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Hi guys, welcome back to English with Max. In this video we are
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going to look at three meanings of the word "pretty". There are actually several
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meanings of this word, but I don't want to confuse you, so today we are just
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going to look at the three most important ones. As usual, remember that
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Just a small point on pronunciation. In British English normally you pronounce
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the T like a normal T: pretty, pretty. In American English often the T is more
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like a D: pretty, pretty. In Australian English - I'm Australian - we mix it up a bit.
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Sometimes we say "ˈprɪt.i", sometimes we say "/ˈprɪt̬.i/".
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Okay, the first meaning of "pretty" is the one that you probably
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already know. "Pretty" can be an adjective meaning attractive or pleasing.
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It's particularly for things that are delicate or graceful. It can be used to
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describe people, landscapes, houses, gardens, clothes and many other things.
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When it comes to people, most of the time it's used for females,
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so for girls or women. But it can also be used for males, particularly before the
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word "boy". A "pretty boy". And a pretty boy isn't necessarily a child.
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It can also be used for young men. Members of boy bands like Westlife,
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the Backstreet Boys, One Direction, etc. are often described as "pretty boys".
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I'm not criticising. Most people would probably say that I have
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quite terrible taste in music, so I actually like bands like that. I'm just
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telling you to give you an idea. Although I don't actually listen to One Direction.
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I'm from a slightly older generation.
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"Pretty" is usually used to describe something visually, in other words,
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something you can see. But sometimes it is used for smells or sounds.
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For example, you could say: That is a pretty song.
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Or: That is a pretty perfume.
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"Pretty" is similar to "beautiful", but it's usually not quite as strong as "beautiful".
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"Pretty" can also be an adverb meaning "quite".
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It's basically a more informal way of saying "quite" or "to some degree", but like I said,
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it's informal. It's colloquial, so don't write it in academic essays.
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For example: I was pretty tired after my exercise class.
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The party was pretty good.
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Don't lie to me, Frank. I know you pretty well now.
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The sequel to the film Twilight wasn't horrible, but it was pretty bad.
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The third main meaning is when it's used in the idiom "pretty much".
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"Pretty much" is a colloquial way of saying "mostly" or "almost".
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Here are some examples.
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I've pretty much finished my homework, so I'll be able to watch Game of Thrones soon.
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That means I've mostly finished my homework. It's almost done.
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Frank spent a long time doing his hair, but it's pretty much the same as before.
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I was at the beach for pretty much the whole day.
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"Pretty much" can also be used alone to answer certain questions.
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Then it means: "Yes, that's basically the case". Or: "Yes, almost."
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For example: Frank, have you finished your homework?
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Pretty much.
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Are you telling me you spent the whole weekend watching The Bachelor?
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Pretty much.
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I hope you found that useful. If you did, please hit the thumbs up.
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If you would like to practise using "pretty" in different ways, write me
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some examples in the comments and I will try and correct them for you.
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See you next time.
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Ahhee...ah no.
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... give an i... give...
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Like...
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Adjec... spat a bit.