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This podcast is designed to give English students extra practice by discussing events, history, culture and language.
Kari: Hi, Robert. I’m so glad to see you today. I can’t believe it is already November.
Robert: Yeah, doesn’t the time go quick? Thank you for having me. Always a pleasure to be here, of course.
Kari: Yeah, yeah. Thank you, as well. And I have snow at my house already. What about you?
Robert: Started to, yeah. A couple of days ago, we started to get some snow. It’s light at the moment, but it’s coming.
Kari: I think… I live in the mountains, so when the snow comes, it really just doesn’t leave. I will have snow for some time, I think.
Robert: Nice, nice.
Kari: All right. Well, we thanked each other today, and I don’t know about in the U.K., but in the United States, the month of November is all about what we did just did.
Robert: And that’s what, exactly?
Kari: Giving thanks! Giving thanks! You know, we have Thanksgiving … the holiday for giving thanks. Do you have something similar?
Robert: Not really. Probably the closest thing we have to this is Harvest Festival, but that’s in October, not November. And in this festival, it’s not exactly about giving thanks, but it is about being thankful for the food we have, thankful for the harvest, and then we show our thanks by giving what we have to families who maybe don’t have enough food.
Kari: It’s a little similar to Thanksgiving, then – celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a harvest that is plentiful and sharing our thanks with the people that we love, our friends and family.
Robert: Yeah.
Kari: There are so many ways to say thank you that I thought today’s episode could be about learning a few new expressions related to giving thanks, receiving thanks even for declining thanks. So, I want to tell you two sentences, and you tell me which one is correct?
Robert: Okay. I’m ready.
Kari: Great. 1 - Thank you for help me. 2 - Thank you for helping me.
Robert: Correct one is number 2 – for helping me. When we want to say thank you for something, we need to use the gerund HELPING.
Kari: Gerund? Nobody understands this word
Robert: Okay, “thank you for” needs something, like a noun. A gerund is the way to make a noun from a verb. You add I-N-G.
Kari: Okay. So, thank you for sharing your cake.
Robert: Or thank you for coming to my party.
Kari: Yeah, okay. Helpful. Now, there are so many ways to say thank you, both informally and formally. Can you quickly tell me 2 or 3 informal thankyous, for an informal conversation?
Robert: It’s getting hot. No pressure. ☺ Hmmm…. thanks a million, thanks a lot, thanks a bunch.
Kari: See? You could do it. And I will add, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” It must be the bottom, not the top of the heart. I think the thanks is bigger if it comes from the bottom, I guess.
Robert: Yes. Or even, ‘I don’t know how to thank you.’
Kari: Oh, yeah! It’s like saying the thank you is so small for such a big help.
Robert: Yeah, that’s right. You know, we can express our thanks without using the words ‘thank you,’ as well – like “I really appreciate it,” or “I owe you one.”
Kari: Yeah! Like you want to return the favor. You can express how you feel also like, ‘It means a lot to me.” But enough about informal. Let’s turn to a more formal conversation. “I owe you one” really is not formal.
Robert: No, definitely not. Context is important, so it’s important to know if you should use a formal expression of thanks.
Kari: Yes, like to your teacher or your boss.
Robert: Exactly. Can you come up with a formal expression of thanks … or 2?
Kari: Ah, it’s my turn. I see…. Well, if the situation is more formal, you can say, “I’d like to express my gratitude” or you can change gratitude into an adjective and say, “I’m extremely grateful for…” Grateful is another word for thankful, and when we add words like ‘extremely’ or ‘sincerely,’ it just makes the expression more formal. But you? Can you think of one?
Robert: Me again. Yes, in fact. “Much obliged” is a very formal statement, and it is often used in the written form to end a formal letter.
Kari: You’re right. Now, when someone says thank you to us, we need to respond. Sometimes people don’t know what to say in this situation.
Robert: That’s right. There are many ways to receive thanks, as well. It can be really simple like, “You’re welcome,” “Don’t mention it” or “No problem.”
Kari: And formally, “It was really no trouble at all.”
Robert: Or “It was my pleasure.”
Kari: Ah, yes. Okay, you know - small game. I like games. I will say a short phrase with the word ‘thanks,’ and you tell me the context in which we use it.
Robert: Sounds fun. I’m ready.
Kari: Okay, #1 – Thanks anyway.
Robert: People say this when they want to politely decline some offer. It is like telling the person that you appreciate the offer, but you don’t need the help.
Kari: Okay, okay. Nicely done. #2 – Thanks, though.
Robert: People use this more when they want to say, “Your help didn’t work, but thank you for trying.”
Kari: Yes. Oaky. Good job. All right, last one. #3 - Thanks, but no thanks.
Robert: Tricky, tricky. People can also say this to politely decline, but on many occasions, it is used in a more sarcastic way to say “definitely not.”
Kari: Like when you just get done washing the dishes after a big holiday meal, and your wife asks you if you would like to wash a few more – with a big smile on her face because she knows the answer.
Robert: Exactly. Yes, that’s right. Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t like washing dishes after a snack.
Kari: Well, Robert. I know this is funny but thank you for taking the time to talk about thanks with me today.
Robert: No, no, no. Thank you.
Kari: And you, listeners, we sincerely thank you for listening. Now choose a couple ways to say thanks and practice using them.