AEE: How to Tell Stories Like a C1 Level English Student
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This is an All Ears English episode, how to tell stories like a C1 level student. Welcome to the All Ears English podcast downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection with your American host, Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz.

and Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, USA. To tell a good story in English, don't bore people with he said and I told. Instead, try these new vocabulary options to pull people into your story and make them remember it.

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Hey, Aubrey, I have a question for you today. Let's hear it. When is the last time you told someone a story? Are you a storyteller? I am a storyteller. I would say just right before we started recording, I told you a story about Halloween night, some drama we had in my neighborhood. I love to tell a story. I love to like really hook the listener, make it really interesting. You love a good story. That's so funny. And especially when you combine an election and Halloween, you're going to have some drama to talk about.

It happens. Yes, it happens. I'm sure. Well, I think one key piece about telling a story is not telling it like you are reciting out of a textbook, right, Aubrey? Exactly, right? There are some things we do in English to make a story interesting that you may not have noticed yet. We're going to really point out some of the things that a native speaker does that you should be doing as well so that it doesn't sound like you're reading from a book or reading

reciting something memorized, you're really saying the story in a natural way that will hook your listener. - Oh my gosh, because it's so, your story could be incredible, just the most incredible story in the world, but if you don't say it in a way that hooks people, language is a big part of this, you'll lose them.

What a shame. They won't get to hear it. Right? Yes, exactly. So we're excited to share some specifics, things that we do in English. Because when we're telling a story, we rarely say, I said, I asked, I thought. There are other things we say instead to narrate internal dialogue. I saw a little bit of this in the C1 course. And I was like, I need to share this with our podcast listeners. Of course, in the course, there's a lot more, but we're going to share a little snippet with you guys today.

- Yeah, this really is a C1 level skill. And you know, in our course, we interview native speakers, we bring you that real English and it comes up, it came up naturally in our conversations. And so we've brought it to you in our brand new C1 course. We are gonna tell you how you can get the C1 course. It is live at this time, brand new course,

But stay on until the end of the episode to get that link, guys. All right? Yes, absolutely. Okay, let's dive in here. So the first thing we're sharing is how we replace I said. When we're telling a story and we want to share what we said, but we're never going to quote ourselves exactly. We're sharing approximate speech. We almost never say, then I said what we said. What do we say instead, Lindsay? Yeah, we say things like,

I was like, or I was all right. And it's so if you look at it in isolation, it's it seems strange, right? But it's natural.

Yeah, it does seem strange in isolation. Or if you're reading a sentence, you know, it's like, this is weird. What does this mean? But as we are speaking, this is what naturally comes out. It would be very strange to say, you know, then I said, why don't you come to know we just don't speak like that. Yes, 100%. So let's give our listeners some examples. Because I think this is easier to learn when you see

true sample sentences. So exactly. So first you might say, I was like, where do you want to go for dinner? So you're telling a story, you are relaying to someone, maybe the conversation you and your partner had about where you're going to go to dinner. And I would never say, then I said, where do you want to go for dinner? Instead, I'm going to say, I was like, yeah, and then share basically what I said. Yeah, I do think that

the meaning changes slightly because it's an effort to bring someone into the story more. I think when you say, I was like, it's almost like, yeah, you're bringing them right into experience it as opposed to, then I asked him where he wanted to go for dinner, right? That's a lot more, um,

formal not formal but just neutral it's a lot more neutral exactly this is exactly right Lindsay that you when you're telling a story you want the person to feel like they were there like they all of us experienced it with you and we do that a lot with the language that we use exactly and then if we're continuing with the story and he was like I don't know what sounds good to you right

Exactly. And you wouldn't say, then he said this, or then he asked me, what sounds good to you? I'm already bored. I know, like, oh, why am I hearing this story?

Words matter so much, right? Yes. Or you might use, I was all, right? So I was all, why not? If we leave a few minutes early, we should be able to get there on time. So this is, you know, who know whatever story you're telling and you're relaying what you said to someone instead of saying, I said, it's say, I was like, or I was all. Yeah. And then the next example, and they were all, what gives? You were supposed to be here at eight. And when we say what gives, that's a bonus on our bonus episode.

What is Aubrey? What does that mean? It means like, basically like, why? Why is that going to happen? You know, maybe, or why did that happen? So maybe someone shows up late. Yeah. And instead of saying, why are you here late? You'd be like, what gives? Like that is kind of like, what's going on? What happened? Honestly, that could be a great bonus, a great other episode on All Learned English. Our listeners want to hit follow now, guys. Hit follow. Aubrey, maybe an episode around

asking why something has happened or why something is happening in native. Yes, let's do it. All these different ways that we don't just say, why are you late? There are lots of things we say. So yeah, hit follow for that episode. And do you think that either one of these is more casual than the other or linked to any age groups? Do you have any feelings in terms of... I don't think so. I do think it's possible that one maybe is more common in certain regional dialects or with certain age groups, but not exclusively, right? I feel like...

