Is there a difference between Remember and Remind?
Let’s learn about Stative verbs, how exciting! Also, is there a difference between Remember and Remind? Listen to this episode to find out! Enjoy :)
Transcriptions
Hola amigos, you are listening to English Made Simple this is episode number 54, cincuenta y cuatro!
Welcome amigos, my name is Milena from www.englishmadesimple.net and you are listening to episode #54. Whoooooa! This will be a tremendous episode, it will be a tremendous episode, a very good one, it will be a very good episode. Sounds familiar? who talks like this? Do you know who talks like this? Oh yeah Trump does haha I am not going to talk about Trump, I just want to get straight into this episode.
Hope your weekend is going well so far, hope you are keeping out of mischief, keeping safe and keeping out of trouble. Awesome!
Now, in this episode we are going to learn the difference between Remember and Remind. These two English words. We are also going to learn about stative verbs. Say what? I know, stative verbs! I know I know, more verbs and more things to learn, English is great like, full of surprises.
So this episode came about when one of my students asked me if there is a difference between Remind and Remember? Both of these words have something to do with your memory, but they are used differently.
So my answer to my student, in short form, YES there is a difference between these two words.
And now we are going to dive straight into this episode, number 54 – whooooa! I can’t believe it! Number 54!
To remind and to Remember. Both regular verbs, that’s good news! Finally something easy. Reminded in the Past Tense and Remembered in the Past Tense.
I’ve noticed, even with my friends whose English is a non-native language, they would say things like, “can you remember me to go to the shop?“ When they actually mean to say, can you remind me to go the shop?
This is because in Spanish, if you translate from Spanish to English we would use 1 word in both situations, in Spanish the 2 words have the same meaning.
For example, in Spanish
Remind is recordar, me acuerdo (more common), or me recuerdo (formal)
Remember is also recordar.
Remind and Remember are both recordar. Now I have a problem in Spanish, I confuse these two words in Spanish, so you know, it’s understandable.
So, how do we know the difference?
REMIND:
Definition, according to Weon Inteligente or Cambridge Dictionaries Online.
Definition is to cause someone to remember someone or something
Some synonyms of Remind, help someone remember, cause someone to remember (to refresh someone’s memory, help someone to remember, to make someone aware, notify someone of something.
Ok, wow, all these new words are now popping up!
Example: I would’ve forgotten about my friends’ party if my husband hadn’t reminded me.
Another example: My husband often reminds me to buy bread when I go grocery shopping, when I go to the shops, because I always forget to buy it. So I reply to my husband….. thanks for reminding me! Thanks for telling me in advance so I wouldn’t forget to buy it.
Another example of remind: When we are going on a picnic, remind me to pack some sunblock please, the sun in Australia is quite strong.
Remind me to pack things, so I don’t forget!
Another definition of Remind: to cause someone to think of something because of a resemblance. Let me explain, here is an example.
Example: 1. Some Metallica songs remind me of my crazy teenage years, when I had fun with my friends.
That’s when we can use Remind. It reminds you of something.
One more example:
2. Melbourne city reminds me of some cities in Europe, it has a European feel.
Basically, To Remind means bring to mind, evoke, make one think of someone.
Are you following me? I hope you are following me so far! Now let’s move on to the second word.
REMEMBER:
Definition, according to Weon Inteligente, Cambridge Dictionaries: to be able to bring back a piece of information into your mind, or to keep a piece of information in your memory.
Hope that makes sense! To keep a piece of information in your memory, I like that one. I like that definition actually.
Another thing to remember, that will make you sound really fluent, and it will impress some examiners if you are doing exams is:
Recall
Instead of saying I don’t remember something, say I don’t recall.
That’s a tip, tip for you to sound fluent. Just replace Remember with recall. That’s a new word for you!
I don’t recall where I put my keys, i don’t remember where I put my keys. Cool!
Now, some expressions to use instead of Remember we can replace this word Remember with some interesting expressions with some interesting phrases, and that will make you super dooper fluent.
Here are the3 expressions you can use instead of remember
Bear in mind, Keep in mind, Don’t forget…
Ok, these are very common. These are very common with native speakers. Bear in mind. Keep in Mind. And Don’t Forget.
Don’t forget these 3 expressions haha
Some examples using these expressions, let me see, I have some examples here:
1. Alicia (again Alicia from Grand Hotel), Alicia, please bear in mind, I am here to help you, says Julio, but I am only here for a few days. Basically take note of the fact that I am only here for a few days so use me while I am here. Bear in mind I am only here for a couple of days.
