Uploaded June 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
We all need to hear a kind, encouraging word sometimes. When life gets hard, the support and positive energy of our friends can help keep us moving forward and to hold on to hope even when we feel hopeless. In this positive lesson, you will learn five common English expressions you can use to support and encourage the people in your life who need it most. The idiomatic phrases covered in this lesson include: keep your chin up, hang in there, don’t give up, you’re on the right track, and give it a shot. When you’re done, make sure to take the quiz to test your understanding of these helpful phrases. What other words of encouragement do you already know? Let me know in the comments. engvid.com/5-english-idioms-to-encourage-people
For more English resources, visit my site at EnglishAlex.com
More of my videos about expressions and idioms:
15 positive expressions youtu.be/W02qm0qGTw0
20 ways to say "that's cool!" in English youtu.be/rzaYhufOuaA
We all need to hear a kind, encouraging word sometimes. When life gets hard, the support and positive energy of our friends can help keep us moving forward and to hold on to hope even when we feel hopeless. In this positive lesson, you will learn five common English expressions you can use to support and encourage the people in your life who need it most. The idiomatic phrases covered in this lesson include: keep your chin up, hang in there, don’t give up, you’re on the right track, and give it a shot. When you’re done, make sure to take the quiz to test your understanding of these helpful phrases. What other words of encouragement do you already know? Let me know in the comments. engvid.com/5-english-idioms-to-encourage-people
For more English resources, visit my site at EnglishAlex.com
More of my videos about expressions and idioms:
15 positive expressions youtu.be/W02qm0qGTw0
20 ways to say "that's cool!" in English youtu.be/rzaYhufOuaA


![“Why can’t I hear the ‘T’ in English?”
Did she say CAN or CAN’T? It’s really difficult to tell sometimes! Do English speakers have lazy tongues? Sometimes! This is because native English speakers do not release the letter T when it comes after the letter N. In this important speaking and listening lesson, I will teach you how to understand and pronounce contracted negatives (can’t, haven’t, didn’t, won’t, and more!) just like me – by not releasing the final T! At the end of the lesson, I will also give you a listening test to see if you can tell the difference between “can” and “can’t” when the T is not released. Write what I say in the comments! https://www.engvid.com/are-english-speakers-lazy-i-cant-believe-it/
Visit my website https://EnglishAlex.com for more English tips and resources!
Practice listening to more reduced speech in English: https://youtu.be/fQamXTEhLb0
In this lesson:
00:00 Practice the unreleased t in English with me
01:25 cant & couldnt
03:16 isnt, arent, wasnt, werent
06:32 havent, hasnt, hadnt
07:56 dont, doesnt, didnt
09:36 shouldnt
10:06 wont
10:25 wouldnt
11:23 mustnt
11:43 – Test –
TRANSCRIPT:
I cant believe she stopped to talk to the wolf.
Hey, everyone. Im Alex. Thanks for clicking, and thank you for learning English with engVid.
Today, I want you to practice your speaking and listening with me. In todays lesson,
I will teach you about the unreleased T in negative contractions. Now, the unreleased T
that I will discuss in this lesson exists in other aspects of speaking, but today,
I just want to strictly focus on the unreleased T - unreleased T, I apologize - in negative
contractions with words like cant, shouldnt, wouldnt. You notice I am releasing the T,
but today, I will teach you how to not release the T. So, this is about pronunciation. Its about
speaking. Its also about listening, because at the end of this video, I will give you a little
listening test with cant and can in particular, and I will teach you how to recognize when people
are saying cant or can when they are not releasing the T, or some tips on how to recognize
it. Okay, lets begin. So, again, you will listen and you will speak in this video. The first words
are cant and couldnt. Okay? So, you notice I am saying the T. However, in casual English speech,
most people do not release the T because our tongue gets lazy. So,
to not release the T, you say this, cant and couldnt.
What am I doing? What is my tongue doing? My tongue is going into the T position
in the upper part of my mouth, so its saying cant. Its up there. It wants to go cant,
but I dont say the T because its extra work for my tongue, and when we are speaking casually,
quickly, we want to speak fluidly, so we cut the T. We dont release the T.
Your tongue still goes in the T position, but it does not release the T. So, repeat after me.
I cant believe it. Okay. Just try this. I cant,
and put your tongue, like, I cant, okay? Its not I can, its I cant,
and you just dont say T at the end. Okay? Repeat after me. We couldnt go.
Good. Next, we have the verb to be, so we have... Im just going to do the unreleased form.
Repeat after me, if you would like. Isnt, arent, wasnt, werent. Yeah, I know.
Werent, its like werent, okay? And repeat after me these sentences. It isnt ready.
Okay, a little slower. It isnt ready.
Okay. And now, say it with the T released, because people do speak like this as well.
