In this mini episode, you will learn how to use the phrase “By all means.”
Episode 394 of the Everybody ESL podcast is a mini episode that teaches you how to use the phrase “By all means.” 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
“Hello! This is Sasa, from China. And you are listening to Everybody ESL.”
Welcome to episode 394 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 an interesting and useful phrase. And the phrase is “By all means.” By all means.
And that is spelled by, b-y, all, a-l-l, means, m-e-a-n-s. By all means.
What does “By all means” mean, and when do we use it?
We use “By all means” when we want to say something like, “Yes,” “of course,” “definitely,” “absolutely,” or “certainly.”
And we use it as an answer when somebody is looking for permission or approval. If somebody is asking if something is okay, or if somebody is asking if they can do something, and the answer is “Yes, of course. Of course you can,” or “Yes, of course that is okay,” you can say “By all means.” We use “By all means” when we want to say, “Yes, of course” in that kind of situation, when somebody is asking for permission or for our approval.
Let me give you an example of a situation where somebody might use the expression “By all means.”
Let’s say that you are in a coffee shop with two of your friends. You find a table where you can sit, but there are only two chairs at this table. You need another chair for your group. You notice that the table next to you seems to have an extra chair. There is nobody sitting in a chair at the next table. And so you ask somebody who is sitting at that next table, “Is it alright if I take this chair?” or “Can I take this chair?” And the other person answers, “By all means.”
When they say, “By all means,” they are saying, “Yes, of course, it is definitely okay. It is absolutely fine if you take this chair.”
And so you can see that “By all means” is used to say “Definitely” or “Yes” or “That is, of course, okay” when somebody is asking for permission or approval.
I don’t think we usually use “By all means” when we are talking with children or with our close friends. It sounds a little bit more appropriate when we are talking with strangers or talking with people who might be older than us or talking in some kind of a formal situation.
I think it’s always okay to use it, but it might sound a little bit more natural when we use it with strangers or in more formal situations.
That is “By all means,” an interesting and useful phrase that I think you should know.
Outro
This is the end of episode 394 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 Sasa 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!