Learning English

Jackie

Hello. Welcome to bbclearningenglish.com with me, Jackie Dalton. In a previous How To, we looked at how to tell someone you're not happy about something and ask them to change their behaviour in a polite way, with phrases like would you mind?

EXAMPLE

Neil, I hope you don't mind me mentioning this, but would you mind keeping the toilet seat down after you've used the toilet?

Jackie

In this programme, we look at more direct ways to tell someone you're unhappy with their behaviour - expressions that might come up in very informal contexts.

If you're not already in an argument when you use this kind of language, you'll probably end up in one pretty soon, because the expressions we're going to look at in this programme are aggressive and likely to upset whoever you're speaking to.

Callum and William live together and they're beginning to annoy each other.

EXAMPLE

Callum

Oh not again! Will, will you for once in your life, please do the washing up!

William

I did it! I did it on Sunday!

Callum

Yeah, but it's Friday now, for goodness sake! I'm just fed up with the way you leave everything lying around in the kitchen, because nobody can cook anything there without cleaning up your mess first and I'm just sick and tired of it!

Jackie

As we heard, Callum is not happy with William because he never seems to do the washing up.

One expression Callum uses to show his anger is for goodness sake! The phrase shows he's really annoyed, frustrated and exasperated. For goodness sake!

We can also tell he's annoyed by the tone of his voice. There's quite a difference between: For goodness sake! which sounds a bit annoyed, but quite relaxed, and: For goodness sake! which sounds like the person is very angry!

EXAMPLE

Callum

Yeah, but it's Friday now, for goodness sake! I'm just fed up with the way you leave everything lying around in the kitchen.

Jackie

Another expression he uses is I'm fed up with. Listen to some more examples with fed up with.

EXAMPLES

I'm fed up with him!

I'm fed up with the trains always being late!

I'm fed up with the way she leaves her rubbish on the floor!

I am fed up with you bringing your - I won't say boring - boring friends round.

Jackie

Let's listen to Callum again. This time, listen out for the expression he uses at the end of his outburst.

EXAMPLE

Callum

I'm just fed up with the way you leave everything lying around in the kitchen, because nobody can cook anything there without cleaning up your mess first and I'm just sick and tired of it!

Jackie

He ends with I'm sick and tired of it! This means more or less the same thing as I'm fed up with it! You could also just say: I'm tired of it! Or: I'm sick of it! Or even: I'm sick of you! A bit like William does here:

EXAMPLE

William

I'm sick of you always going on at me about these stupid things that don't matter!

Jackie

We often use the word always when we want to make accusations or complaints about something which someone does often.

EXAMPLE

Callum

You're always leaving it for me.

William

But why is it - why is it that it's always you that tells me what to do?

Jackie

Never comes up quite often too. You never do the washing up! You never say you love me!

In this next clip, we're going to hear three separate expressions to show annoyance. See if you can spot them.

EXAMPLE

Callum

What really gets under my skin is I just hate the way you come home late and make so much noise when I'm in bed. I'm sick of it!

Jackie

Did you spot them? The first one was what really gets under my skin - it's a way of saying that something really irritates you and makes you angry.

EXAMPLE

Callum

What really gets under my skin -

Jackie

It's followed straight away by another expression of annoyance: I hate the way you...

EXAMPLE

Callum

What really gets under my skin is I just hate the way you come home late.

Jackie

And I'm sick of it!

EXAMPLE

Callum

I'm sick of it!

Jackie

If Callum hates the way William makes a lot of noise at night, William hates the way Callum makes a lot of noise in the mornings.

EXAMPLE

William

Well, if we're talking about noise, how about this: mrroooo! That's the noise that I hear every morning at about six o'clock with you blow-drying your hair, Callum.

And yet, every - mrroooo! I'm sick of that! It's got to stop because it just can't carry on! I've had enough!

Jackie

William uses the expressions: It's got to stop! It can't carry on! and, I've had enough! Firm and clear phrases to deliver your message that you want someone to stop doing something.

EXAMPLE

William

It's got to stop because it just can't carry on! I've had enough!

Jackie

So let's end with a recap of those expressions:

For goodness sake!

I'm fed up with -

I'm sick of -

I'm tired of -

I'm sick and tired of -

You always -

You never -

What really gets under my skin is -

I just hate the way you -

It's got to stop!

It just can't carry on!

I've had enough!

Jackie

And that's where we'll end this week's programme!