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  • Hello. I'm Gill from www.engvid.com and we're having a lesson today on the verb "to use",

  • which is quite an interesting verb and it is used in different ways. So I'm going to

  • show you a few ways that we can use the verb "to use". Okay.

  • So: "use" in the past tense:

  • "used", and we also talk about being "used to", so I'll be showing you some examples

  • of the different ways of using "used to". Okay.

  • Let's just start with the simple meaning. Right, to use something, the simple meaning.

  • "I use a computer at work." Okay? I have a computer on my desk, I use it. It's part of

  • my job to use the computer. Okay?

  • "She uses a sat-nav in her car."

  • To help her find her direction,

  • how to go to somewhere when she doesn't know the way, a sat-nav machine in

  • her car. She uses. So, obviously, "use", "uses" depending on the person. I use, you use, but

  • he/she/it uses. We just add the "s" on the end in the present tense. Okay. And then just

  • the past tense, if I... If I... In the past I had a job where I used a computer at work,

  • so we could change that to past tense if we want to and say: "I used a computer at work",

  • just the same. Okay. So that's just the simple way of using "use".

  • So let's have a look at some more complicated ways of using this word. And the first one

  • is "to get used to" something. And you may have noticed when I said that I made more

  • of an "s" sound here: "used", "ss"; whereas with this one, it has a sort of "z": "to use".

  • "Use", but then when we come to this, "use", "used", "used to". Okay? So just remember

  • there is a slight change of pronunciation when you say "to get used to something". And

  • this is when you're adapting to a new situation, to get used to. You're probably having to

  • get used to the English language and all the complications in it, and the new vocabulary

  • that you're learning. You have to get used to a new language, adapt to it.

  • Okay, so looking at this first example, maybe this is someone who has moved from a hot country

  • to a cold one, and they're finding it very difficult in the winter because the winters

  • are cold and long. So, they might say:

  • "I can't get used to the long, cold winters."

  • It's really difficult to adapt, to get used to the long, cold winters. Okay? And then

  • this one, maybe someone who has started a new job and there are a lot of new things

  • to learn, so they're saying:

  • "There's a lot to learn in my new job, but I'm getting used to it.

  • I'm adapting gradually. I'm getting used to it."

  • Okay? So this is about adapting,

  • a gradual process of getting used to something.

  • Okay? So that's getting used to something.

  • And similarly: "to be used to". Again, it's the "s" sound, to be used to something is

  • when you have adapted or it was... It's always been like that. It's normal, it's a regular

  • situation. So there's nothing new here. It's something that you've always done or you've

  • done for a long time so it feels normal. So, you say:

  • "I'm used to getting up early".

  • "I'm used to", "to be", "I am", so that's part of the verb "to be".

  • "I am used to getting up early."

  • I'm not used to getting up early, but some people are. I find it very difficult,

  • getting up early. Oh dear, especially in the long, cold winters. Mmm. Okay:

  • "I'm used to getting", well, somebody. "He is used to getting up early." I'm not.

  • Oh, here's a negative one: "He's not used to driving on the left."

  • Maybe someone who's

  • moved countries, again, in his country they drive on the right, so he moves to a country

  • where they drive on the left, how confusing, and he's not used to driving on the left.

  • You can even have an accident if you're not used to it. I think you have to practice quite

  • carefully first. Not used to driving his car on the left. Okay?

  • And then finally in this section, again, the weather in this country, in the UK:

  • "We're used to wet weather in the UK." Okay?

  • "We are used to wet weather". It rains a lot,

  • especially in the autumn. Okay. And in the spring, and in the winter, and sometimes in

  • the summer as well, so it's very... It can be very wet here. You may not want to come

  • now I've told you that, but anyway. Perhaps you're here already. Anyway:

  • "We're used to wet weather in the UK."

  • And the longer you spend here, you... Easier you'll get used

  • to it as well. Okay, so that is the first part of the lesson. We have one more set of

  • examples which we'll be covering next.

  • Okay, so here is the final example of how "used" is used. When you say: "I used to".

  • So, again, we've got the "ss" sound, not "z". "Used to". We also don't really pronounce

  • the "d" much. "Used to", so we don't try to say: "Used to", it's too difficult. So:

  • "Used to", but it's spelt with the "d" but it's not really pronounced. "Used to". So, this

  • is something, the meaning of this is quite different from the other: "to get used to",

  • "to be used to". When you say: "I used to do something", it's something in the past,

  • something you did in the past, but you don't do it now. Okay?

  • So, for example: "I used to live in North London."

  • Okay? "I used to". At one time I

  • lived in North London, but not now. Now I live in South London. Okay. The river... The

  • river divides London, and the areas are very specific. People in North London don't like

  • to go to South London, and people in South London don't like to go to North London sometimes.

  • It's a bit of a... The river is a big divide. Anyway:

  • "I used to live in North London, but I'm happy to say I now live in South London." Okay.

  • "She used to play tennis, but then she hurt her knee"

  • -she had an injury, something happened to hurt her knee-

  • "and she had to stop", had to stop playing tennis. She used to play.

  • She used to play. At one time she played tennis, but not now because she hurt her knee. Okay?

  • Another one: "I used to work full time",

  • to work full time, that means from say 9 or 10

  • o'clock in the morning through to 5 or 5:30 at night, so like seven hours, the full day.

  • And that's usually Monday to Friday for a lot of people. That's full time, about 35-36

  • hours a week is full time. So: "I used to work full time". The opposite of full time

  • is part time. It's called part time.

  • "...but I only work in the afternoons now". Okay,

  • so: "I used to work full time, but now I'm part time. I only work in the afternoons now."

  • Okay.

  • And finally, this is where you see somebody and they look familiar, you think:

  • "I know that person. Where do I know that person from?"

  • And then you think back years and years and

  • years to when you were at school:

  • "Ah, we were at school together all those years ago.

  • So you say: "Ah, we used to go to the same school, didn't we? We used to go to the same

  • school, didn't we?" We don't go there now because we're too old to go to school.

  • "We used to go to the same school, didn't we?" And then the other person might pretend not

  • to recognize you. It depends, you know, what your relationship was at school, whether you

  • were friends or not.

  • But anyway, I hope those examples and the earlier ones have helped to show how this

  • interesting verb: "to use" can be used. So, to take it a little bit further,

  • we have a quiz on the website: www.engvid.com.

  • Please go there and try the quiz, see how you do.

  • And please, if you'd like to, subscribe to my YouTube channel.

  • And hope to see you again soon.

  • Bye for now.

Hello. I'm Gill from www.engvid.com and we're having a lesson today on the verb "to use",

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