Hey there! This is TOP episode 328. Everything you need to know about ‘KNOW’.
*You read English. You understand English. You’ve been learning for years, but when it’s time to speak your mind just freezes, and the words don’t come out. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. My name’s Ola, and this is Teacher Ola Podcast. I’m here to help you finally speak out loud. This isn’t about perfect grammar or fancy vocabulary. This is about your voice. Your words. Your real English.
*Good evening and welcome back to the show. I’m really glad you’re here, because today we’re taking a very small word and looking at it from every possible angle. And by the end of this episode, you’ll realise that this tiny word is doing much more work in your English than you probably thought.
Before we do just that, I want to tell you about something that’s coming up very soon. On the 8th of March, I’m running a live class called “Present Not That Simple.” And the reason I’m mentioning it now is because today’s episode connects to it more than you might expect.
And here’s the interesting part: “know” is one of those verbs that we most often use in the Present Simple. We say, “I know,” “I don’t know,” “Do you know?” We use it to talk about facts, certainty, opinions, awareness. But we don’t usually say, “I am knowing.” That sounds wrong, right? And there’s a reason for that.
“Know” is what we call a state verb. It describes a state, not an action. And this is exactly the kind of thing that makes the present tenses tricky. Because it’s not only about time. It’s about meaning. It’s about whether something is a process, an action, a repeated habit or a state.
So today, while we’re exploring this tiny word “know,” you’ll also start noticing how it behaves in the present.
And this is exactly the kind of clarity we’re going to build in the live class “Present Not That Simple” on the 8th of March. If you’ve ever felt that the present tenses are simple… but not that simple — then this class is for you. Sign up at teacherola.com/simple.
Now, let’s get into it.
*Today we’re talking about a very small word. The word is “know”. Four letters. That’s it. But the number of ways we use it? Huge.
Let’s start with the basics. “Know” is an irregular verb. It goes: know, knew, known. So we say, “I know the answer,” “Yesterday I knew the answer,” and “I’ve known her for years.” If you’re learning English, this is one of those verbs you just have to remember. There’s no shortcut. You just need to know it.
So what does “know” actually mean? At its core, it means that something is already in your head. You’ve learned it, you’re familiar with it, or you’re sure about it. If I say, “I don’t know what this word means,” it means the information isn’t in my brain yet. If I say, “How well do you know Gina?” I’m asking about your familiarity with her. And if I say, “I knew you would say that,” that’s about certainty. I was sure.
Now let’s get into how we actually use this verb in real life, because this is where things get interesting.
*First pattern: know plus a noun. For example:
“I know Peter.”
“Do you know this song?”
“I know London quite well.”
This is about familiarity. If you say, “I know her,” it means you’ve met her, you’ve talked to her, you’re not strangers. And if you add an adverb, like “well” or “very well,” you’re describing the level of familiarity. “I know him very well” sounds close, maybe even personal. “I don’t really know him” creates distance. It suggests you’ve met, but that’s about it.
*Second pattern: know about something. For example:
“He doesn’t know about the accident.”
“She knows a lot about psychology.”
Here we’re talking about having information about a topic or a situation. There’s a big difference between “I know her” and “I know about her.” The second one sounds like gossip. You’ve heard things, you have information, but you don’t necessarily have a relationship with that person.
*Third pattern: know of. This one is subtle. If I say:
“I know of him,”
it means I’ve heard the name. I’m aware he exists. But I don’t actually know him. It’s distant. Imagine someone says, “Do you know any good graphic designers?” and you say:
“I know of someone.”
That means you’ve heard about them, maybe someone recommended them once, but you don’t have personal experience. You’re not ready to say, “Yes, I know them, they’re brilliant.”
*Next, we have know plus a that-clause. For example:
“I know that you’re tired.”
“Did you know that Helen moved abroad?”
“Did you know that Sarah has moved out?”
This is about facts. You’re talking about your awareness of something that is true. When you say “I know that…”, you sound certain. Confident. It’s not a guess. It’s not a feeling. It’s something you believe is a fact.
*Then we move to know plus a question word: what, where, why, how, who, when. For example:
“Do you know where the nearest bus stop is?”
Notice something important here. We don’t say, “Do you know where is the bus stop?” That sounds like a direct question. After “know,” the word order becomes normal: subject plus verb.
“Do you know where the bus stop is?”
This structure is everywhere in spoken English.
“I don’t know why he left.”
“She knows what she wants.”
It’s all about information. It’s about your familiarity with the circumstances, the reasons, the details.
*And finally, know plus a question word plus to infinitive. For example:
“I know how to swim.”
“She doesn’t know what to say.”
“Do you know how to fix this?”
