What does "Never mind" mean? And in what situation do you use it?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Great question! The expression "never mind" can have a few different meanings depending on the context it is used in. In the dialogue of the video here, "never mind" is used when you realize that something you said earlier is not true. Ex: I lost my glasses. Never mind, I just found them! "Never mind" can also be used to tell someone not to worry about something. Ex: Never mind the bad grade on your exam, you will do better next time. A third use of "never mind" is when you don't want people to pay attention anymore to something you were previously talking about. Ex: A: Weren't you going to finish telling me about your day at work? B: Never mind, it's too long of a story.

How do native speakers use this expression?

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Popular Q&As

11/19

1
What's "obtain" mean? Is it different from "get?"
"Get" and "obtain" have very similar meanings and can often be used interchangeably. As verbs, the main difference between "obtain" and "get" is that: "Obtain" is to get hold of; to gain possession of, to procure; to acquire, in any way "Get" is to acquire; to purchase; to fetch; to receive Ex: Can you get (buy) a bottle of milk from the shop? Ex: Can you get (receive) the email I sent? Ex: Were you able to obtain the information I requested? = Were you able to get the information I requested? Ex: How did you obtain this painting?

2
What's the main difference between a "contribute" and "tribute?"
"Contribution" is related to the verb "to contribute," which means to help to cause or bring about something. One's "contribution" is one's participation, involvement, or input in something. Ex: I contributed greatly to this group project. Ex: The Beatles' contributions to music are widely known. Meanwhile, a "tribute" is an act, gift, payment, or statement that is made to show respect, gratitude, or admiration. Ex: I made a video as a tribute to our company's 10th anniversary. Ex: The island paid tribute to its colonizers for centuries before it finally became independent.

3
What's the difference between "carpet" and "rug"? Are they interchangeable?
They are mostly interchangeable! I'd say the difference is that a "carpet" can cover wall-to-wall flooring, whereas a "rug" only covers a small area. However, a "carpet" can also refer to material that covers a small area. Ex: I like the rug in your bedroom! = I like the carpet in your bedroom! Ex: We just got new carpets put into our house. Now I want to buy a few area rugs.

4
What does "so" mean in "so people"?
"So" here is used before you give an explanation for the action that you have just mentioned. Ex: I deliberately didn't have lunch so I would be hungry tonight. Ex: Please speak louder so I can hear you.

5
Isn't it present continuous tense? Is "are" skipped after the subject?
You're right, it is present continuous tense and the word "are" is skipped here after the subject in the sentence. In news announcements and article titles, it is common to skip lots of small filler words like articles and linking verbs, because they are already implied. Technically, it is not grammatically correct to leave these out, however, in English they are sometimes left out to shorten sentences since words like "are" are implied.

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