VOA慢速英语--The Many Ways We Use ‘Of Course’

 

In the film, “Love, Of Course,” single mother Amy Andolini finds herself alone after sending her daughter to college. But when she gets a job planning the school’s Harvest Festival event, she falls in love with Noah Ferris, a professor. The film title tells us that Amy accepts the idea of falling in love.

There are many uses for the expression “of course” in everyday speech. For example, we use it to say “yes” with certainty¹ to requests and some questions. We also use it is to show agreement with or sympathy for a speaker.

Most uses are good-natured and polite. But a few can be considered impolite. So, be careful. You would, of course, want to avoid those.

On this Everyday Grammar program, I will talk about good and bad uses for the expression “of course.”

To answer requests

The first we will explore is as an answer to a request for permission.

Suppose you are attending a party with a friend. You need to call home but your mobile² phone is out of power. Listen to a short exchange:

Oh no. My phone just died. Can I use yours?

Of course! It’s in my bag near the red chair.

Thanks! I’ll only be a minute.

When someone asks for permission, and we answer with “Of course,” we are answering with an emphatic³ “yes.”

This is a polite way of using the expression.

Other times, a person may wish to confirm information. In this next exchange, listen for the answer “Of course.”

Hey Alice! Are you coming tubing with us Saturday?

Of course! And I’m bringing drinks for everyone.

Nice! I’ll bring my waterproof⁴ radio.

You just heard me use “Of course” politely.

Pay attention to tone⁵

Tone is important for this expression. The wrong tone can change the meaning of “of course” from good to bad.

Listen to what happens with a change in tone:

Hey Alice! Are you coming tubing with us Saturday?

Of course. And I’m bringing drinks for everyone.

Oh, ok.

Here, the expression sounds unpleasant and feels impolite. The other person may take it to mean, “You should already know the answer.”

To answer an offer

Another use for “of course” involves answering a polite offer.

But is this next exchange a good or bad use of the expression? You decide:

Hey, dear. I’m going to the supermarket. Would you like me to bring you anything?

Of course. Bring me a bottle of soy milk, please.

That’s not a very nice answer to a kind offer. Here, answering “Of course” suggests you think the other person should have magically known the answer.

A better answer to a polite offer is either “Yes, please” or “That would be great. Thanks!”

Other questions

For most other questions, it is best to avoid answering with “Of course.” Such an answer may sound impolite or even strange.

For example, suppose someone says, “Your hair looks wonderful. Did you get it cut?” The answer “Of course” is not fitting⁶. Again, it may suggest you expect the other person to be telepathic and read your mind.

To show agreement

Another use of “of course” is a way of showing interest in and agreement with what someone else is saying, so it is polite. It can also show sympathy for another person.

Listen to this exchange between parents:

This is the third physics tutor⁷ who has not been helpful to my son.

Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.

And I had talked to a lot people before giving her the job.

Of course, you did. But, don’t worry. Maybe I can help you find the right tutor.

To show lack of surprise

OK, the last use we’ll explore today for “of course” is a way to show that something is not surprising. Unlike the others, this use is not a response. Instead, the speaker uses the expression in his or her own statement.

Here is how it might sound:

And I forgot to bring my umbrella again so, of course, I got soaked⁸ on my way home. It always seems to rain when I have no umbrella!

Here, the speaker is showing a lack of surprise at their own forgetfulness.

Of course not

Now, let’s talk about the term “of course not.” It is the normal negative form of “of course.” We can use it to say “no” in a way that shows we are certain or “yes” to a polite request.

Listen to a quick exchange:

Did you break this glass?

Of course not!

Here, the speaker uses “Of course not!” to say very strongly that something is not true. This is only suited to informal situations.

But we can also use “of course not” to answer a request. This only works⁹ when the request uses the wording “Do you mind…?” or “Would you mind…” Have a listen:

Hi Tesha. Do you mind watching my dog for an hour?

Of course not! You can bring Lando over at 3.

In this exchange, use of “Of course not” means, “I don’t mind at all. I would be happy to watch your dog!”

Final thought

Well, that brings us to our final thought:

If you are ever unsure whether to use “of course,” the good news is that you can simply avoid it. There are, of course, many other ways to say what you want to say.

I’m Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

title – n. the name given to something (such as a book, song, or movie) to identify it

certainty – n. the state of being or feeling certain about something

polite – adj. having or showing good manners or respect for other people

emphatic – adj. said or done in a forceful or definite way

tubing – n. the activity of riding on an inner¹⁰ tube over snow or down a river

tone – n. the quality of a person’s voice

telepathic – adj. having the ability to know another person's thoughts without being told what they are

tutor – n. a teacher who works with one student

soaked – adj. made completely wet by water or another liquid

negative – adj. expressing denial or refusal

1 certainty   

n.必然的事，确定的事实，确信，确实

参考例句：

• I can't say with any certainty where I shall be next week.我不能确切地说下周我在什么地方。
• I know for a certainty that the company has been bought up.我确实知道公司已经被人收购了。

2 mobile   

adj.可移动的，易变的，机动的；n.运动物体

参考例句：

• The old lady sits on a mobile chair every morning.那位老妇人每天上午坐在一把可携带使用的椅子上。
• She's much more mobile now that she's bought a car.自从她买了汽车后，活动量就大多了。

3 emphatic   

adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的

参考例句：

• Their reply was too emphatic for anyone to doubt them.他们的回答很坚决，不容有任何人怀疑。
• He was emphatic about the importance of being punctual.他强调严守时间的重要性。

4 waterproof   

n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水

参考例句：

• My mother bought me a waterproof watch.我妈妈给我买了一块防水手表。
• All the electronics are housed in a waterproof box.所有电子设备都储放在一个防水盒中。

5 tone   

n.语气，音调，气度，色调；vt.（up）增强

参考例句：

• There was a tone of mockery in his voice.他说话的语气含有嘲笑的意味。
• Holmes used an informal,chatty tone in his essays.霍姆斯在文章中语气轻松随便。

6 fitting   

n.[pl.]设备，家具，配件，试穿；adj.适合的

参考例句：

• I'm going to a fitting tomorrow.明天我要去试穿新衣。
• The President's address was a fitting end to a bitter campaign.总统的讲话为一场激烈的竞选运动适时画上了句号。

7 tutor   

n.家庭教师，导师，助教，监护人；vt.当…的教师，教，指导，约束

参考例句：

• I think you should get her a tutor.我认为你应该替她请个家教。
• What do you think of your tutor?你觉得你的家庭教师怎么样？

8 soaked   

adj.被湿透的，浸泡的；淋透的v.浸( soak的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• He woke up soaked with sweat. 他醒了，浑身大汗淋漓。
• He soaked himself in the atmosphere of the place. 他沉浸在那一场合的气氛中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

10 inner   

adj.内部的，里面的；内在的，内心的；精神的

参考例句：

• The label is on the inner side of the box.标签贴在盒子内侧。
• Other people seek the mountains for renewal of their inner lives.另一些人到深山中去，寻求新的精神生活。