How to use AT LEAST Advanced English Vocabulary Lesson

hello hello welcome to today’s live

English lesson here on the speak English

with Vanessa

YouTube channel I’m so glad that you’re

here to take time from your busy life to

improve your English and hopefully have

fun today we’re going to talk about an

important expression at least at least

there are a lot of ways to use this

expression but today we’re gonna talk

about the two most common so make sure

that you have a notebook ready to write

down some of these sample sentences make

sure that you’re typing fingers are

ready so that you can type some comments

type some sample sentences get some

feedback from me and if you’re watching

the replay no problem you can still

learn a lot so thank you everyone who’s

joining me here live thank you so much

Claude meisa Maria Lacey thank you

Yusuke thanks so much for joining me

Patricia in France in Brazil Maria

thanks so much for joining I have not

had a live lesson for a couple weeks

maybe two months at this point because

my baby was born

um about a month and a half ago and I

will make a video with him

soon enough I want to introduce him to

you I can’t wait to share his cute face

with you he’s a wonderful human but I

want to dedicate an entire video to that

so I don’t want to mix them I’ll keep

you in suspense and thank you if you’re

joining me for the first time thanks so

much

well are you ready for today’s

conversation expression at least at

least I want to give you the first

question and let’s see if how you answer

let’s see if you can answer it my first

question is how much do you study

English each day how much do you study

English

each week it’s up to you you can choose

which question you want to answer

how much do you study English and I’m

gonna take your answer and help you use

it in a sentence with today’s expression

at least at least

how much do you study and let’s say if

you study English Oh two hours per week

let’s let’s say thirty minutes per day I

study English 30 minutes per day two

hours per week three hours per day

Horatio says three hours per day

congratulations Maria says two or three

hours at least oh you’ve got a good idea

about how to use this expression well

let’s take your answer one time a week

three hours a day 15 minutes a day one

hour on the weekend let’s take your

answer and create a sentence using

today’s key expression at least and this

is going to be the first way to use at

least let me take how about uh hammy’s

expression hey me says I study two hours

per week so let’s say I study English

two hours per week at least

hmm why did I add at least at the end

here this is our key expression here huh

does anyone have a guess what does that

mean at least at least well here hey me

said I study English two hours per week

at least so maybe she studies three

hours maybe she studies ten hours but

the minimum the minimum

amount of time that she studies is two

hours so the first meaning for the

expression at least is a minimum a

minimum so she never studies only one

week two hours is the minimum I study at

least two hours per week so I want to

know for you can you take your answer

that you just said how much do you study

English per day or per week and can you

make a sentence using at least with it

I study one hour at least

I study ten hours at least

I study 15 minutes at least per day I

want to let you know we can put this in

different places in the sentence so our

first place is at the end of the

sentence I study English two hours per

week at least you’re just adding it to

the end of the sentence but you might

have heard I use this in other places I

study at least or let’s say English I

study English at least two hours per

week hmm we’re adding it beef after the

verb after this first section I study

English how often at least two hours

you’re making an expression with the

time at least two hours per week

ooh I study English two hours per week

at least I study at least two hours per

week great we’ve got two different

places we can put this in the sentence

we have wonderful sentences from our

friends come here says I study one hour

per day at least I study English four

hours per day at least well Maria great

work Jorge says I study English three

hours per day at least and we can change

it to say I study English at

least three hours per day excellent work

Horatio says I study English watching

Vanessa’s videos every day at least so

minimum of every day I study English

seven days per week at least all day Wow

you are a dedicated english learner let

me take this to another topic and ask

you another question and I want to see

if you can create your own sentence

using at least two mean minimum so my

next question is what time do you wake

up what time do you wake up so let’s

remember that this means minimum minimum

and in some situations may be minimum

feels a little bit too vague because

time doesn’t really go with the minimum

it’s not an amount it’s just time but

here we can talk about earlier or later

so what time do you wake up in the

morning Jonathan says 7:00 a.m. all

right

so let’s imagine 7:00 a.m. is when

Jonathan wakes up well does he ever wake

up at 6:30 let’s imagine maybe sometimes

maybe sometimes he likes to go for a

walk in the morning so sometimes he

wakes up at 6:30

sometimes he wakes up at 6 o’clock and

the normal time is 7 a.m. but sometimes

he wakes up earlier so we could use our

expression today I’m gonna write it down

here I wake up at

now it seems a little strange to have 2x

but it’s okay stick with me I wake up at

at least 7 a.m. all right we have our

key expression and this shows that

sometimes he wakes up earlier it’s not

always 7 a.m. his minimum is 7 a.m. he

doesn’t wake up later he sometimes wakes

up earlier and the reason why we have 2

ads is because this is a full expression

wake up at wake up at so you could say I

wake up at 7 a.m. at least we can add

this at the end as well no problem so

don’t feel confused about these two ads

they go with separate expressions for me

I wake up at at least 7 a.m. as well

because sometimes my baby decides to

wake up 5 a.m.

sometimes he decides to wake up at 4

a.m.

one time he decided to wake up at 2 a.m.

so I wake up at at least 7 a.m. 7 a.m.