This is about skills or practical knowledge. “I know how to drive” means I have the skill. “I don’t know what to do” means I’m confused about the next step. I don’t have that knowledge. I don’t have that plan.
*Now let’s talk about collocations. These are words that naturally go together with “know.” You’ll often hear,
“I know exactly what you mean.”
That “exactly” adds precision. Or, “I don’t know for certain,” which means you’re not completely sure.
*“She knows full well what she’s doing”
is interesting because it suggests the person is pretending not to know, but actually they do. And
“You know perfectly well”
often sounds slightly accusatory. Like, “You know perfectly well why I’m upset.” That’s emotional. That’s not neutral.
You’ll also hear
“Let me know.”
That’s one of the most common phrases in English. It simply means “tell me.” And “get to know” is about the process.
“It takes time to get to know someone.”
You don’t instantly know a person deeply. It builds over time.
*Now let’s move to set phrases, because this is where your English becomes really natural.
If someone says, “That exam was awful,” and you reply,
“I know,”
you’re not saying you have information. You’re saying you agree. It’s emotional agreement.
On the other hand,
“I don’t know about that”
is often polite disagreement. Someone says, “That diet works for everyone.” You say, “I don’t know about that.” You’re softening your doubt. It’s much nicer than saying, “That’s rubbish.”
*“You know?” at the end of a sentence is very conversational.
“It was kind of awkward, you know?”
You’re inviting the other person to connect with you. You’re checking that they feel the same.
“You know” can mean something else though. If you add it into your sentence, somewhere in the middle, it’s a clever way to add extra information. For example:
“Adam, you know, my cousin, is getting married. Again.”
You’re helping the listener remember who Adam is.
“You know” has one more very useful function. It gives you time. It’s a filler. Of course, you sound more confident without fillers, but sometimes you just need one to fill a pause.
“What is with Adam? You know… I mean… he’s acting so weird.”
*“You know what I mean?”
is how you check if the other person is following your idea. You’re making sure they’re still with you.
*“You never know” is optimistic or uncertain. “Maybe she’ll say yes. You never know.” It leaves the door open for possibility. Things can still turn out better than you expect.
*“Not that I know of”
is interesting. Imagine someone asks, “Is Jackie at home?” And you say, “Not that I know of.” You’re basically saying, “As far as I’m aware, no. But I could be wrong.” It protects you. You’re not taking full responsibility for the information.
*Speaking of that, we also use “As far as I know.” For example:
“As far as I know, the only vegetarian at work is Carl.”
This means, “This is what I believe to be true, but I don’t have complete information.” It’s very useful when you don’t want to sound too confident.
*Then there’s
“For all I know.”
If someone doesn’t answer their phone, you might say, “For all I know, he’s still sleeping.” It means this is your guess. This is what you think might be true, but you really don’t have solid information.
*And finally, let’s talk about “knowing” at the beginning of a sentence. For example:
“Knowing Tom, he’ll be late.”
“Knowing John, he won’t be home till three in the morning.”
This doesn’t mean you are in the process of knowing. It means you’re making a prediction based on their personality. You’re saying, “Because I know what he’s like, I can guess what will happen.” It’s about experience. It’s about understanding someone’s character.
And this is actually a perfect place to invite you a little bit further.
Because knowing vocabulary and knowing grammar rules is one thing. But using them naturally, confidently, in real time, that’s not that simple.
That’s exactly why I’m inviting you to my live webinar called “Present Not That Simple.” We’re going to look at the present tenses in English in a way that finally makes them clear, practical, and usable in real conversations.
It’s happening on the 8th of March, and I would absolutely love to see you there. If today’s episode made you realise that even a simple word like “know” has layers, then imagine what we can do with the present tenses together.
Join me on the 8th of March for “Present Not That Simple.” And until then, keep listening, keep practising, and keep getting to know English a little bit better every day.
Now it’s time for you to practice so listen and repeat Out Loud Let’s Go!
I know London quite well.
He doesn’t know about the accident.
I don’t know about that
It was kind of awkward, you know?
She doesn’t know what to say.
I know of someone.
I know that you’re tired.
You know what I mean?
As far as I know, the only vegetarian at work is Carl.
Knowing Tom, he’ll be late.
That’s all from me for now. Don’t forget to head to teacherola.com/328 and grab your free worksheet. Learning is revising, so grab that worksheet and practice.And if you want to learn more about present simple, find your gaps and spot old mistakes you keep making out of habit…, sign up now at teacherola.com/simple .The webinar Present Not That Simple takes place on the 8th March 2026. Thank you so much for listening. Stay fearless, take care, and say it out loud. I love you, I believe in you, I know you are ready to speak English. I’m your teacher, Teacher Ola, and you’ve been listening to Teacher Ola Podcast. BYE FOR NOW!