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