In this mini episode, you will learn the useful “feel free” construction.
Episode 488 of the Everybody ESL podcast is a mini episode that teaches you the useful “feel free” construction. 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 Atena, from Iran. And you’re listening to Everybody ESL.”
Welcome to episode 488 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. The phrase is “Feel free.” Feel free. That’s f-e-e-l, f-r-e-e. Feel free.
What does “Feel free” mean, and how do we use it?
“Feel free” is often used as advice or as permission. We often use “Feel free” when we are giving a certain kind of advice or permission to do something. And usually, when we use it in this way, we use it with an infinitive. If you don’t remember what an infinitive is, that’s okay. An infinitive is the “to” form of a verb: to do something, to walk, to try, to go. These are infinitives. And when we use “Feel free,” we often use it with an infinitive. So we often say, “Feel free to… do something.”
Let me give you a simple example that shows how we use this phrase.
Imagine that I am going on vacation, and my friend will be staying in my house while I am gone. I know that my friend really likes my bicycle. My friend thinks that my bicycle is really great. I could say to my friend, “While I am gone, feel free to ride my bike.” Feel free to ride my bike.
Here, I’m using this as advice or as permission. I’m saying, “It is okay for you to ride my bike.” “I give you permission to ride my bike.”
What I’m really saying when I say, “Feel free to ride my bicycle” is “I hope you feel comfortable riding my bicycle.” Or “I hope you feel that there are no restrictions preventing you from riding my bicycle.” “I hope you feel that you are free to ride my bicycle.” “I am telling you it is okay. You may ride my bike.” “If you want to, you should ride my bike. It’s okay.”
This is how we use “Feel free to… do something.” We use it as a way of giving advice or giving permission.
I said that we usually use the infinitive when we are using “Feel free” as a way of giving advice or permission. Sometimes, we do not need to use the infinitive. Sometimes, we do not need to use anything else. Sometimes, it is enough to say just say, “Feel free.”
When is that okay? When can we just say, “Feel free” with nothing else added, no other verb coming afterward?
When the context makes it very clear, we can just say, “Feel free.”
Let’s go back to my example of my friend and my bicycle.
If my friend said, “I really like your bike. Is it okay if I ride it while you’re gone?” If I wanted to tell him that yes, that’s fine, I could just say, “Feel free.”
My friend says, “Is it okay for me to ride your bike?” I can answer, “Feel free.” I don’t need to add “…to ride my bike” because the context makes it clear what I am talking about. The context makes it clear what kind of permission I am giving my friend.
It makes it clear that I’m telling him, “You may ride my bike.” Is it okay if I ride your bike? Feel free. In other words, “Please, I hope you feel comfortable riding my bike.”
“I hope you don’t feel like there is something preventing you from riding my bike.” “It’s okay. I give you my permission to ride my bike.”
And that is “Feel free” or “Feel free to… do something,” a very common and useful construction that I think you should know.
Outro
This is the end of episode 488 of Everybody ESL. Remember: If you have any 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 Atena 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!