Think of a university professor who tries to enunciate and pronounce everything. So,
It isnt ready.
Now, that is probably easier to understand for most people who are learning English,
but you are an intermediate, advanced speaker at this stage, so its time. Its time to start
speaking how North Americans actually speak, or people from England actually speak, and
not release the T. So, try one more time, a little quicker. It isnt ready.
All right, next. They arent here.
They arent here.
Arent, arent. I know, its like arent, kind of like this, arent. They arent here.
Okay, next. She wasnt finished.
She wasnt.
We werent friends.
We werent.
Good job. Okay. Does it feel natural? If it doesnt feel natural, dont worry. The more
you practice, the more youll get it. Its like me with the French R, okay? It has taken many years.
I can recognize it, so even if you cant or cant produce this unreleased T sound with some of
these words, this video will help you to at least recognize it with your ear, okay? So, again, Ill
try my French R, just if youre... If youre saying, This is so hard, Alex. Oh, I hate English.
Heres my French.
Restaurant. Restaurant. Is it a ch or is it ch? Restaurant. Okay.
Okay. Not bad, actually. After many years, Im getting it. […] “Why can’t I hear the ‘T’ in English?”](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aK_rZsYkyHk/mqdefault.jpg)




![Fixed Modal Expressions: Easy English sentences to memorize and use!
In this lesson, you will learn 10+ fixed sentences that use modals. Fixed means that they do not change. You just use the whole sentence without changing it. That makes these kinds of sentences very useful for improving your English quickly. By the time you finish this lesson, you will sound more natural and confident when speaking English in many different situations. The fixed modal expressions covered in this video include: You can say that again, I couldnt help it, I would if I could, You wouldve loved it, You shouldnt have, and more! Watch the video, do the quiz at https://www.engvid.com/fixed-modal-expressions/ and improve your English!
TRANSCRIPT
Yeah. Oh, you can say that again. [Laughs] No, no. Im sorry, I cant help it. Next week? No, I would if I could, but I cant. Okay. I have to do a thing here. Okay. Yeah. Bye. Okay.
Oh, hey, everyone. Im Alex. Thanks for clicking, and welcome to this lesson on Fixed Modal Expressions. So, in this lesson I am going to improve your speaking skills and specifically your ability to use some very common conversational expressions that use modal verbs. In case you dont know, modal verbs are verbs like: can or could, would, should, will, might, may, etc. And a modal verb is always followed by a base verb, so for example: can plus a base verb, so: can do, can make, can play, can see, will play, will do, will make, will see. It doesnt matter what the subject is. All right? So, for example: I can play, You can play, He can play, She can play, etc. For, you know, a deeper understanding of modal verbs and their rules, we have tons of videos on engVid for you to check out. For this video, though, Im just going to give you a whole bunch of different fixed expressions, expressions that are fixed, meaning that you cannot change the order of the words and that they are very commonly used in conversations. So Ive divided them into, you know, expressions with can, with would, with should, and with will. Obviously there are tons more than this, but these will get you started.
So: can. You can say that again! When you use this expression it means that, you know, you want a person to repeat what they said because you strongly agree with them. So if your friend says: This is impossible. Its impossible. Like: Yeah, you can say that again. If you really think and agree the person that whatever theyre talking about really is impossible, if I say: -Oh, he really, really, really needs to get a new job. -Yeah, you can say that again, because I know hes very stressed or something like that. Okay, next: I cant help it. or I couldnt help it. For this one you can use different subjects: He cant help it., She cant help it., They cant help it. This means they have no control; they have an impulse, an instinct, a habit of doing something. So, if you are laughing at your friend and your friend thinks you shouldnt be laughing, its a bad situation to laugh, but you cant stop laughing, say: Im sorry. Im sorry. No, I cant help it. Its really funny. Okay? And your friends like: Hey. Why are you laughing at me? Okay? So, if you cant help it, it means you cant control yourself. So if youre laughing, if you... I dont know. If you like to eat ice cream and you cant help it because you want to eat a whole tub, its like: -Slow down, slow down. -I cant help it. Its so good. Its so good. Okay? Next: I cant or I couldnt-in the past-believe it. Obviously... I think you guys know what this means. Right?
And you probably use this in your life already as an English speaker: I cant believe it, similar to: I dont believe it. or I couldnt believe it. It means that you dont believe what the person is saying or you dont believe what you are seeing in front of you. So if you cant believe it, you think that there is no way that this is true or this is real. I could use a break. This can be used with other subjects, too. So, if you have a friend, for example, who is very busy all the time or who has a stressful life, maybe theyre constantly working or theyre constantly with their family, or you know, something else takes up a lot of their time, and you look at that... At that person, at your friend and say: He could use a break. or She could use a break. This means that they should go on vacation or they should... They deserve to have a break, they deserve to, you know, have some free time to relax and to recharge their batteries, basically. Not, like, real batteries; thats an idiomatic expression, but you know, get their energy back to rest and relax. Okay, so just for pronunciation, now that Ive explained them, repeat these expressions after me: You can say that again!, I cant help it., I cant believe it., I could use a break. Good. […] Fixed Modal Expressions: Easy English sentences to memorize and use!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bC90cjI4Xk0/mqdefault.jpg)


![Learn English with 5 Stupid Jokes!