is pretty normal except for today he

woke up at 8 a.m. which was amazing I

could sleep a little bit but I wake up

at at least 7 a.m. 7 a.m. is the normal

time for me all right

are you ready to take this to the next

level to go to the second version of at

least the first one is a minimum is

talking about this minimum the second

way is gonna be a little more complex

but stick with me I know you can do it I

would like to share this sentence with

you I’m gonna write it over here we’re

gonna talk about something that is

universal first let’s stick with the

weather it’s a common topic it’s

something that we talk about in small

talk all the time so I think that this

is a there’s a chance that you

can use this when you talk about the

weather in English and also I love this

second version of at least because it

keeps a positive attitude I know I’m

always talking about keeping your hopes

up keeping a positive mindset about

learning English and this second way to

you is at least is excellent for this so

I’m gonna write a sentence here and I

want to see if you can guess what it

means are you ready I’m gonna write it’s

raining today but at least it didn’t

rain yesterday here we have our key

expression it’s raining today but at

least it didn’t rain yesterday hmm what

do you think that could mean we have a

kind of negative first part of that

sentence and then the second part but at

least it didn’t rain yesterday hmm this

is a sentence that I said last week yes

it was last week because we had an

amazing total solar eclipse in the US

and I traveled to South Carolina which

is where my family lives because I

wanted to see the total solar eclipse I

didn’t want to see 99 percent I didn’t

want to see 90 percent in my city it was

98 percent but I wanted to see the total

solar eclipse so I was hoping please

have no rain please have no rain for

Monday August 21st

during the total solar eclipse because I

really wanted to see it it seemed like

it would be amazing and it was beautiful

weather beautiful weather the next day

it rained so this sentence was perfect

for me

on Monday for the Eclipse there was no

rain

but on Tuesday there was rain so I could

say on Tuesday it’s raining today but at

least it didn’t rain yesterday during

the Eclipse whoo I feel so lucky it was

beautiful weather the sky was clear it

was absolutely incredible so I could say

something positive at the end here’s

kind of a a benefit it’s raining today

but at least it didn’t rain yesterday

hmm at least what do you think huh kind

of like well it could be worse that’s

the great example Jonathan says it could

be worse

yes well here’s something negative but

you know what it could be worse

at least it didn’t rain yesterday so I

would like to ask you uh have you ever

hurt yourself broken a bone

maybe you cut your finger

what is something not so serious but

something that happened to you have you

ever hurt yourself I want to help you

create a sentence using at least in this

kind of negative than positive way

something negative happened to you you

hurt yourself for me when I was in high

school I hurt my wrist I broke my wrist

so I’m gonna make a sentence using that

and actually I’m gonna use a different

color because my blue marker is running

out I think I’ve had so many live

lessons that it’s finally going away so

this one looks great let me write a

sentence using something negative I

broke my wrist but at least it

was easy to fix here we have our key

expression at least I broke my wrist is

a negative thing I broke my wrist but at

least it was easy to fix I went to the

doctor he gave me a cast a cast is that

hard material on the outside of your arm

and after one month or two months it was

all completely better so it was a

negative thing but something positive

happened something better at least it

was easy to fix it could have been worse

oh maybe it could have been difficult to

fix or I had to have some therapy for a

while but no it was easy to fix at least

it was easy to fix and as you are

thinking about your answers to those

questions I’d like to ask you a more

complicated question something that you

can also answer but you can answer in

any way I’d like to know when did you

start to study English seriously when

did you start to study English seriously

I imagine that maybe you started to

study English seriously as an adult but

maybe you wish that you had started

earlier as a child wouldn’t that be

great if you had started earlier it

would be you know maybe a little less

complicated or less stressful but you’re

an adult so you have to embrace the

reality and try your best that’s what

you’re doing now so if you started to

study English as an adult what is a

worse situation well you could have

started when you were 80 years old but

you’re starting when you are 40 years

old when you’re 50 years old so let’s

try to make a sentence using at least

for this and then I’m going to go back

and read some

you’re wonderful sentences I started to

study seriously when I was let’s imagine

