Como digo em inglês: Não conte com isso

By Ana | Podcast Inglês Online

Feb 21
Como digo em inglês Não conte com isso

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Nesse episódio do podcast Inglês Online vamos falar sobre algumas expressões muito comuns no inglês, todas com a palavra ‘would’.

Transcrição

Hello, everyone. How’s it going? Today we have a new episode of the inglesonline podcast. To download or just listen to other episodes and download transcripts, go to inglesonline.com.br and click Podcast Inglesonline.

Today I’m gonna focus on a few very common ways to use the word ‘would’. Would, as in… If I had a million dollars, I would travel around the world. There are some short phrases with ‘would’ that… They’re almost set phrases that people say very, very often in everyday conversation. They’re not hard to understand and I’m pretty sure that most of you listening would get the meaning if someone said one of these phrases, but the goal here is to expose you to them a little bit more and, who knows? Tomorrow one of them might come out of your mouth just like that.

So in order to introduce the first phrase with would, I’ll ask you to imagine that you’re at work right now, and just casually chatting with a colleague. There’s been a rumor going around the office today that everyone is going to be asked to leave at 3PM because of some kind of safety inspection or something… You’re hopeful. You feel super tired and you would love to be able to take a nap before dinner. So you ask your colleague – let’s say her name is Helen – so, you ask Helen, ‘Do you think we’re going home early today?’. And what does Helen say? She says ‘I wouldn’t count on it’. She seems so sure about it; you’re devastated. You ask her “Why?” and she says “I just talked to the boss and he said it’s business as usual until 5 o’clock”.

Helen’s answer to your question was “I wouldn’t count on it”. That means she doesn’t believe that that’s gonna happen. She doesn’t believe that people at the office are going home early today. Why does she think that? Because she talked to the boss, and the boss basically said that today is just another regular day at the office. So Helen is saying “I wouldn’t count on it. I don’t believe we’ll be going home early today. I talked to the boss, and he indicated that that’s not gonna happen, so… going home early today? I wouldn’t count on it.”

So whenever someone asks you if you think something is going to happen, and you’re relatively sure that that’s not going to happen, you can say “I wouldn’t count on it”. Is Brazil going to be the next World Cup champion? I wouldn’t count on it. Honestly? I wouldn’t. Are soapoperas going to be banned from our TV programming? I wouldn’t count on it. Are cats gonna start barking? I wouldn’t count on it.

But you haven’t given up yet. Helen thinks today’s business as usual, but she could be wrong so you move on to another colleague. You see Steve coming through the glass door so you think you might as well ask him what he thinks. “Steve, rumor has it that we’re all leaving the office early today. Do you think that’s true?” And what does Steve reply? He says “Oh, I wouldn’t know. I’ve just come in. I just arrived in the office, I haven’t talked to anyone yet, so… Sorry, I wouldn’t know”. There’s no way Steve would know whether this rumor is true or not. How could he know? He has just stepped into the office, he has just arrived, he hasn’t talked to anyone today, so there’s no way he would know anything about this. So when you ask “Steve, do you think it’s true?”, he says “Oh, sorry, I wouldn’t know”. That means, there’s no way he would know the answer to that question. Maybe someone who’s been in the office all day would know. But Steve? He wouldn’t know.

So if someone asks you, for example, “Is soccer a popular sport in India?” you can say “Oh, I wouldn’t know”. Unless you do know the answer, of course… I’m assuming that, like me, you don’t know which sports are popular in India. Or someone may ask you “Is it going to rain next week?” and you can say “I wouldn’t know”. How would I know? I wouldn’t know.

And, finally, here’s another very common expression with ‘would’… Let’s say you’re still at work, and you need a ride home today. So you ask your friend Michael: “Michael, can you give me a ride home today?” Michael drives to work and he lives in your neighborhood. So, again, you ask Michael “Can you give me a ride home today?” and Michael says “I would if I could. My car’s at the shop. We can share a cab”. So Michael can’t give you a ride today. Why not? Because his car is at the shop. He doesn’t have his car right now. If he did, he would give you a ride, of course! He would, if he could. He can’t, because his car is at the shop. So when you ask Michael if he can give you a ride today, he says “I would if I could”.

Picture a situation where someone asks for help, and you would be very happy to help, if you could. You would help, if you could, but for some reason you can’t. In cases like this, you can say “I would if I could”. Maybe someone asked you for a ride, but your car’s at the shop. Maybe someone’s asking to borrow your umbrella right now. “Would you loan me your umbrella real quick?” You say “I would if I could! I left it in the car, sorry”. Or someone asks you to give them a hand with their Math homework. You say “I would if I could! I’m hopeless at Math”.

