English course

Lesson 193 of 240

New here? This is lesson 193 of a free 240-lesson English course.

Start hereHow this works

Moving on in English

Danny will not drop the empty jukebox slot. Dee has heard this story too many times, and she is done with it.

You'll learn how to close a topic and move on. These lines help you stop a talk that has gone on long enough.

You'll say you have covered it, leave it for later, or change the subject. You do not have to finish every story today.

By the end of this lesson

Close a topic and move on to the next one.

  • Let's leave it at that for now.Let's stop here and not add more.
  • Let's talk about something else.This topic is finished; I want a new one.
  • We can come back to that later.We can talk about this again another time.
  • I think we've covered that.I think we have said enough about this.
  • I won't go into that now.I will not explain this further right now.
  • That's a story for another time.That story can wait until another time.

Scene — the same old slot

Late afternoon at the Blue Plate. Danny is at the counter with a dish towel on his shoulder. He keeps coming back to the jukebox.

Dee holds the coffee pot and does not want to hear it again. Ana sits two stools down. Murray's coffee is still unfinished. The jukebox by the door stays quiet.

Danny leans at the counter while Dee holds the coffee pot and Murray sits beside his unfinished coffee, with the jukebox quiet by the door.

Learn — close it and move on

Six lines help you close a topic. You can stop, change the subject, or save the rest for later.

You'll also hear a line for a long story you will not tell today.

  1. Dee lifts a hand toward Danny as she holds the coffee pot, gently signaling that she wants to stop the jukebox topic.

    Let's leave it at that for now.

    Let's stop here and not add more.

    When to use it: Say this when you want to stop a topic for now.

    Let's is a short form of let us, learned as one piece.

    Say it: Let's is short. The two words sound like one.

  2. Ana turns on her stool away from the jukebox and opens a hand toward Dee to suggest changing the subject.

    Let's talk about something else.

    This topic is finished; I want a new one.

    When to use it: Say this when you want a new topic, not the old one.

    Something else means a new topic, not the same one.

  3. Murray sits beside his unfinished coffee and makes a small deferring gesture toward the quiet jukebox down the counter.

    We can come back to that later.

    We can talk about this again another time.

    When to use it: Say this when you pause a topic and may return later.

    Come back to that means you will talk about it again later.

  4. Dee lowers the coffee pot and turns along the counter, closing the topic while Danny listens nearby.

    I think we've covered that.

    I think we have said enough about this.

    When to use it: Say this when the group has already said enough.

    We've is we have, learned as one piece.

    Say it: We've is short. The two words sound like one.

  5. Danny steps back from the quiet jukebox without playing anything and turns toward the counter.

    I won't go into that now.

    I will not explain this further right now.

    When to use it: Say this when you will not explain more right now.

    Won't is will not, learned as one piece.

    Say it: Stress won't. Do not make it sound like want.

  6. Murray looks toward the window beside his unfinished coffee instead of continuing the jukebox discussion.

    That's a story for another time.

    That story can wait until another time.

    When to use it: Say this when the full story is too long for now.

    This line says a longer story can wait until later.

Story — danny will not drop it

Watch Danny keep talking about the empty slot. Dee wants to close it and move on.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned.

  1. Danny leans on the counter. He looks at the jukebox.
  2. DannyI'm telling you, B7 is gonna play any day now.He still believes the empty slot will play soon.
  3. DeeI think we've covered that.I think we have said enough about this.
  4. DannyI mean, when it plays, the one who left comes back.He repeats the block story about who returns.
  5. DeeLet's leave it at that for now.Let's stop here and not add more.
  6. The jukebox clicks over by itself. It plays nothing.
  7. AnaWe can come back to that later.We can talk about this again another time.
  8. DannyLater? I've been waiting on that slot for years.He does not want to stop talking about it.
  9. DeeLet's talk about something else. You want pie?This topic is finished; I want a new one.
  10. DannyYeah. Peach, if you still have it.He wants peach pie, if Dee still has some.
  11. AnaMurray, do you know more about B7?She asks Murray if he can tell her more about the jukebox.
  12. MurrayI won't go into that now.I will not explain this further right now.
  13. AnaDee, did you work here when your mother ran the diner?She asks Dee about working at the diner with her mother.
  14. DeeThat's a story for another time.That story can wait until another time.
  15. DannyFine. I'll drop it. For now.He agrees to stop, but only for a short time.
  16. DeeLet's come back to this later, hon.We will talk about this again another time.

Practice — stop, pause, or change

Ten quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay small, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    English

    Let's talk about something else.Drop the Simple English here
    We can come back to that later.Drop the Simple English here
    I think we've covered that.Drop the Simple English here
    I won't go into that now.Drop the Simple English here
    That's a story for another time.Drop the Simple English here

    Simple English

    Drag a Simple English line onto its English, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What does it mean?

    That's a story for another time.

  4. What do you say?

    Danny is still talking about the empty slot. You want a new topic now.

  5. Fill the gap

    I think we have said enough about this.

    I think we've ____ that.

  6. Build the line

    I will not explain this further right now.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Pick the reply

    Danny says:

    Can we talk about B7 again another time?

    He asks if you can discuss the topic later.

    And you reply with:

  8. Swap the word

    You have already said enough about this topic. Finish the line.

    I think we've ____ that.

  9. True or false?

    This line means you will never talk about this again.

  10. What do you say?

    A long meeting is over. You want to end it for today, not keep talking.

Say it — leave it for now

Now you're Ana at the counter. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap play first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. DannyI'm telling you, B7 is gonna play any day now.He still believes the empty slot will play soon.
  2. Ana (you)Tell him this topic has had enough talk.

    I think we've covered that.

    I think we have said enough about this.

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

EnglishSimple English
Let's leave it at that for now.Let's stop here and not add more.
Let's talk about something else.This topic is finished; I want a new one.
We can come back to that later.We can talk about this again another time.
I think we've covered that.I think we have said enough about this.
I won't go into that now.I will not explain this further right now.
That's a story for another time.That story can wait until another time.
Next: lesson 194Storm day indoors

Save your progress — it’s free

Keep your place in the course and see which lines you’ve learned.

Want the next lesson in your inbox?

Get the next lesson by email, one a day.

Where should we start?
Join the newsletter

Daily lesson emails are coming soon. Newsletter subscribers get them first.

Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps these lines ready when a talk runs long.

Open Yak Cards