BBC How to… express no strong feelings

This is not a word for word transcript of the programme. Some things may have changed
while the programme was recorded and edited.

Callum: Hello, I’m Callum Robertson and this is How to …the series from BBC Learning English dot com that shows you, how to do things in English. In this programme we’re going to be looking at different ways of talking about things you neither like nor hate.
In earlier programmes we’ve looked at simple ways of saying that you like or don’t like something. But sometimes you don’t have a strong feeling about something, you neither like it nor dislike it. How do you express this? Well let’s have look at some simple expressions and we’ll also see how important pronunciation is to meaning.
In the earlier programmes we’ve used the situation of someone trying to arrange a dinner party and trying to find food which everyone likes. Let’s stick with that and hear different answers to this question.

Do you like French food?
It’s OK
Callum: It’s OK. It’s OK. This doesn’t mean he likes it, or dislikes it, but we do get the impression it’s maybe not a favourite. However, the way you say it, your tone of voice is very important in showing the strength of feeling. Compare these two, in one the response is positive, another not so positive. Can you tell which is which?

It’s OK
It’s OK
Callum: Did you hear the difference? Listen again.
It’s OK
It’s OK
Callum: The first one was a positive response. The second was not so positive. There is another feature of pronunciation we can hear in this short sentence. The linking of ‘it’s’ to ‘OK’. Remember that if a word ends in a consonant sound and the next word starts with a vowel sound they can link together smoothly. – It’s / OK. It’s OK.

Do you like French food?
It’s OK
Callum: Of course this isn’t the only way of saying you don’t have a strong feeling about something. There is a very useful expression in English which expresses this clearly. Listen out for it, how many words do you hear in the expression?

Do you like French food?
I can take it or leave it.
Callum: Let’s listen to the phrase again, by itself. How many words are there?

I can take it or leave it
Callum: There are seven words in this expression. It may not sound like that many but there is a lot of consonant to vowel linking which makes the phrase flow smoothly and naturally.

I can take it or leave it
Callum: Let’s now look at a couple more simple expressions for saying that you don’t have a strong feeling about something.

Do you like French food?
I don’t mind it.
Callum: I don’t mind it. Again this means that you can have it, but it’s perhaps not something that is a particular favourite. We also have an example of consonant to vowel linking in the phrase, can you hear it?

I don’t mind it
Callum: ‘mind’ links to ‘it’. I don’t mind it. And we have one more expression to look at in today’s programme.

How do you feel about French food?
So-so
Callum: ‘So so’, a very simple expression meaning you don’t really like something but don’t really dislike it.

So so
Callum: Let’s now recap the words and expressions we’ve heard today. I’m going to say each one and then give you time to repeat. Try to match the pronunciation, particularly the linking.
It’s OK
It’s OK
I can take it or leave it
I don’t mind it
So so
Callum: And now to end here is a short dialogue. Helen is still trying to arrange a dinner party but it’s not easy. She’s been very kind in asking her guests what they like to eat, but so far they can’t agree. Listen now as she invites one final guest. You’ll hear some of today’s expressions, which ones? And, what final decision does Helen make about her dinner party.

Helen: Hi Will
Will: Hi Helen
Helen: I’m trying to arrange a dinner party, Neil and Finn are coming, would you like to come too?
Will: Yes, sure it sounds like fun, what are you cooking.
Helen: Well it’s a bit of a problem as everyone likes different things. How do you feel about French food.
Will: It’s OK
Helen: But you don’t really like it?
Will: Well, to be honest, I can take it or leave it.
Helen: And what do you think of Italian.
Will: I don’t mind it.
Helen: And Chinese?
Will: so so
Helen: Oh this is impossible! You know I think I’ll have a party, but no food. If you want to eat, everyone can bring their own food.
Callum: Well, poor Helen is a little frustrated, She decided not to have a dinner party, just a party, people can bring their own food. And the expressions we heard It’s OK, I can take it or leave it, I don’t mind it and so so That’s all from this How to. We’ve looked at different expressions to use when you don’t have strong feelings about something and we focussed on some pronunciation features of everyday speech. You can find more on this topic as well as quizzes and downloads at bbclearningenglish.com