If you are new to this podcast, if this is your first time with us, welcome! I’m Reza, and beside me I have my friend and colleague Craig, and we are going to help you improve your English and take it to the next level.
In this episode: even though, even when, even so, even if, crime vocabulary, Weekly Wind-ups and your feedback.
You can find more podcasts at inglespodcast.com and you can study English free at mansioningles.com.
News: UP to now we’ve been releasing episodes whenever we can. I want to make a promise to release an episode AT LEAST once a week. Sunday evening around 8pm (Spanish time). It might not always be Aprender con Reza y Craig, and there may be weeks that we’ll publish 2 podcasts in the same week, but we think it’s important for you to have continuity and consistency, so that you can study and learn with us at least once a week.
Listener Feedback:
Ricardo from Chile: It’s interesting to know you were in Chile…In episode 8 you talk about Argentina, specifically Buenos Aires.
I’m studying and listening one by one each episode twice or more times, I’m currently listening to episode 9…
Do you speak about Chile in some of those episodes? It would be cool!
Keep in touch! Best regards. Ricardo
Craig has been to Santiago (but the university was closed). He also went to Valparaiso, San Pedro de la Atacama, He didn’t get up to Arica (too far North). He went to the island of Chiloe where it rained every day!
A voice message from Mamen (thank you Mamen!)
Grammar: Even though, Even when, Even so, Even if
A question from Pau…
What is the difference between…
Even though
Even when
Even so
Even if
Most of them it sounds to me like the Spanish ( aunque…) … but how can I distinguish them to use them correctly?
Thanks, Pau
Let’s start with ‘Even so’ which is similar to ‘nevertheless’, ‘however’ or ‘but’ (aun así)
I’ve got a Kindle app on my iPad and love it. EVEN SO, I still read a lot of paperback books.
“Even so” is used when there’s a surprising or unexpected result.
Examples:
She is loud and unfriendly. EVEN SO,……………….I love her / I like her. – She is loud and unfriendly, so it is unexpected that I like her.
When we went to the night club it was crowded and very noisy,……………….EVEN SO,………we had a great time. / we stayed there until 5am!
When I went to China I was sick for 3 days…………………EVEN SO,…………………I really enjoyed the experience. / it was a really good trip and I would go back again.
It’s a long and sometimes uncomfortable bus ride to get to Craig’s flat, ………….EVEN SO………….Reza somehow gets here 10 minutes late.
Some of my students are lazy, boring and unpleasant…………….EVEN SO,………….I teach them as best I can. / I still love my teaching job.
So, let’s have a look at:
Even though
Even when
Even if
When a strong statement is made, the statement is often followed with a phrase with “even.” The word “even” adds shock, surprise, or excitement.
For example:
When I cook food, I burn everthing. I EVEN burnt a slice of toast yesterday.
Craig is even capable of burning toast.
My memory’s getting worse as I’m getting older. Sometimes, I can’t EVEN remember what I had for lunch the day before.
“Even though” in Spanish is aunque o a pesar de
I decided to walk to the supermarket even though it was raining. – Decidí caminar/andar hasta el supermercado aunque estaba lloviendo.
“Even though” refers to a definite outcome or result: Even though I got very drunk on our first date, she agreed to see me again.
“Even when” is “aún cuando” / “incluso cuando” – refers to something that happens rarely (casi nunca, pocas veces)
Even when Reza wanted to speak, Craig didnt let him. – Aún cuando Craig quería hablar, Reza no le dejó.
Even when Reza set out half an hour early, he still arrived late to Craig’s house.
“Even if” – In the unlikely case that…. (aunque, aun si) Even if refers to a possible outcome:
Even if we never see each other again, I’ll always remember you. (Said Craig’s ex-girlfriend before she threw me out of her flat!)
Aunque nunca nos volvamos a ver, siempre te recordaré. – Even if we never see each other again, I’ll always remember you.
I’d still love chocolate even if everyone else hated it.
These expressions are very similar, but not always interchangeable.
The meaning and context of the sentence is very important when deciding whether to use “even though,” “even when” or “even if.”
Even though the interview was bad, Pepito got the job.
The interview was bad, but Pepito got the job.
It’s not correct to say: X”Even when the interview was bad, Pepito got the job.”X – Not Correct”
“Even when we get a sponsor for this podcast, Reza and I won’t have enough money to retire.” – This sentence is grammatically Correct, but this sentence suggests that we’ll probably get a sponsor!