What’s your example? Tell us about when someone asked you a favor and you wanted to help, but you couldn’t. Is this a time when you could have said “I would if I could”? Talk to you next time!

 

Key expressions

  • I wouldn’t count on it
  • I wouldn’t know
  • I would if I could

 

Glossary

just like that = de repente, sem que você espere, sem mais nem menos

you’ve been told that = te disseram que

you need a ride home = você precisa de uma carona pra casa

my car is at the shop = meu carro está no conserto (ou na manutenção)

hopeless at Math = sou péssimo com matemática

Ana
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Vera Graña Cruz 16/06/2016

Hi Ana!

Long time no see…

You’ve said:

“My car is at the shop = meu carro está no conserto (ou na manutenção)” yet can I say: “My car is the the breakdown service”.

Tks,

Vera

Luciano 18/04/2012

I found this really cool site. Herre’s a tip for u. I know a few words short form which are: (used to talk to msn) “u” means “you”, “r” mean “are” “y” means “why” and so on. (these tips are for those who wants to use them or to understand who writes this way, or both hehe)

Edilza 13/04/2012

My last boyfriend asked me if I could dating back with him, then I replied; Sorry, I would if I could because now, I’m married! kkkkkkkkk I’m just kidding! It example isn’t true! Sorry for some wrong words, because I’ve been learning english recently. Kisses. I love your pocasts!

Luana 07/03/2012

” I would if I could, but I can’t so I shan’t” (Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory Show)

Alessandra 28/02/2012

I would if I could go home right now and jogging a little this night but I have to study :)

mariadosocorro 26/02/2012

Olá Ana Luiza,

Os podcast são direcionados para qual nível: básico, intermediário ou avançado?

Aproveito para falar que adoro o site e o visito quase todos os dias! Sigo as dicas no face , twitter…!
Me motivei mesmo para recomeçar meus estudos! Em breve me comunicarei apenas em inglês! Empolgada!

    mariadosocorro 28/02/2012

    Há algum email para que seja direcionados perguntas fora do contexto do podcasts?

      Ana 28/02/2012

      Oi Maria – a gente não responde dúvida individual por email, mas vc pode enviar sugestão de post. Veja aqui: https://www.inglesonline.com.br/contato/

    Ana 29/02/2012

    Oi Maria – eu diria que eles são intermediários. E, obrigada :)

Marcia 26/02/2012

Great tip! Here’s my example…

My boss asked to me to travel to United States next week for attend a meeting, I would if I could, next week I’ll be on vacation.

    Ana 26/02/2012

    Marcia, that made me laugh! Did it actually happen?

Ayanda 24/02/2012

My boss asked me to represent the company where I work in a business dinner but I had to say “I would If I could”.

@julianinhamatos 23/02/2012

[correct] Weeks ago, my sister was so excited ’cause she was invited to a fancy party. But she didn’t realize she was a little fat after Christmas’ dinner where we ate a lot indeed. So, she only tried on her dress only the day before the party… So she couldn’t wear it (as I said) and among tears stearing down her face she asked me my fancy dress that I bought to my birthday party some days after =S
So that ask makes me freak out and I could say only some words: ” I would but I’m two numbers smaller than you. Sorry!” =( Was I selfish?

@julianinhamatos 23/02/2012

Weeks ago, my sister was so excited ’cause she was invited to a fancy party. But she didn’t realize she was a little fat after Christmas’ dinner where we ate a lot indeed. So, she only tried on her dress only the day before the party… So she couldn’t wear it (as I said) and among tears stearing down her face she asked me my fancy dress that I bought to my birthday party some days after =S
So that ask makes me freak out and I could say only some words: ” I would if you lend you it but I’m two numbers smaller than you. Sorry!” =( Was I selfish?

    Ana 24/02/2012

    oi Juliana – legal a sua estória. Mas só pra esclarecer: I would if *I could*.
    Se eu pudesse. O pudesse tem a ver com vc, com sua habilidade de fazer algo, ou com a falta dela.
    No seu caso, o problema é que o vestido não servia, então não é bem o caso de alguma falta de habilidade sua.

Luciano 23/02/2012

Hi Ana Luiza, you always have groundbreaking aways to teach. You’re awesome!

Let’s go to my example:
My friend asked if I could borrow my volley ball. I did say : I would if I could but unfortunately my volley ball broke. I haven’t anymore.

Gustavo 22/02/2012

My father in law someday ago has asked me to help him to rebuild a wall of the gate of the house
but I said I would if I could because I needed work that day.

    Ana 22/02/2012

    Great example, Gustavo… Excellent!

Wanderley 22/02/2012

This podcast is amazing.

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