Like anyone could use either and it wouldn't seem strange. Right. Right, right, right. So yeah, what's interesting is sometimes what we choose to say will be different if we're narrating more what we said than if we're talking about what we were thinking.

So now we're going to talk about how we replace I thought instead of saying then I thought this. It's very similar, but a little different sometimes here. All right. So we're going to the next level here. So what do we replace it when we're replacing instead of I said, I thought? Aubrey, what do we say? We also will replace it with like or all, right? I was like.

I was all. And then sometimes if we want to really be clear that we're talking about thoughts we had instead of something we said, right? We might say, in my head, I was like... We might have an expression that makes it more clear that we're saying we were just thinking this. It's a good point though. Sometimes we can't tell if we say, I was like... I don't think so, but I'll go along with it. I guess this is clearly based on what the content is of what you...

thought. Clearly you didn't say that, right? I don't think so. But we have all been in that situation where we say something like this. I was like, I don't think so, but I'll go along with it. And the person says, you said that? Did you say that? And then you're like, no, no, I just thought it. Because yeah, we're using the same language here to share

you know, what we said or what we thought. So sometimes it's not clear. And if it's not to you, you can also say that. Native English speakers will say that like, oh, did you actually say that? Did you actually say that? No. And that is the most common. The most common thing here. I have this conversation all the time with my partner talking about word interactions for my partner. And it's like, you actually said that. Yeah.

It reminds me of a really good Key and Peele sketch. I don't know if you've seen it or if you guys out there have seen it. I know you can find it if you Google this on YouTube or Key and Peele on Netflix is really funny comedy. But they have this really funny sketch where they're saying what they said to their partner. You know, they were like, and then I was like, we're not going to. And then he turns to the other guy. I was like, you said that. You said that out loud. And then he makes a face like, hmm.

No, I didn't say it. That's so funny. I would never. I would never dare. Right, right. We're a lot more courageous in our minds than we are verbally. Yes. And sometimes we do this where we'll tell a story and we're maybe for dramatic effect to add more interest to be like, yeah, and then I was all...

whatever it was that maybe you said they might call you on it like did you actually say that though yeah you might get called on it so just be ready to say oh no you know i was just thinking it i was about to say it exactly so another example she was all this doesn't sound like a good idea

So this would be maybe if you're narrating what you saw in a TV show and you could see someone thinking that something is not a good idea. Right. And this is how you say, OK, then she was all, oh, this isn't a good idea. And this is just something she thought. She never said this out loud. Yeah. Yeah.

Although it could be something she said, right? Yeah, absolutely. And then here, this one is clearly just in her head. In my head, I was all, I think this is going to be more fun than I thought, right? So I'm clarifying. If you feel like you want to clarify, you don't want to get called out, right? Questioned, do that.

add that in, in my head. Exactly. Yeah. Then there's a few ways we'll say in my head or in my mind. In my mind, I was like, should we be doing this? Right. So if you feel like you need to clarify that this was just thoughts, you can always add one of these chunks. I love that. All right, Aubrey, what's next? Are we taking it to the next level then? Do we have some kind of a bonus piece? Yes. Yeah. We have this sort of little bonus piece here that we often will use you instead of

when we're doing this, when we're narrating thoughts, instead of saying, you know, I was like, how could this happen to me? We're bringing the listener into the story even more by using you. Say, you're just like, how could this happen to me? I do this all the time. I'll be telling a story and I'm really just...

saying something I said, but I'm using this general, the you that really means we or one or anyone would say this, right? Yeah. Right. So you're in like, you know, walking up to the attic, something scary. You're like, what's going on? And really I'm saying, I thought that, or I said that,

but because I say you to bring in the listener, because I'm saying anyone would say this in that situation. Yes, you're kind of saying, don't you agree with me? Right, in a way, that's what you're saying. Wouldn't you feel this way too, right? If you experienced this, you're looking for that universal agreement in a sense about your experience or your observations.

Exactly. Yeah. Love it. All right, Aubrey, let's go into a role play. We're going to see all this put into one conversation. Here you are telling me about something that happened last week. Okay. Yes. I'll start us out. You'll never believe what happened last week. Oh, wow. What happened? I accidentally closed the trunk of my car on my sunglasses and it cracked the back window. I was like, "Are you kidding me?" Oh, no. Were you able to get it fixed?

Well, I called the repair place and they were all, "It's going to be three months." Seriously? Three months? I bet you were like, "That's not going to fly." Exactly. You're just like, "How can it seriously be a three-month wait?"

Very typical conversation again, right? Mm-hmm. We used all of them here. You can see how anytime you're telling a story and you're narrating either what you said or what you thought, these are all going to come up. You're going to need these. I was all, I was like. Mm-hmm.

So first you said, I accidentally closed the trunk of my car on my sunglasses and it cracked the back window. And I was like, are you kidding me? And again, you're really pulling me into the story, right? Exactly. Yeah. I don't say, I said, are you kidding me? Or I thought

And here it doesn't matter. You don't know whether I said that out loud or I just thought it. I'm just trying to create interest by pulling you into the story. That is really interesting, though, that we can't tell. We really don't know. I'm guessing you just thought it. Yeah, you wouldn't be like, did you say that? Are you kidding me? Because it does not matter at all. I'm trying to make the story interesting.

