In this mini episode, you will learn the common expression “At the end of the day.”
Episode 332 of the Everybody ESL podcast is a mini episode that teaches you the common expression “At the end of the day.” Send your questions about English and your comments and suggestions to EverybodyESL@gmail.com! (And let me know if you’d like to record the introduction to a future episode.)
Intro
“Hi, this is Diab, from Yemen. You are listening to Everybody ESL.”
Welcome to episode 332 of Everybody ESL, the podcast for everybody who wants to improve their English, practice their English, or just learn more English. My name is Ben, and I have a mini episode for you today, where I am going to teach you about one English topic. You can subscribe to the Everybody ESL podcast at Apple podcasts and wherever you find your podcasts. If you like Everybody ESL, leave it a good review so other people can find out about it too. And if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for me, please send an email to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. Okay! Let’s get on with this mini episode.
The episode
In this episode, I am going to teach you a very common and useful phrase. This is a phrase that you have probably heard before. You will often hear this phrase in natural, casual conversation. The phrase is “At the end of the day.” At the end of the day. At, the, end, of, the, day. At the end of the day.
What does “At the end of the day” mean? How do we use it?
“At the end of the day” does not mean “at night” or “at the end of a work day.” Instead, “At the end of the day” means “in the end, or after we have considered all of the important things.” It is a way of wrapping up or concluding a discussion or an argument and saying, “This is the one thing that really matters the most.”
Let me give you an example of a situation where somebody might use “At the end of the day,” and I think you will understand this expression better.
Let’s say that you and your coworkers are talking about your job. You’re talking about things that you don’t like about your job. And you are all suggesting different things that might make the job better. You all have ideas about how to improve your job.
But then, at the end of the conversation, you say this: “Of course, the boss does not want to make any of these changes. And at the end of the day, the boss makes the decisions.” At the end of the day, the boss makes the decisions.
What you are saying is, “Yes, I understand all of this. I’ve listened to all of this. I’ve considered everything. But we can’t forget this main point: the boss makes the decisions. That is the important truth that we cannot ignore.” At the end of the day, the boss makes the decisions.
That is “At the end of the day,” a common and useful expression that I think you should know.
Outro
This is the end of episode 332 of Everybody ESL. Remember: if you have questions about English, or if you have comments for me, or if you would like to record an introduction that I can play at the beginning of future episodes—the same way Diab recorded the introduction you heard at the beginning of this episode—send an email to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. I’ll be back soon with a new episode. And until then, keep going, keep practicing, and keep learning. I’ll see you soon. Goodbye!