Even if we get a sponsor for this podcast, Reza and I won’t have enough money to retire. – correct!
The context will show when to use “even though,” “even when” or “even if.”
Vocabulary: Crime
to steal, to rob – you rob a bank (a bank robber), rob a post office, rob a person “I’ve been robbed” / you steal money, time, a wallet, things from a house, ideas
to burgle, to mug – to burgle a house or an office – to break into (enter by force, illegally enter)
to burgle (verb) – burglar (person) – burglary (crime)
to steal (verb) – a thief (person) – theft (crime)
to rob (verb) – robber (person) – robbery (crime) – robbery is a countable noun (there’s been A robbery)
to mug means to steal from someone in a public place, often with a knife or a gun. A mugger is the person, ‘mugging’ is the crime.
Nouns ending in -ing can be countable (for example, ‘muggings’ and ‘buildings’.
murderer (person) – murder (crime) – to murder (verb)
an assasin murders someone famous and/or important. Assinations are often for money or politics.
rapist (person) – rape (crime) – to rape (verb)
frauster (person) – fraud (fraud) – to defraud (verb)
arsonist (person) – arson (crime) – to commit arson (to burn things, like buildings, illegally)
vandal (person) – vandalism (crime) – to vandalise (vandalism is an uncountable noun)
to commit: to commit a crime, murder, suicide, adultery,
shoplifter (person) – shoplifting (crime) – to shoplift (verb)
pickpocket (person) – pickpocketing (crime) – to pickpocket (verb)
“You’ve got to pick a pocket or two” – Oliver:
smuggler (person) – smuggling (crime) – to smuggle (verb)
hijacker (person) – hijacking (crime) – to hijack (verb)
kidnapper (peron) – kidnapping (crime) – to kidnap (verb)
internet pirate (person) – internet piracy (crime) – to download illegally from the internet
to rip (someone) off (verb) – a rip off (noun) = to cheat someone, engañar – also ‘to con’ someone “You’ve been conned” or “You’ve been ripped off”
a person who ‘cons’ is a con artist.
Craig and Reza’s Weekly wind-ups (to wind up = annoy, irritate, bother: fastidiar, disgustar, molestar)
Reza hates it when he’s speaking to someone and their phone rings and they don’t apologize for interrupting the conversation.
Craig hates loud music in bars (not disco bars) normal pubs so it’s almost impossible to have a conversation.
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The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called ‘See You Later’
It’s a huge pleasure to listen to you chatting and teaching at the same time. I want to make a promise too, so I’m going to listen to you every week 😉
Please, Could you make some examples with words: strategy, strategic, strategist, strategy, strategically .. because the pronunciation is unbelievably difficult.. I think I might catch it from your conversation!
PS normally, quite many things annoys me every week or almost everyday but you cheered me up … so I forgot all my irritations, Thanks ( I don’t know is irritation(s) countable)
OK Elisa, we’ll speak about the pronunciation of those words in a future podcast.
Hello Reza and Craig:
My name is Ricardo, I’m a IT teacher in a VET School in Madrid.I discovered your website and podscats seven months ago and I have listened to all of them. I practise my listening and I learn in each episode some grammar, vocabulary etc..
One of my resolutions for this year is to improve my english and finally my aim is to pass the FCE exam.
Thanks for your work, I think it encourage to keep practising to people that studies in their own, like me.
I have joined Verbling and Italk platforms one month ago, but I don’t get talking with anybody (I refer to free services), maybe is my appearence even though I didn’t upload a personal photo to my profile.;-). I’ll keep on trying.
Finally one question.
In FCE exam, is recommended the use of idioms? Is positive or maybe the examinator can think that you have learned it by heart and it is a tricky thing.
I mean in speaking and writing part. What’s your opinion about it?
Like water off the duck’s back……
Thanks for your work is great.
Hi Ricardo,
Thank you for your comments and feedback, especially about iTalki and Verbling. I intend to interview someone from iTalki soon, so I’ll ask them why it’s difficult to find partners to speak with.
As far idioms are concerned for FCE, I think it’s a good idea to use them in the speaking and the writing, not too much. Don’t say, or write, a sentence that has 2 or 3 idioms in it. Don’t over use them. But idioms show a good knowledge and depth of the language.