| Hi everybody, welcome back to Ask Alisha |
| the weekly series where you ask me questions and I answer them. |
| Maybe. |
| Let's get to your first question this week. |
| First question this week comes from Michael. |
| Hi Michael. |
| Michael asked, what does it's on the tip of my tongue mean? |
| Interesting question. |
| Thanks for sending this one along. |
| So it's on the tip of my tongue is a set phrase. |
| We only use this phrase as one unit. |
| Okay |
| So we use this expression to mean that a word or an idea |
| or a concept is just in the front of our mind. |
| Like we are trying really, really hard |
| to think of the name of something or the word for something |
| but we can't quite remember it. |
| So we say it's on the tip of my tongue. |
| So the tip of your tongue is this part right here, the very, very end of your tongue. |
| It's like saying the word is so close to coming out of my mouth, but it's not there yet. |
| So we use this expression when we can't remember something. |
| This is a great expression to use |
| when you're learning a language because you can say like, |
| oh, there's this new word I learned. |
| It's on the tip of my tongue. |
| I feel like I might be able to remember it with just a little more effort. |
| So when we want to think really, really hard about that word and it just won't come out, |
| we can say it's on the tip of my tongue or sorry, |
| I'm thinking so hard it's on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't quite remember. |
| So this is a really useful expression |
| and a very common expression when we want to express that feeling of knowing something |
| but not quite being able to say it. |
| So great one. |
| Thanks very much for sending this question along. |
| Okay. |
| Let's move on to your next question. |
| Next question comes from Tin. |
| Hi Tin. |
| Tin asked, I heard the expression, that's a $5 word. |
| What does this mean? |
| Okay. |
| So that's a $5 word. |
| You might hear variations on this too. |
| People might use more expensive numbers as well. |
| They might say it's a $10 word, maybe even like a $100 word also. |
| But the main point here is when someone says that's a $5 word or more |
| they want to comment on how unusual and maybe impressive that word is. |
| So in everyday conversation in any language |
| we have many common words, right? |
| The words that we use to talk about everyday life, right? |
| But sometimes in conversation |
| we use words that are a little bit more impressive. |
| Words that are not so common |
| that are maybe very specific to a certain topic |
| maybe that are specific to a certain field or a certain job and so on. |
| So when somebody uses one of these words |
| that is kind of rare or less common or very impressive |
| or it indicates that someone is kind of smart in this area |
| or someone maybe knows a little bit more information about a certain topic |
| you might want to express that you admire their vocabulary. |
| So someone might choose to do this with the expression, wow, that's a $5 word |
| which sounds like that word is a little bit more expensive |
| or that word is a little bit more impressive. |
| So this does not mean that all the other words have a price. |
| Absolutely not. |
| It doesn't mean there's a $1 word or 50 cent word or whatever. |
| We do not use it in this way. |
| But when we want to make a comment about someone's vocabulary |
| when we want to show we are impressed with someone's one word vocabulary choice |
| we can say, wow, that's a $5 word. |
| You don't have to use this expression. |
| In my case, I probably would not say this, but some people might. |
| I would probably just say, oh, wow, that's a really interesting word choice there. |
| Or I'm impressed with your word choice there, nice word choice |
| something like that is probably what I would say. |
| But some other people might choose to say, that's a $5 word |
| or depending on the person, 10 or $100. |
| So if you want to comment, that's an interesting word |
| or I'm impressed with your vocabulary choice |
| this is one of the ways that you can do that. |
| So thanks very much for sending this question along. |
| Let's move on to your next question. |
| Next question comes from Marie. |
| Hi, Marie. |
| Marie asked, I see lots of people using could of and should of on social media. |
| But I can't find a grammar explanation for this. |
| When should we use this? |
| Okay, great question. |
| And actually, there's a reason that you cannot find a grammar explanation for this. |
| So could of, O-F, and should of, O-F, are actually errors that are made by native speakers. |
| So there's a reason for this error. |
| If you have studied English grammar |
| there's a good chance that you know about the should have and could have |
| and also the would have patterns, right? |
| I should have done something |
| I could have done something |
| I would have done something. |
| Okay? |
| So when we say these expressions in very quick speech |
| the should have, could have, would have section gets reduced. |
| So it sounds like I shoulda, I coulda, or I woulda. |
| So native speakers, some of them, don't quite understand |
| I guess, that when we speak this which doesn't mean that we need to write this way also. |
| So what's happening here is that shoulda and coulda and woulda |
| to some native speakers sounds just like I should've and I could've and so on. |
| This is actually not what it means. |
| The reduced form, the official reduced form of these expressions |
| is should or could or would with the apostrophe V-E, I should've, right? |
| Or I could've, right? |
| But some native speakers make a mistake with this |
| and they think the reduced form is should plus of, which is incorrect. |
| So when you see this |
| that's used a lot on social media, I see it too sometimes |
| this is actually a native speaker mistake. |
| This is a very common mistake that many native speakers make with this grammar point. |
| So when you see should've or could've, |
| it doesn't mean, oh, I should use it too. |
| Don't use should've or could've or would've in this way |
| because it's actually incorrect. |
| If you want to use one of these patterns |
| just use the correct reduced form. |
| So that means should with the apostrophe V-E, like should've in this case |
| could apostrophe V-E, and would've would with the apostrophe V-E as well. |
| So that would be the official reduced form |
| or you can just write the whole thing out. |
| Should plus have, could plus have, or would plus have, but definitely not of. |
| So this is the reason |
| you might see this kind of confusing seeming grammar point on social media. |
| And this is the reason for it. |
| It is a mistake. |
| So don't make the same mistakes that some native speakers do. |
| Thanks very much for this very interesting and very important grammar question. |
| I hope that that answered it. |
| All right. |
| That is everything that I have for you for this week. |
| So thank you, as always, for sending your great questions. |
| Thanks very much for watching this week's episode of Ask Alisha |
| and I will see you again next time. |
| Bye. |
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