2. Don’t forget to do your homework, this is just a friendly reminder.
Reminder? What’s that? That’s interesting! A reminder, sounds like the word Remind….
A reminder is un recordatorio. A reminder. You can put a reminder in your calendar so you don’t forget something! Don’t forget to do your homework, this is just a friendly reminder. Basically, put a reminder in your calendar. Right. Cool!
3. Julio, thanks for the advice. I will keep it in mind. Means, I will not forget it. I will try not to forget it. I will keep that in mind. Cool!
Now it leads me to the next point….What is the opposite of Remember? Do you know? It is Forget!! Haha you should know this! To forget is an irregular verb, past tense Forgot and participle Forgotten.
Have you forgotten this already?
Alrighty guys, hope you are following me so far.
Let’s learn about something called stative verbs. Ok let’s learn about something fun. Let’s learn about the stative verbs. What the heck are stative verbs? Stative verbs describe a state not an action.
That’s why they are called stative verbs, they describe a state not an action.
So these verbs shouldn’t be in a continuous form, meaning they shouldn’t have the ING form at the end…ing, you know, they shouldn’t have that. I say they shouldn’t – but sometimes they can be in a Continuous Tense. They can have that ING sound! Don’t you love English language? For every rule there is an exception. Every rule has an exception. That’s what makes English language interesting, that’s what makes English great!
Ok you guys are doing well, don’t worry, this will all make sense. Here are some examples of stative verbs.
TO BE – yeah it’s a stative verb apparently.
TO UNDERSTAND
TO REMEMBER, TO HATE, TO LOVE, TO AGREE, and there are more of course. There are more verbs.
Let me give you some examples, so you can understand this a little bit better.
1. I like this song. Simple example. We don’t say I am liking this song. If you are listening to a song on the radio, you don’t say at that specific moment, I am liking this song. You say I like this song.
2. I understand you. Do you understand me? We don’t say I am understanding you right now. Are you understanding me? Is not correct. Do you understand me? Is correct. It just doesn’t sound natural to say Are you understanding me? It is always do you understand me. That’s why the verb Understand is a stative verb. We can’t put it in an ing form. We can’t say Are you understanding me?
3. I am sorry I don’t understand. I am not understanding. We don’t say, I am not understanding….
4. Do you remember the time you spent in Chile, in Santiago? Do you remember the time in Chile, how was it? We don’t say, I am not remembering the time I spent in Chile. We say, I don’t remember the time I spent in Chile, or I remember the time I spent in Chile. Yes I remember the time. Right. Cool!
5. Example from Alicia to Julio, I love you, te quiero, I love you, te amo. To love is a stative verb, so we don’t say I am loving you. Alicia doesn’t say I am loving you Julio. Alicia says I love you Julio. Love is a stative verb! Great!
So now that you understand a little bit about stative verbs, I’d like to add a twist to what I’ve just taught you here, there are exceptions to some of these stative verbs.
There are exceptions! The exception applies to conversational English, while it’s grammatically incorrect, sometimes it is acceptable in everyday English, especially when speakers want to emphasize the state someone’s in, we can put these verbs into ING form, when we want to emphasize the state that someone’s in! It’s often used in advertising. A very simple advertising.
Take McDonalds for an example, their slogan is “I’m loving it!” Apparently, McDonalds can do that, that’s an exception! I am loving it! McDonalds want you to say I am loving it to say you are really really enjoying their burgers. That’s the idea of this slogan. I’ve noticed more and more native speakers are using these type of language, they are using stative verbs to emphasize something to exaggerate a little bit.
Right, Awesome!
Finally, this episode is coming to an end.
And finally, guys, remember this, when to use the word Remind and when to use Remember, quite simply, You ‘remind’ someone of something so that they will ‘remember’ it!
Awesome, well done guys!
For your homework, I recommend you learn more about these stative verbs, this is now going into the advanced level of English. Once you start to understand these verbs, you will sound more natural and more fluent. You are almost there!
If you have enjoyed today’s episode please share it with your friends. Or I mean to say, please remember to share it with your friends! I will remind you after each episode to share this with your friends. Also, keep in mind that you can find transcriptions for every episode on my website, www.www.englishmadesimple.net. Go and check it out!
Fue un placer, it’s been a pleasure amigos, thank you so much for joining me! Until next time! Hasta la proxima!