Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
What’s the difference between “hear of” and “hear about”? I explain in this grammar lesson, and also give you a chance to practice using these two common phrases. If you have “heard of” something or someone, it means you are aware that something or someone exists. If you have “heard about” something or someone, it means you have heard some news or more detailed information about something or someone. Watch the class to see these phrases in context, and practice listening to and repeating the example sentences. When you’re done, do the quiz to test your understanding. engvid.com/prepositions-hear-of-hear-about
Check out my website EnglishAlex.com for private tutoring, English resources, and more!
More of my lessons about prepositions:
Prepositions Make a Difference: "Hear of" or "hear about"? youtu.be/aaoMCdGibAM
The 10 Most Frequent Preposition Mistakes in English youtu.be/cRKbG4h2YQw
In this video:
0:00 "Hear of" or "hear about"?
1:36 hear of
4:44 hear about
7:00 – Review –
What’s the difference between “hear of” and “hear about”? I explain in this grammar lesson, and also give you a chance to practice using these two common phrases. If you have “heard of” something or someone, it means you are aware that something or someone exists. If you have “heard about” something or someone, it means you have heard some news or more detailed information about something or someone. Watch the class to see these phrases in context, and practice listening to and repeating the example sentences. When you’re done, do the quiz to test your understanding. engvid.com/prepositions-hear-of-hear-about
Check out my website EnglishAlex.com for private tutoring, English resources, and more!
More of my lessons about prepositions:
Prepositions Make a Difference: "Hear of" or "hear about"? youtu.be/aaoMCdGibAM
The 10 Most Frequent Preposition Mistakes in English youtu.be/cRKbG4h2YQw
In this video:
0:00 "Hear of" or "hear about"?
1:36 hear of
4:44 hear about
7:00 – Review –


![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)

![Learn 50 “MAKE” Phrases in English!
Want to learn common phrases with MAKE to improve your vocabulary and speaking skills? This lesson will definitely make a difference. In it, you will learn FIFTY common phrases that use MAKE! Some examples include: make a mistake, make an observation, make an exception, make your dreams come true, make believe, make friends, make progress, make a promise, make up your mind, and many more. Once you have watched the video, make sure to check out the quiz at https://www.engvid.com/50-make-phrases-in-english/ for more practice!
If you found this lesson helpful, watch these next:
1. 20 Passive GET Expressions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzLbKEomlCI&list=PLrPhmmx5j5b-AjltXcrLI4iiqF7lsj_P8&index=16
2. 20 intransitive PHRASAL VERBS in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGsLrtjfE_M&list=PLrPhmmx5j5b-AjltXcrLI4iiqF7lsj_P8&index=7
TRANSCRIPT
If it makes you happy, it cant be that bad. If it makes you... You know the song. Hey, everyone. Im Alex. Thanks for clicking, and welcome to this lesson on fifty common make phrases. So, in this video I am going to teach you fifty phrases with the verb make. We will start with some of the common, easy ones, not really idiomatic, just common stuff, like: make breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. and then we will move on to some more idiomatic phrases in the second part of the video, so make sure you stick around for that as well.
So, lets not waste any time and well start with this part of the board. At the top, like I mentioned, you can make breakfast. So, in the morning when you wake up, you make yourself a sandwich, or maybe you make a pizza for breakfast. I never do. Maybe you do. I dont know. You can also make lunch, make dinner. Basically, you can make a meal. Anything with, you know, breakfast, lunch, dinner - the three main meals of the day, you can make them. So, this is like cooking, or baking, or creating. You can also make different foods, so make a pizza, make a sandwich, make a snack, make a cake. So, you are putting these things together, creating them, creating a pizza. You know, you have the cheese and the dough, and the pepperoni and the sauce, and you put it together, so you can make all of these things. All right? Youre putting them together.
Now, next is an expression: make up your mind. So, if you tell someone: Make up your mind, it means that they cannot make a decision, so you want them to make up their mind; or, like I said, make a decision. Okay? So, stop going this way and that way with your mind and your options: -Oh, I dont know. Do I want the pizza or do I want the pasta? I dont know. I dont know. -Make up your mind. Okay? So, make a decision. Commit. Commit to a decision.
Next: make fun of someone. This is not a polite thing to do; some would call it bullying. Most people would call it bullying actually. If you make fun of someone, you are making a joke about that person. Maybe they have a characteristic, a feature that you think is funny, like maybe they have bigger ears than you, so you say: Haha. Look, its Dumbo. Like, you are making fun of them. Dumbo is a Disney elephant with big ears. So, yeah, dont make fun of people, unless its your family or friends and then its fine - usually, unless they dont like it. Ask my sisters. I dont know. I dont know if they liked it.
So, next: make a difference. So, if something makes a difference, it has a significant effect or a significant impact. A person can make a difference. You know, an idea can make a difference. Something that causes change in life.
Make a joke - similar to make fun of someone, you can make a joke. I have many joke videos on my channel, so one of the jokes I gave you guys was: Why was six afraid of seven? Because seven ate nine. I just made a joke. If its a good joke or a bad joke, thats up to you to decide.
Next: make a call or make a phone call. So, this is what you tell people when, you know, you want to leave a conversation maybe: Sorry, I need to make a call. Yeah. So, if you need to call someone on your phone, you can say: I need to make a phone call. I need to make a call. Or: I need to call. I just want you to know that make a call is also possible.
Make a promise. So, you can promise someone that you are going to do something, or you can also say you made a promise to this person or you are going to make a promise to this person.
Okay, next. These two are sometimes confused, so let me tell you the difference between a reservation and an appointment. You can make a reservation, you can make an appointment. Number one, you can make a reservation at a restaurant or a hotel, for example. So, when you think of reservations, think of something you have to, like, secure or you have to save your spot. Right? So, you can make a reservation at a restaurant. […] Learn 50 “MAKE” Phrases in English!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/buem-Lsbn9A/mqdefault.jpg)