how about 42 years old I started to

study English seriously when I was 42

years old how can we make an at least

sentence about this what’s something

that’s worse this is definitely not

terrible 42 years old you are young it’s

not terrible but let’s try to think of a

more serious situation when I was 42

years old but at least I didn’t start at

age 80 and if you are 80 years old and

you’re watching this welcome you too can

learn English and enjoy it but let’s use

this for this sample sentence using our

key expression at least I started to

study seriously when I was 42 but at

least I didn’t start at age 80 so when

we use at least other people know that

this part you feel kind of negative

about it it implies that there’s some

kind of negative feeling about it so you

could say I started to study when I was

42 but at least I wasn’t 80 so you’re

giving some positive positive feeling

about something that is already negative

so for you I hope that this will help

you to have a positive attitude about

some negative situations I’m gonna go

back and read some of your sentences so

those of you who are here live thank you

for creating some sentences using at

least I’m gonna read them out loud and

try to give you some some feedback we

have a great sentence

that crystal says I didn’t pick it up

but at least my friend picked it up so

let’s imagine maybe there is a wonderful

watermelon at the grocery store and you

forgot your wallet so you couldn’t buy

it and you could say oh I didn’t pick it

up pick it up means buy it I didn’t pick

it up but at least my friend picked it

up so now I can go to her house and I

can eat it we have a positive outcome

something else happening we have a great

sentence I fell down from the roof and

broke my leg but at least I didn’t die

great sentence and I’m really glad that

you only broke your leg maybe at that

time it wasn’t fun it wasn’t something

pleasant but at least you didn’t die

let’s take a look at some more sentences

that you wrote I cut my finger Esther

says I cut my finger but at least my

wrist is okay oh great so you’re seeing

a positive thing in a negative situation

oh I cut my finger but at least I didn’t

cut it off but at least my wrist is okay

great ideas great ideas uh Esther says I

started to study English seriously when

I was conscious about the importance of

English but at least I was young enough

so for you you’re imagining great least

I was young enough to study English

excellent excellent

Claude says I lost my credit card but at

least my wife didn’t find it clever

clever clever so maybe you’re worried

about your wife spending all your money

so you have a negative thing I lost my

credit card but here’s a positive thing

at least my wife didn’t find it

excellent scent is Angelica says I

started to study seriously when I was 17

years old but at least I kept singing

and watching English series in English

so for you you started at 17 and maybe

you feel like that’s a negative thing

the first part is our negative situation

and you say but at least I continued to

sing and watch English series and listen

to music

so you continued it great you didn’t

start when you were 5 years old but you

continued when you started learning

excellent excellent

let’s let’s go to a similar idea that I

talked about earlier waking up waking up

you said I wake up at at least 7 a.m. at

least 7 a.m. so let’s try to use a

situation like this with our second

meaning of at least so typically I said

my baby wakes up at 7 a.m. maybe for me

I feel really tired it’s hard to wake up

at 7 a.m. because I’ve been waking up

throughout the night but what is a

positive situation about this my baby

wakes up at 7 a.m. but at least he

doesn’t wake up at 5 a.m. oh it could be

worse so I need to have a positive

mindset my baby wakes up at 7 a.m. but

at least he doesn’t wake up at 5 a.m. at

least he doesn’t wake up at 4 a.m. so

you’re showing some kind of luckiness

something is lucky about this well we

can use this also in another way that I

don’t recommend let’s imagine that your

friend is complaining about working in a

really long day at work maybe your

friend says oh I had to work 12 hours

today I had to work all day for 12 hours

hmm if you say at least you did it

to work 15 hours you’re trying to show

something positive in his negative

situation I don’t recommend that not

because it’s bad English it’s a good

English but usually in those situations

the other person wants you to sympathize

with them they want you to say oh I’m so

sorry you had to work so long Oh 12

hours is so long they don’t want you to

say well it could be worse they want you

to sympathize with them so you could say

oh I had to work 12 hours today and if

your friend says Oh at least you didn’t

have to work 15 hours I feel like you

might be a little bit upset so if I say

oh I had to wake up at 5:00 a.m. because

my baby woke up at 5:00 a.m. I’m so

tired and if my friend says well at

least you didn’t have to wake up at 2:00

a.m.

