USEFUL ADVANCED PHRASE: "LET ALONE" MEANING EXPLAINED WITH EXAMPLES - C1 VOCABULARY.

In this short advanced English vocabulary video, I explain how and when to use the C1 level phrase "let alone". This phrase is useful for your general English but also if you're taking the B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency Cambridge English exams because it can help to make your speaking more expressive and natural.
Share your own examples in the comments!
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Ben Gill
English Teacher
Website: ttpenglish.com
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#c1advanced #c2proficiency #b2first #caeexam #fceexam #cpeexam #cambridgeenglishexams

[@gibranrodriguezcabrera1108]

The more I watch your videos, the more I learn. Moreover I’m hitting the books in order to apply and culminate obtaining the C1, your lessons are top-notch. Never have I been as motivated as nowadays, so just one word : THANK YOU

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Thank you! I'm glad my videos help!

[@patriziopellica834]

In Italy we say "figuriamoci" which has more or less the same meaning with "let alone" Thanks for sharing this useful expression

[@annad5357]

Thank you for your videos! In Russian we have the similar phrase "не говоря о" (not to mention smth).

[@user-hf5pk2qs9b]

I remember that my teacher gave a similar explanation to this, but I didn't understand well, but when you explained it, it was much better. Thank you 🙏

[@emanoelpaulino1935]

This phrase was one of my first I could learn

[@niceasta]

In Portuguese we have "imagine" or "imagina" - Eu não consigo nem fazer um bolo, imagine três! (I can't (even) bake a cake, let alone three!) Very useful vocab

[@killianson85]

Same in the peninsula spanish and I think a similar expression would be "ni hablar de"

[@svevabloomsbury7620]

Yes! And in Italian as well, "per non parlare di". Thank you dear teacher 😊

[@andresfelipelopezavila2773]

In Spanish (from Colombia), We would say "ni que decir de", as in the example: "no puedo caminar, ni que decir de correr". I can't walk, let alone runing. Ben, you have no idea how much your videos have helped me to improve my English and awareness of my teaching (I'm studing a bachelor of arts in teaching foreign languages, and I'm doing my practicum). I'm glad to have got the oportunity to find your outstandings explanations. 😊

[@lorena2o24]

A helpful expression! Never heard of her. The translation in Spanish is. "mucho menos". Example: Fred is not keen on languages, let alone teaching any of them.

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Great! But, remember parallelism. You need another verb in the first clause: "Fred is not keen on learning languages, let alone teaching them."

[@lorena2o24]

@@tothepointenglishwithben. Cheers!

[@abubakarmohamedmohamud2926]

Thanks Ben for your incredible support. in Somali we say let alone "iska dhaaf"

[@vanessapizol]

Thank you.

[@turicoppola9815]

Thank you Ben! Great and useful video as usual. Best teacher ever!❤

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Thank you! 😃

[@martinjokes1610]

It would come in handy

[@mreyeholder]

In russian language we use this construction: We cant even afford to mend the oven, so there is no speaking about buying a new car. Maybe in english it can look a bit bizzare. PS I want to thank you so much, Ben. Now I'm trying to prepare for B2 Exam on 7th of October, and I find your videos very usefull and helpfull. Good luck!

[@mh-lw1oe]

Monty Python use the phrase in their sketch "The smuggler". Good one :)

[@fabiocossa2420]

Thanks a lot, very interesting and useful

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

You are welcome!

[@lannamelero5532]

That's so fun! Hahah the equivalent in my language would be "imagina", which directly translating to English it would be "imagine". For example: Eu não consigo nem ver uma foto de uma aranha, imagina chegar perto. (English: I can't even look at a photo of a spider, let alone being close to one.)

[@nr8450]

I’m trying my best to get the CAE and I’ve been practicing for almost year now. I will take my exam in 3 weeks and I’m really nervous but those type of videos help a lot! Thank you

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

I'm really glad my videos help. Good luck!

[@imparareitaliano]

Thank you very much for your precious help. I have improved my level of English thanks to your clear explanations.

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

That's great!

[@D.D.8]

Thanks a lot🙂

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

My pleasure 🙂

[@imparareitaliano]

Well, in Italian we would say "Figurati". However, the word "Figurati" has another meaning too: it means " You are welcome" to reply to "Thank you".

[@rebecapuebla5824]

I couldn’t have grasped the meaning and use of this sentence without your clear explanation, let alone using it before hand. Thanks a lot for all your insightful videos

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Glad it was helpful!

