About - The English We Speak - YouTube

Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak.

I'm Feifei.

Neil: And I'm Neil.

Feifei: In this programme, we're talking about 'about'!

Neil: About 'about'?

Feifei: About 'about'!

Neil: This is getting silly! We are indeed talking

about the word 'about' - but not as it's usually used.

Feifei: Indeed. Let's demonstrate. Is Mark about today?

Neil: Yes, I saw him this morning.

Feifei: So, when I asked: 'Is Mark about today?' I

wasn't asking if Mark was somehow related

to the concept of 'today' I just meant, 'Is

Mark here?'

Neil: 'About' means 'here', or 'somewhere near here'.

Feifei: Mark's about. Mark's near here. By the way,

who's Mark?

Neil: No idea. But I know he's near here!

Feifei: Well, that's reassuring. Time for some more

examples about 'about'.

Examples: Hi, is Sue about? Just need to give her some

files.

Will you be about this evening? I want to

ask a big favour.

There's no one about. It's a bit scary.

Don't talk like that. There are children about.

Feifei: There we are. 'About' meaning in or close

to an area.

Neil: You know, there's another word that behaves

like this.

Feifei: You're talking about - 'around'!

Neil: Indeed. We could ask: 'Is Mark around?'

Feifei: And we know the answer to that: you saw him

this morning.

Neil: Except - I didn't really see him. Because

Mark doesn't exist...

Mark: Hi. I'm Mark.

Neil: Ah, Mark!

Feifei: We were just talking about you!

Neil: We were just talking about 'about'.

Feifei: And 'around'.

Neil, Feifei, Mark: Bye.