Learning English can be FUNNY! This special lesson is all about simple, easy jokes that dads tell their kids. We call them these dad jokes. These jokes are a great way to learn English because they are based on pronunciation, puns, and vocabulary. Youll hear five simple dad jokes along with explanations. Ill also go over the vocabulary in detail so you can really master some new vocabulary. Take the quiz, and practice speaking by telling these jokes to your family and friends. Most importantly, continue having fun with your English!
Take the quiz here: http://www.engvid.com/learn-english-with-5-stupid-jokes/
And try a free audiobook, courtesy of Alex: http://www.engvid.com/out/audiblealex
TRANSCRIPT
Hey, everyone. Im Alex. Thanks for clicking, and welcome to this lesson on improving your English with dad jokes. Dad jokes? you ask. What are dad jokes? Simply put, dad jokes are jokes that dads tell their kids in an effort to make them laugh, when in reality, they usually just make them roll their eyes or groan. Err. But, dad jokes can be an excellent way to improve your English, because they often play with word meanings and word sounds. So, especially if you are an intermediate level English learner, dad jokes can be a great way to enter the world of English jokes. So, lets look at some examples now, and well come back and talk about em.
Hey, Leah, I got a good one. Why couldnt Draculas wife fall asleep? Dont know? Because of his coffin! Get it? Because coffin is where, you know, Dracula sleeps, and, like, it rhymes with coughing, [coughs], so Draculas wife couldnt fall asleep because of his coughing. Its pretty good? No? Okay. I bet your friend Caitlin would have laughed.
Its so good. Hey, Caitlin, I got a good one. What kind of music do mummies listen to? Wrap music! Nothing? Get it? Because rap is a type of music, and mummies are wrapped in bandages. No? Still nothing. I bet your friend Roberta would have laughed.
Come on, baby. Come on. Come on. Ugh. A commercial. Hey, Roberta, I got a good one. What was Beethovens favourite food? Ba-na-na-na! Get it? Because, like, a banana is a food, and like, ba-na-na-na, thats, like, the beginning to Beethovens 5th Symphony. No? Nothing? Kids these days. I bet your friend Maria would have laughed.
Hey, Maria, I got a good one. Why didnt the shrimp share his treasure? Because he was a little shellfish! Huh, huh? You get it? Because, like, a shrimp and a crab and a lobster are, like, shellfish, and shellfish kind of rhymes with selfish, which means you dont like to share. So, he didnt want to share his treasure. Still not funny, huh? Okay, Im just going to get your Pop-tart, and I really, really bet that your friend Krystal would have laughed her head off.
I always hate this. Krystal, I got a good one. What do calendars eat? Dates! Get it? Because, like, a date is a type of food, and like, dates are also found on a calendar. No? Nothing? Whats wrong with kids these days?
As you can see, dad jokes can be pretty funny, or just bad; it probably depends on your sense of humour. So, before we go, lets review these jokes, and then you can go and tell them to your friends, your family, and be laughed at or watch people roll their eyes, or you can just explain it to them, and... Whatever.
So, number one: Why couldnt Draculas wife fall asleep? Because of his coffin! So, like the dad said in the video, a coffin is the place where, you know, vampires sleep. Coffin sounds like coughing. Pretty funny.
Next: What kind of music do mummies listen to? Wrap music! So, again, rap is a type of music, but to wrap... Mummies are wrapped in bandages.
Next: What was Beethovens favourite food? Ba-na-na-na! Which is, you know, the beginning of his most famous symphony.
Number four: Why didnt the shrimp share his treasure? Because he was a little shellfish! So, a shrimp, a crab, lobster, these are all shellfish. Shellfish sounds like selfish, and selfish means you dont like to share.
And finally: What do calendars eat? Dates! So, a date is a type of food, a date is also something you can find on a calendar.
So, again, share them with your friends and let me know what kind of reaction you get. And if you enjoyed this video, as always, you can comment on it, like it, subscribe to the channel, check me out on Facebook and Twitter. And if you want to review the jokes, as always, you can check out the quiz on www.engvid.com, where you can also donate, if you want to support the site. So, until next time, thanks for clicking. Learn English with 5 Stupid Jokes!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bjslVzbt8cQ/mqdefault.jpg)