Right. And because you're not really talking. It did happen. I closed the trunk on the sunglasses. And because it's a Tesla, it shattered the glass because the glass goes all the whole top of the car all the way down to the trunk. Oh, no. And it like cracked it. Oh, no. If you have a Tesla out there, be really careful not to close anything in your trunk. It must be expensive to fix too. Yes. So frustrating. Oh, geez. Okay. Sorry to hear that. Yeah.

Yeah, it's funny. I mean, in this case, there's no one else there. So it's kind of obvious that you were just thinking it, right? Right. Exactly. But the fact that we can't know. What happened next here? Yeah. So then I said, well, I called the repair place and they were all, it's going to be three months. So here I'm narrating what they said to me generally, right? But I'm not going to say they told me they said, and you could, right? When you're narrating...

When you're creating the story and telling what someone said to you, you could say they said or they told me, but these are also options to say they were all or they were like. It's not like we're totally throwing out the standard ways of saying I said, I told, they said, right? We're just adding some color. We're giving you guys new tools that will bring, create more modern content.

conversations and connections, right? That feel more real. Okay. Exactly. Right. The more you can make it feel like natural speech, especially when you're telling a story, like you said, Lindsay, the more you're bringing your speaker in instead of creating sort of a wall of formality. Exactly. Exactly. And then I said, seriously, three months? I bet you were like, that's not going to fly. And now...

I'm saying, do I, am I saying, did I think you said this or am I saying I could be either? It could for sure could be either, right? If you're just like, oh my gosh, I bet you were like, that's not going to work or that's not going to fly. That's a fun idiom that means the same thing. This could be either, right? You're saying you either thought that or maybe said it. You're just sort of

expressing empathy here that you're like, or sympathy. Like that was probably really frustrating. And that's important to me again. And we talk in the C1 course actually about mirroring what someone has said. So this skill is present here too. But guys, you will have to get into the C1 course to learn more about mirroring. Let's keep going, Aubrey. There's one more here. What is it? Yeah.

And I at the end, I use this where we say you instead of me, right? I'm really only talking about experience I had, but I say exactly. You're just like, how can it seriously be a three month wait? And this is an interesting thing that we do when we're telling a story that will say, you know, anyone would feel this way. Like, you're like, oh, how could this be? Yeah. So again, looking for that collective opinion, right? Right.

So good. So natural. Aubrey, let's remind our listeners real quick about this special deal. What do we have on offer just this week for this brand new C1 course? I am excited because this skill that we've talked about on this bonus episode is incredibly relevant for our listeners for connection. Yes, exactly.

This is the kind of skill that you need to move to the C1 level, right? So right now, you can save up to $100 on this new, very exciting course. And you will also get a free bonus, which is amazing. It's a mini course called Advanced Listening, Fast English with Multiple Speakers mini course. And this is a really funny course where all four of us, you, Michelle, me and Jessica are

all having conversations, talking over each other, interrupting each other. It's such a great course for understanding multiple speakers. It really is. I mean, honestly, we don't have any other course like it, right? The four of us together on a call. And that just adds an element of challenge that is right for the C1 level. So again, you get that mini course for free. It's a $99 value, but you get it for free when you join, but only in this

promo, period. So Aubrey, when does the offer end on the C1 course on this special deal? Yes, it ends November 17th at midnight. So get in right now, guys. Go to allersenglish.com slash C1 to save up to $100 on this amazing course. Yeah. And again, you know, on the podcast, we give you tips, right? We give you tricks and tips, but tricks and tips don't move you from B1 to B2 to C1 to C2. No way.

The way to move up these levels, guys, is to follow a clear daily study plan. Come to our live events. We now have fluency parties, open conversation clubs. There's now a chat corner inside our community, Aubrey. There are so many ways to practice. So community and speaking practice are a big part.

of moving up the levels as well as a study plan. Yeah, exactly. Right. We give you so many opportunities to speak English and meet speaking partners as part of our community. That's a huge bonus to being a part of any one of our courses that you can join our community and join us for speaking practice. Exactly. Exactly. All right. Where should we leave our listeners today? What is our final takeaway?

Yeah. So I love what you were saying, Lindsay. You want to bring someone into your story. They are going to be so much more interested, more engaged. And a big way that we do this is when we're reporting dialogue or thoughts, we use these natural chunks to say, I was all or he was like...

Yes, I love it. I love how relevant this is today and so real. Guys, so go take one of these tips today, try to implement it, and then come and join the course so we can methodically, systematically build your C1 skills. That's where it happens inside the course. All right? AllEarsEnglish.com slash C1. We'll see you there. Awesome. We'll see you guys in the course. All right. Take care, Aubrey. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.

Thanks for listening to All Ears English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two-minute quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com forward slash fluency score. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.

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