Transcript of my podcast episode (28)

Hello there! This is ENGSPRESSO episode no. 28. How’s it going? I hope you haven’t had too many mood swings lately. I know that winter has been trying to come back, but I’m sure that very soon spring will be the only ruling season in Poland! Let’s keep our fingers crossed for that.

And how was your Easter? Mine was a far cry from the traditional one, which means it wasn’t traditional at all! I spent Easter Monday with my friends in an escape room* /ɪˈskeɪp ˌruːm/ in Cracow, and I must say it was fun! If you enjoy solving riddles and want to feel like a child again, I do recommend visiting at least one escape room in your city. In the beginning, I was a bit sceptical about escape rooms, but once I tried them out, I thought it was easy to get hooked on them. It hasn’t happened to me yet, but I can definitely say that such games are worth taking part in, especially if you want to have fun with your family, friends, or colleagues. And don’t worry – doors in escape rooms are never locked, so these kinds of games are always safe.

Okay! I’ve just told you about a creative way of spending your free time, so now let me teach you another two expressions.

The first one is NO MATTER WHAT / WHEN / HOW, etc. This phrase is used to emphasise that something is always true, or that someone must do something.

For instance: You can always count on me, no matter what. Now, repeat after me.
The translation is: Zawsze możesz na mnie liczyć, bez względu na wszystko.

Another example: No matter how hard it gets, I’ll never give up!
Nieważne, jak będzie trudno, nigdy się nie poddam!
The second expression is IN A ROW. It simply means 'one after another without a break’.

For instance: He’s had pizza for lunch for three days in a row now, so he definitely needs a break.
Już trzeci dzień z rzędu je na obiad pizzę, więc zdecydowanie potrzebuje przerwy.

Another example: Their team scored two goals in a row, which we didn’t expect at all.
Ich drużyna strzeliła dwa gole pod rząd, czego w ogóle się nie spodziewaliśmy.

And now it’s time for your ENGSPRESSO to go!

Our context for the phrases is:

She used to practise ballet for four hours in a row every day, no matter how tired she was.
Codziennie przez cztery godziny z rzędu ćwiczyła balet, bez względu na to, jak bardzo była zmęczona.

Well done! I’m sure you’ve just learnt something new. Does the level of the episodes suit you? Do you find them quite difficult, just all right, or way too easy? Should they be shorter or longer? Make sure you share your feedback with me. Also, don’t forget to check out the transcript of this episode. You can go to my website angielskidokawy.pl or click the link found in the description of the episode. And if you feel like learning more English with my e-books or courses online, visit my shop.

Thanks for listening and talk to you next time!


* I happened to stress the wrong syllable in the phrase 'escape room' - apologies! The stress should be put on the second syllable of the word 'escape'. That's why I showed you its correct phonetic transcription.