Informal Vocabulary and Grammar: two meanings of "used"
Informal Vocabulary and Grammar: two meanings of "used"
05:56
April 29, 2022
Description
One of my students recently asked me about these uses of this word. One is more like a verb and is about the past, while the second is more like an adjective and means "accustomed to" or "OK with." Consider these examples: Like a verb: When I was a kid, I used to ride my bike all over the countryside. I wish I had time for that now. People used to sail across the ocean without any maps or GPS. Writers used to write with typewriters. Now they type on computers, unless they’re really cool. I used to be a child. Then I grew up and now I’m an adult. We used to believe that the earth was the centre of the universe. Now we know it isn’t. Like an adjective: When I started teaching I was always tired, but now I am used to getting up early, because many of my students live overseas. Nowadays, the internet is so normal that everyone is used to it, but when it was invented, it was very confusing for most people. If you live in a very warm country, when you visit Canada you’ll want to come in the summertime, since you won’t be used to the cold in winter. Some people are very arrogant because they are used to everyone else saying yes to them all the time. It has been hard for students and professors, but they are used to online learning now. Polar bears don’t really get cold. They are used to it. To get used to something: When she moved to Canada, it took her a long time to get used to the winters, but now she loves them. When he complained about doing chores, his father said, “Get used to it, life is work.” Both meanings: I used to live in the countryside, but now I am used to living in the city. You need to get used to using the internet all the time to live in the modern world—life isn’t so simple as it used to be!
Podcast Channel
Informal English with Eric
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