You mean, every time?!

No need to be stressed about this. Go ahead, relax your shoulders, take a deep breath, and unclench your jaw.
We will get through this like a breeze, I promise!

Hello and welcome to English airs, the podcast that will give you effortless accuracy, and this is Parya. As many of you already know, I am an English teacher currently based in Tokyo and for the moment, staying here. It’s a big, busy city, sure, but I grew up in a big, busy city! And there are quiet places, too. Like the Japanese gardens! Ah, they are so beautiful! If I have any time off, I go and walk around in one of them. In spring, the cherry trees are all pink, which is beautiful, but autumn is breathtaking. If you visit Japan in autumn, you see so many lovely colors! In fact, on my next day off, if the weather is good, I will go to Koishikawa garden. Even the name is cute: It means “Little stone river”!

But hold on a second! Did you see what happened?
“If I have time off, I go to the gardens”, but “If the weather is good, I will go to Koishikawa.” Why? What’s the difference? If you don’t know, this episode is for you. If you do, come along anyway, and test yourself. I’ll be happy to have you with us!

Let’s look at the second sentence first. Do you remember why I said ” I will go to the garden” from episodes one to three? I’ll pause here so that you tell me if you know, and since this is not a practice, you can just say it in your head!

Well, you are absolutely right: it is a potential plan. It is like saying “Maybe I will go to the garden” and how will I decide? right again: based on the condition of the weather. So this was pretty easy, wasn’t it? If you look at the material I have put on the post for this episode on the website, you can see an image that will help you remember it much better. The link is in the episode show notes, as always.

Now, can you tell me a few of your potential plans and the conditions for them? Think about your next day off, or today after work or school, and tell me what will happen. It will be something like this: “If my friend is free, we will have a video call”. So, go ahead; I will wait.

Well, I am happy about some of your potential plans, but some others sound a little scary! I mean, “If he is late again, I will kill him?!” That’s a little extreme, don’t you think? Either way, great job telling me about it!

Moving on. Do you remember episode 5 where we talked about our routines? Do you remember what structure you used? Exactly! You said, “Every morning, I drink coffee.” or maybe tea. So if I say, “If I miss my friends, I get in touch with them“, what do you understand? Bravo! I am telling you that I do it every time. Again, on the website, you’ll find visuals that help.

Now I am going to ask you a few questions, and I will pause so that you can give me your answers. Remember to speak out loud if you can, and give full sentences.

Who do you talk to if you have a big problem?

Where do you go if you have an extra day off?

What do you do if someone asks you for money?

Great job everyone! See? Not difficult at all! And as you can see, here is the question you ask yourself when you are starting a sentence with “if”. The question is: You mean, every time?! If the answer is yes, you don’t use will, do you?

There is another question I have for you: what if we say “I get excited when I see a cat!”? That is correct, too, right? And it is every time, isn’t it? So, is there a difference? Let me know your answers in the comments on the website, wherever you follow me, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Ok, now that we have a clear picture, let’s see how we can practice it. Do you have your phone ready? Ok, the reminder this time is a set of questions that you have to complete:
“What do I do if … ?”
and
“What will I do if … ?”
Set the reminder for any time during the day when you know you have a couple of minutes to think and respond, preferably out loud. And yes, I know it’s a bit difficult to come up with the questions, so I have decided to give you a hand. This week, there will be one question on my Instagram page, Facebook page, and Twitter every day. You can answer the question out loud, or reply in the comments. Remember that you can lie, and you can give more than one answer to each question!

Today I have one small thing to say and a reminder that I think will help:

First the small thing: so many people have asked me how they can support the podcast. I want to say, thank you so much! Every comment or question is support, and I appreciate them all. But, if you want to do more, you can buy me a coffee! There is a link in the description, and there is a button on the website if you wish to contribute more! And again, thank you!

Now the reminder: you know that you can find the transcript of this episode on the website, right? Remember that the transcript is color-coded now, so it will be easier to remember. There are also visuals to help you out. And finally, don’t forget to listen to the episode a few times until next week, and try to give new answers every time. That’s like speaking to someone in English, very effective in improving your fluency. I am always happy to receive any comments or questions, so share your thoughts, and please tell anyone who might need this podcast about it. As you know, I want to reach as many people as I can, and I need your help!

Parya out!