that that would come out in more rural living, I think.

00:08:27 Speaker_00
Yeah, that makes sense. Right. So you might say she lives quite a ways away or she lives a long ways away. And they both just mean she lives very far away.

00:08:35 Speaker_01
All right. Nice. Okay, Aubrey, we are going to show our listeners. Hopefully our listeners are not panicking. It's okay. Don't worry, guys. Just think of it this way. This is added value for your English, right?

00:08:46 Speaker_01
This is not going to be on any English test, but if you can learn at least one of these today to insert it properly into your commentary, super native and natural. Right, Aubrey?

00:08:56 Speaker_00
Yes, and I feel like we use this so often that I really think this is going to be one of those things that you're going to start hearing now all the time on podcasts, on TV. Be like, oh, I learned about that on All Ears English. It's a great one.

00:09:07 Speaker_01
So here, Aubrey, in this role play, we are on a hike. All right, type one fun, yeah? Yes, exactly.

00:09:13 Speaker_00
Wow, look at that view. I'm glad we picked this hike, even though it was quite a ways. Definitely worth the hour drive.

00:09:19 Speaker_01
I agree. Oh, wow. Look at that cave. That would be cool to explore, but it's a ways off.

00:09:25 Speaker_00
That is quite a ways away. I think we could make it, though. Want to try?

00:09:29 Speaker_01
Let's do it. We better get going. We've got a ways to go. Oh, wow. Okay.

00:09:33 Speaker_00
So we used all of them here. This is one of those would be like, it might be strange to say always over and over in the same conversation.

00:09:40 Speaker_01
Yeah, for sure.

00:09:41 Speaker_00
But this way you get to hear them all.

00:09:43 Speaker_01
Yeah, you might hear it once in this conversation, realistically, right? So first you said, Aubrey, I'm glad we picked this hike, even though it was quite a ways, sorry, it was quite a

00:09:53 Speaker_00
Quite a ways. Yes. Yeah. It just means like it was a long drive, right? Wherever we were living, it was like, ooh, this hike is an hour away. I'd be like, oh, that's quite a ways. Yeah.

00:10:03 Speaker_01
And you could also insert, it was quite a ways. It was quite a ways from our house, right? You could say that. Yeah.

00:10:10 Speaker_00
Yes. Exactly. Right. Just to maybe if you want to be a minute there. That's what it means. It was quite a ways. It means it was quite a ways from wherever we were.

00:10:17 Speaker_01
Yes, you got it. Okay. What's the next one?

00:10:20 Speaker_00
And then you said, oh, there's this. So you're looking at a cave in the distance. You say, that'd be cool to explore, but it's a ways off. That just means it's very far.

00:10:28 Speaker_01
And then I'm going to say the same exact thing, but use different words. Ooh, that is quite a ways away. Right? So you're agreeing with me here, right?

00:10:38 Speaker_00
And I'm just saying like, ooh, that is really far, but it's just another way to say it. That is a ways away.

00:10:42 Speaker_01
Yeah, good. And then I say, let's do it. We better get going. We've got a ways to go. And that means we have a long way to go. Basically, everything in this conversation is something is far away. Exactly.

00:10:55 Speaker_00
And a lot of these are pretty interchangeable, right? You could mix one in. The meanings are very similar. And so that makes it a little tricky, but also a little easier to use, right?

00:11:05 Speaker_00
If you ever want to say that something's very far, then you could say one of these instead.

00:11:10 Speaker_01
Yeah, I like this today because these are the kind of phrases that are going to come up if you're driving in the countryside and you stop again, ask someone for directions, fill up on gas and ask, where's this? Where's that?

00:11:20 Speaker_01
Oh, it's a ways down the road. Oh, that's a ways off. Right. Probably with some kind of accent too.

00:11:27 Speaker_00
And now you'll know what they're saying. Hey, I understand. He means it's far.

00:11:32 Speaker_01
Exactly. Any other takeaway for today, Aubrey?

00:11:35 Speaker_00
Yeah, I think these phrases are so native and natural, especially for informal conversations.

00:11:40 Speaker_00
Like you mentioned, Lindsay, you might not see these written a lot unless it's like dialogue written out in a book because it is more about conversational English. But I'm curious.

00:11:50 Speaker_00
I hope you guys start noticing them as you're listening to English and definitely use one, pick one to throw into your conversations.

00:11:57 Speaker_01
Yeah, I think noticing them now is your next step. It's your first step. You've heard about them. Now you may notice them and then start to think about, okay, why did that person use it here? Hmm.

00:12:07 Speaker_01
I can imagine using it in these scenarios and then it starts to come up naturally, right?

00:12:12 Speaker_00
Yes. Love it.

00:12:12 Speaker_01
Love it. Awesome. So fun. Thanks for joining me today, Lindsay. All right. Sounds good, Aubrey. See you next time. Take care. Bye. Bye. Thanks for listening to All Ears English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz.

00:12:31 Speaker_01
Go to allearsenglish.com forward slash 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.