[@user-cc2ux9ew1r]

Nice one

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Cheers

[@kmullajonov69]

Hello. Thank you very much. This video was very helpful as always. I am pretty sure that I have understood how to use it correctly. My native language is Uzbek and in Uzbek, it is like: 'let alone ... = ...ni-ku aytmasa ham bo'laveradi'

[@Dareios074]

I’ve been looking for this for long time. But what is the equivalent expression in written English? Thanks

[@jonyer1980]

I can't fry an egg let alone cooking an Spanish Omelette. As a spanish speaker from the south of Spain, I think it fits something as "No puedo freirme un huevo, cuanto menos aun hacerme una tortilla de papas" o bien: "No puedo ni freirme ni un huevo, menos aún todavía hacerme una tortilla de patatas"...

[@lorena2o24]

By the way, thanks a million. I'll use "let me alone" as mnemonic technique.😅

[@annabelleredac3671]

Thank you, I appreciate your videos so much! I'd say the equivalent in French would be "encore moins", which can be literally translated as "even less" or something like that

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Thanks for sharing!

[@giovannaquilici2194]

Very useful tip for the C1 speaking part! I have little time to go to the hairdresser, let alone having a weekend with my husband.... Could it be a good example? In Italy we say figurati o figuriamoci , es: non so neanche cucinare un uovo, figuriamoci una cena di tre portate complete😅😅😅

[@mahmoudmadi7746]

.great teacher, illuminating lesson Is there difference between let alone and much less thank you and God bless you

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Let alone is more common in this context

[@dronevluchten]

Dutch: laat staan - translated 'let stay'. Or: om niet te spreken over - translated ' not talking about' / 'not mentioning'

[@user-hf5pk2qs9b]

Thank you for everything, You're a great teacher This is my last year at school 😅 and my ambition is to study English literature at University. All respect to you 😊. (I'm from Jordan).

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Thanks for your comment. Good luck with everything!

[@vincenza1470]

In italian you say 'figurati' . You could translate the first sentence you said as an example in 'non so fare un uovo sodo, figurati se preparo un pranzo di tre portate'😊

[@MrTrevrizent]

In German it would be 'geschweige denn'. In Slovak, my mother tongue, we'd say 'nie to ešte...'

[@aram5642]

I knew this expression before, but what I found very useful was the sentence about repairing the oven - where you do not repeat 'to' - let this be my takeaway :)

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Excellent!

[@gustavocurtis6177]

Is there any formal C1 counterpart of let alone that I could use in texts like an essay? Thanks a million for your videos! They are enlightening

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

"Not to mention" is an option but in essays it would probably be better to use a different structure with linkers like furthermore, in addition, moreover etc

[@halley9]

My example : I can't make dinner for three people , let alone make it for thrity person .

[@sergeinic1856]

Hi, Ben! In the last example why you didn't use "to" before "buy"? "let alone TO buy car" looks more logical, doesn't it?

[@user-te3rp5yv7w]

In Russian we have rather long and complex structure : "не говоря уже о". I wasn't even aware of such phrase up now and usually was using something like "not speaking of".

[@jesseveloso2196]

In Brazil we say IMAGINA or QUEM DIRÁ. For instance: "I can't boil an egg, QUEM DIRÁ cook a fancy three-course meal." It's a really nice phrase indeed! Tks!

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Thanks for sharing!

[@fabiocossa2420]

in Italian : < lasciamo perdere >

[@goeledeckers]

For those who like musicals, there’s a great example in the Ascot scene of My Fair Lady: Them she lived with would have killed her for a hat pin, let alone a hat.

[@user-zw9xb8rl7c]

There is a phrase in my language conveying exactly the same meaning-«не говоря уже о»

[@skorpioflo]

Nice one, Ben! In Spanish, as you may already know, we use "imagina", "imagine". You could say in Spanish "nosotros no podemos permitirnos reparar el horno, imagina comprar un nuevo coche", "we can't even afford to repair the oven, imagine buying a new car". I can see in the comments that it works the same in Portuguese and very similarly in Italian.

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Yes, that's right. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's also possible to say "mucho menos" in this context, isn't it?

[@skorpioflo]

@@tothepointenglishwithben. Absolutely, both are perfectly fine 👍

[@octavisoler]

Another expression that could be equivalent in Spanish is "no digamos". In the example you put, would be "nosotros no podemos permitirnos reparar el horno, no digamos comprar un nuevo coche",

[@eliezerjimenezsanchez8556]

@@octavisoler In this case I use "mucho menos", with your example would be "nosotros no podemos permitirnos reparar el horno, mucho menos comprar un nuevo coche". I have also heard the expressions "ni se diga".

[@eliezerjimenezsanchez8556]

@@tothepointenglishwithben. I think that "mucho menos" is the most usual form to say it.

