It was a bit too long, though.
(Using "____,though" in casual conversation)

    Let's begin by looking at 2 short exchanges:

    EXAMPLE 1:
    1. So, what did you think of Lord of the Rings?
    2. Oh, I enjoyed it. Erm... I thought it was a bit too long, though.

    EXAMPLE 2:
    1. How do you enjoy living in this town?
    2. Well, it's very quiet and there isn't so much to do. There are a couple of nice bars, though, and the people are friendly.

    SOME QUESTIONS:
    • In Example 1, did Speaker B enjoy Lord of the Rings?
      - Yes.
    • Did he enjoy everything about the movie?
      - No, he felt it was a bit too long.
    • In Example 2, does B enjoy living in the town?
      - Probably not so much. He says it's very quiet and there isn't much to do. That seems to suggest he isn't completely happy there.
    • Does he think everything about the town is bad?
      - No. Some things seem to be good - he says there are some good bars and the people are friendly.

    COMMENT:
    In Example 1, B begins by saying something positive about Lord of the Rings. Then he says something negative.
    In Example 2, B begins by saying something negative about the town. Then he says something positive.
    We have a pattern like this:

      (Positive Comment):
      I enjoyed it.
    		  (Negative Comment):
       I thought it was a bit long,     		  (Adverb):
       though.
      (Negative Comment):
       It's very quiet and there isn't much to do.  
    		   (Positive Comment):
      There are a couple of nice bars,  
    		  (Adverb):
       though.  

    Comment on the use of "__,though"

    When people make comments about their experiences, they often try not to be either 100% positive or 100% negative. If, for example, people say something positive about an experience, they may often try to weaken the positive aspect by adding a second comment which is less positive. The use of "___, though" at the end helps to show the contrast between these two comments. One example is when parents talk about their children:

    1. Is Jimmy enjoying his new school?
    2. Yes, he's really happy and he's made lots of new friends. He doesn't study as much as I'd like him too, though.

    Many of the students who come to my classroom do not know about this special use of though. They tend to use the word, however, when they want to show contrasting ideas. They sometimes say things like:

    • I enjoyed Lord of the Rings. However, I thought it was a bit too long.
    • It's very quiet and there isn't much to do. However, there are a couple of good bars.

    These sentences are not "wrong", but sentences which begin with however seem typical of the type of language we might use in formal speeches, debates and essays. In casual conversation, though at the end of the clause is more typical.

    When you use though at the end of a clause, a typical intonation pattern might be:

    • I enjoyed the movie. (Pause) I thought it was a bit long, (slight pause) (voice down) though.

    Exercise

    Respond to the following questions. If possible, try to use a pattern of positive/negative followed by negative/positive + though.

    1. What's your hometown like?
    2. Do you enjoy working on your computer?
    3. What do you think of cell phones?
    4. What do you think of the programmes on TV?
    5. Do you think it's good to have a dog as a pet?

    When you've finished the exercise, please click here to see how Bob would answer those questions.

    Click below if you want to try some of my other one-point lessons:
    Bob's One-Point Weekly Lesson Archive

    © Robert E. Jones, 2005