how am I gonna feel am I gonna feel

happy relieved Oh at least it wasn’t 2

a.m. now in this situation I want

someone to say oh poor Vanessa I hope

you can sleep tomorrow I don’t want

someone to make my situation sound less

bad I want someone to sympathize with me

so make sure when you use this in a

conversation you’re using this to I’ll

be positive and not to put down other

people’s situations well before we go

today I’d like to say a sentence

altogether using at least at least so if

you are in Japan if you’re in Brazil if

you’re in Spain in Italy in Chile in the

US wherever you are right now repeat

after me our friends around the world

are going to be

repeating this as well so imagine a big

group of excited English learners

talking together there are at least 300

people saying this together at the

moment who are watching live so imagine

300 people from Colombia Indonesia Korea

great Vietnam saying this all together

let’s say this sentence using at least

and I want you to write it down in the

comments so that you can listen try to

accurately write it and it’s kind of a

good dictation practice are you ready it

is I will find at least a few minutes

every day to study English I will find

at least a few minutes every day to

study English what does this mean well

this is using the first version of at

least minimum minimum a couple minutes I

hope you can spend 15 minutes 30 minutes

two hours I hope you can spend a longer

than a few minutes but minimum a few

minutes I will find at least a few

minutes every day to study English can

we say this all together I’m gonna say

it slowly I want you to watch my mouth

and watch my pronunciation try to

imitate shado my speaking are you ready

I will find at least a few minutes every

day to study English I will find at

least a few minutes every day to study

English thank you for saying this from

all over the world let’s shout it out I

will find at least a few minutes every

day to study English I hope it’s true

for you and today it is true you are

watching this video you’re studying with

me you’re enjoying

using this material crate I hope that

you learned how to use at least and I

hope that at least you feel more

comfortable using it because usually

with new expressions we need to hear

them over and over again and now when

you hear other people use at least

you’re gonna know what they’re talking

about and hopefully you’ll be able to

imitate that style right a lot of sample

sentences the next time that you’re

speaking in English use this expression

even if you write down some sentences

that you want to say great just write

them down and then say them in your

conversation be prepared use this repeat

it again and again that’s the key thank

you so much for studying this expression

with me and I’m so glad to share this

live lesson with you I have a quick

announcement because it is August 29th

august 29th 2017 it’s almost September

and in September there’s a special

anniversary it is the one-year

anniversary of my course The Fearless

fluency Club so because the course has

been going for one year I want to give

you a special bonus present so if you

are a member of the course now or if you

join the course in September I’m gonna

be sharing an extra bonus conversation

video lesson with you usually each month

there’s a conversation video lesson with

me and another native English speaker

and then there’s a vocabulary lesson

grammar lesson pronunciation lesson but

there’s one conversation lesson topic

but in September I’m gonna be sharing

too there’s a bonus conversation video

lesson it’s gonna be great I want to

share this with you and you can study it

download it review it but this is a

special bonus only for people who are

members during September so if you’re

already a member

great

if you join now and you continue to be a

member in September excellent you’re

gonna receive this special bonus I can’t

wait to share it with you and if you’d

like to continue learning with me I

recommend reading my free ebook five

steps to becoming a confident English

speaker this method will help you to

find the best path because there’s so

many options for learning English I want

to help you find the best way for you to

clear away all of the options and no

this is what I need to do here are some

choices for me here’s the best mindset

for me and to help you really progress

that’s the goal you want to improve you

want to progress so I want to help guide

you in this I recommend downloading my

free ebook there’s a link in the

description there will be a link at the

end of this video and it’s my pleasure

to share English with you I hope you

have a wonderful week and I’ll see you

again soon the next time bye