[@tatianasecondin3667]

Let alone = Figurati (Italian)

[@mariosanhuezavillar5610]

Ben question, what are the differences between C2 and C1 exam? I want C2 certification. I heard that is possible to obtain C1 certification with the C2 exam but not viceversa. Is risky to take the C2 exam if i have a C1 level? Thanks

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

I think I replied to your Instagram question, right? If you don't need the certification for anything in particular, it's not too risky. In fact, you might find it more motivating than preparing for the C1 Advanced.

[@mariosanhuezavillar5610]

@@tothepointenglishwithben. Yes, i posted here also, thanks :), i thought you wouldnt answer me or you wouldnt see my post at the right time because too many people ask etc.

[@CuCuz305]

I'm not fluent in English, let alone in Korean. In French, we'd say "even less" (encore moins).

[@joannam6140]

In Polish it means: nie mówiąc już 😊

[@mh-lw1oe]

Or "a co dopiero"

[@ekzedex]

Why isn't the verbal noun used for the verb after "let alone"? For example, why is it "let alone BUY a new car" instead of "buying"?

[@LadyCell]

We just say the two sentences but with wondering intonation.

[@DhanabaYoga]

Let alone y mucho menos

[@anaelenam.670]

In Romanian - darmite. I can't swim in my pool, let alone in the ocean. 😊

[@IorMich]

This is translated into ''πόσο μάλλον'' in Greek.

[@anacastell8499]

You can translate it into Spanish as: "olvidate de " o "ni que decir tiene"

[@user-cc2ux9ew1r]

Any chance of explaining : * Notwithstanding * That would be lovely jubbly son? Perhaps sometime next week. Farewell for now and stay mellow 😂

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

I'll look into it, Freddie

[@user-cc2ux9ew1r]

Cheerio old chap ! Have a spiffing day.

[@viktoriyamochalova5047]

Hi Ben, Here is my example : She couldn't even get good score ,let alone enter an university. Am I correct? Or I don't even have solid B2 level of English, let alone speak English fluently and at length

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Great 👍

[@lostro4631]

In french " qu'est-ce que ça serait"

[@soniazip1599]

Direct from russian would be "not mentioning even"....

[@ronaldosales7538]

Can “let alone” be replaced by “leave”? Ex: leave C2 proficiency

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

No, it doesn't have the same meaning in this context

[@jamieteng8653]

In Korean, it could be '커녕', so for instance, 차를 사기는 커녕 나는 자전거도 살 수 없었다. Which means 'I could not afford a bike, let alone a car.

[@TheBajuno1]

In Spanish it would be " y mucho menos"

[@blancaggg7952]

In Spanish we could translate it by: ya ni hablemos de...

[@Joy-lg1kg]

Non riesco a parlare bene italiano, figuriamoci l'inglese. I can't speak Italian properly, let alone English!😊

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Nice example 😃

[@Joy-lg1kg]

Thanks!😄

[@Eagle81623]

Example about "let alone": I can't even eat a steamed cooked meat due to my stomach sensitivity,let alone a spicy pizza!!!!

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Good one 👍

[@study-fx6mw]

ولا حتي ! Let alone

[@katherinegill6015]

Natož

[@amelmoussaoui9836]

In french , encore moins

[@moria6333]

In Spanish we use...ni pensar en...ni de broma, ni soñando. By the way, for me it is difficult to speak English let alone French. 😂😂😂😂

[@emanoelpaulino1935]

Não consigo comprar uma moto quem dera um carro " Brazilian Portuguese " I can't even afford to buy a bike let alone a car

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Good example 👍

[@valeriacalvi2495]

"Que dirá" fits better in this case, because "quem dera" does not necessarily establish a relationship between two ideas while "que dirá" does. "Quem dera" is more like "I wish I bought a car".

[@emanoelpaulino1935]

@@valeriacalvi2495 temos uma professora de gramática aplicada aqui

[@vanessadimarco158]

Non so cucinare un uovo, figurati un pranzo completo.

[@englishunveiled7357]

This comment is for you Ben. "In 2022, I didn't expect West Ham to qualify for Europe, let alone win a Europen competition in 2023." Congrats, Ben (from a Liverpool fan).

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Ha ha! What an excellent example 👏👏👏

[@alessandraullu5748]

figurati...

[@martinjokes1610]

He can't afford a home let alone a flat

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Good. But, It would be more logical this way: "He can't afford a flat, let alone a house" because houses are usually more expensive than flats. (Home is very general)

[@martinjokes1610]

@@tothepointenglishwithben. thank you

[@sabrinasabi4177]

I've never been to China , let alone seeing the great wall 🧱 in real life !