If you look in the dictionary, you will see that “albeit” is a synonym for “although.” While they are similar in meaning, they can‘t be used interchangeably. They are similar in that they both introduce information that conflicts with other information, whether in the same sentence or in wider context. They are dissimilar in that “albeit” cannot be used to introduce an independent clause, whereas “although” can.

In today’s lesson, we saw the phrasal verbs “play to” and “play on” in regards to someone’s emotions or feelings. Both phrasal verbs are often used to describe behavior that is manipulative, dishonest or having an ulterior motive.

“Play to” means that someone is trying to get the attention of or gratify someone or someone’s feelings.

Imagine an orchestra “playing to” an audience. The orchestra’s goal is to impress the specific people watching. That’s the sense of “play to.“

“Play on” is like “play to” but with an additional nuance: The goal is usually to gain an advantage or evoke a response. In this lesson, it refers to the way advertisements take advantage of people’s emotions, fears or insecurities in order to increase their sales.

And yet there’s another phrase: “play with.” It’s just like “play on” except it conveys a general disregard for a

person’s feelings, not necessarily to evoke a response or gain an advantage. Imagine a child playing with a toy: There’s no intention except to enjoy the toy. For that reason, “play with” has a synonym: “toy with.” For example: He’s toying with my feelings.

The structure “be it A or B” is a shortened version of “whether it is A or B.” It‘s an old, formal structure that is sometimes used in speech and writing to list examples or possibilities. For example, in today’s lesson, the speaker said, “I think companies should support vulnerable groups, like parents, be it through paid leave, remote work, or other subsidies.” Here, we could also say “whether it is through paid leave, remote work, or other subsidies” to list the possible options as well.

The plural versions “be they” or “whether they are” are also still in use. For example, “We should support employees be they parents or childless.”