1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: I used to drink a lot of coffee all day, 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:07,240 but these days I tend to just have a cup 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,359 or two in the morning, so I'm drinking less coffee. Sure, 4 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:16,519 it was hard to get used to, but now that 5 00:00:17,039 --> 00:00:23,039 I'm used to it, it's all good. 6 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 2: Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming to you from 7 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,839 New York City. And here's your English teacher, Michael. 8 00:00:31,559 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 1: All right, thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael 9 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:41,799 here from Happy English and I help people speak English better. 10 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:47,520 And this is Happy English Podcast, Episode eight sixty two. 11 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:54,039 Used to be used to and get used to. Hello, 12 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:58,600 and welcome and thanks for joining me for another episode 13 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:03,000 of the Happy English Podcast. Today we're checking out something 14 00:01:03,039 --> 00:01:06,799 that looks simple, but I've seen it trip up a 15 00:01:06,879 --> 00:01:10,359 lot of English learners. Now I'm talking about used to 16 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:16,040 be used to and get used to. Yeah, they all 17 00:01:16,159 --> 00:01:20,599 kind of look the same, but they mean totally different things. 18 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:26,359 So let's break it down together, starting with used to. 19 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,640 We use used to when we talk about something from 20 00:01:31,719 --> 00:01:37,000 the past, something that you did regularly, or something that 21 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:43,359 was true before. But it's not anymore Like me. I 22 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:47,239 used to live in New York, YEP. I lived there 23 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:51,159 practically my whole life. But now I'm living in Japan, 24 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,239 so that life in New York that's in the past. 25 00:01:55,959 --> 00:02:00,400 I used to live there, and wow, I used to 26 00:02:00,519 --> 00:02:03,879 drink ic coffee even in the middle of the winter. 27 00:02:04,719 --> 00:02:09,680 Crazy right, These days, hot coffee is more my thing, 28 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,759 even though it's hot as heck outside in the morning. 29 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,199 And you know what else, My buddy David used to 30 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:21,759 play in a blues band, and now he plays in 31 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:27,080 a Rolling Stones tribute band. They're pretty good too. So again, 32 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:34,960 used to is all about the past, past habits, past situations, 33 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,199 stuff that's not part of your life now. I'm sure 34 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,439 you can think of something you used to do when 35 00:02:42,439 --> 00:02:45,759 you were younger, right, but you don't do it now. 36 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:51,879 You used to do it now. Here's the part that 37 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:57,919 gets confusing, because then we've got be used to. Be 38 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:02,120 used to is all about out right now. When you 39 00:03:02,199 --> 00:03:06,680 say you are used to something, it means it feels 40 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:11,560 normal to you. You're comfortable with it, It doesn't feel 41 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:15,400 strange anymore. Let me give you an example. Back in 42 00:03:15,479 --> 00:03:18,800 New York, I wasn't used to taking off my shoes 43 00:03:19,159 --> 00:03:23,280 before going into someone's house. That's just not something we 44 00:03:23,479 --> 00:03:26,400 do a lot in the US. But here in Japan. 45 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:31,479 You take off your shoes everywhere, at people's homes, sometimes 46 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:36,800 even at schools or clinics. So at first it felt 47 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:42,400 a little strange, but now I am totally used to it. 48 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,520 It feels weird not to take off my shoes now, 49 00:03:45,879 --> 00:03:50,599 so again I'm used to It means something feels normal 50 00:03:50,719 --> 00:03:54,840 to me. Now I've had enough experience with that and 51 00:03:55,319 --> 00:04:00,199 it's just part of my life. And I'll tell you 52 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:03,599 something that I am not used to hear, and that 53 00:04:04,039 --> 00:04:08,439 is the heat and humidity. Don't get me wrong, it's 54 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,039 hot in the summer in New York. But the high 55 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:17,959 temperatures and the mugginess, that's gonna take time to get 56 00:04:18,199 --> 00:04:23,759 used to, get used to. You know, get has a 57 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:28,399 lot of meanings, and one of them is become. So 58 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:33,480 when you are getting used to something, it still feels 59 00:04:33,519 --> 00:04:39,240 a little new or uncomfortable, but you're adjusting, you're adapting. 60 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,480 You're not there yet, but you're on the way. Like 61 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,879 right now, I'm still getting used to the Japanese summer. 62 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:53,439 It's hot, it's humid, the cicadas are loud, and at 63 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:57,639 first I thought, how do people survive this? But now 64 00:04:58,079 --> 00:05:03,040 I'm slowly getting used to it. I still sweat like crazy, 65 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,800 but I don't complain as much. And then let's talk 66 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:11,879 about driving here. In Japan, they drive on the left 67 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:15,040 side of the road and on the right side of 68 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,720 the car. For my whole adult life, I've been driving 69 00:05:18,759 --> 00:05:22,040 on the right side of the road. But here it's 70 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:27,360 a challenge. For sure. Driving here is not automatic like 71 00:05:27,439 --> 00:05:31,120 it is back in the States. I make some why turns. 72 00:05:32,079 --> 00:05:34,839 I turned on the windshield wipers instead of the turn 73 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:39,680 sall a few times, But little by little I'm getting 74 00:05:39,879 --> 00:05:43,800 used to it. Hopefully I'll get used to it soon. 75 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:49,000 So to sum up in a little story, I used 76 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,600 to live in New York. Now I'm used to living 77 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:58,439 in Japan. But I'm still getting used to driving here. Phew, 78 00:05:59,439 --> 00:06:04,720 one day I'll be ready. And hey, this pattern happens 79 00:06:04,759 --> 00:06:08,160 a lot in life. Maybe you used to hate coffee, 80 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:12,920 but now you're used to drinking it every day. Maybe 81 00:06:12,959 --> 00:06:18,000 you're still getting used to speaking English at work. That's okay, 82 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:21,800 it takes time, all right. There's one more point I 83 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:26,319 want to help you with. There's often confusion between use 84 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:34,120 to and used two. Let me spell that out for you. 85 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:47,120 Use too, us two and used two used two. One 86 00:06:47,199 --> 00:06:51,839 reason for the confusion is the sound, so let me 87 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:57,279 help you. We use use to without the D in 88 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:03,480 negatives and question, like I didn't used to drive on 89 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:07,839 the left, or didn't you used to live in New Jersey. 90 00:07:08,959 --> 00:07:15,639 The pronunciation between used to and used to is basically 91 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:19,920 the same. Just be careful when you write it in 92 00:07:19,959 --> 00:07:25,439 a positive sentence it's used too with a D, and 93 00:07:25,759 --> 00:07:29,279 in a negative sentence or a question, it's us to 94 00:07:30,199 --> 00:07:37,680 without the D. Okay, wrapping things up. We use used 95 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,600 to used to when we talk about something that was 96 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,839 true in the past, but it's not true now. I 97 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,000 used to live in New York. And remember when you 98 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:54,279 write negatives or questions, it's used to without the D. 99 00:07:55,639 --> 00:07:59,319 We use be used to when we talk about something 100 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,879 that was its range or uncomfortable at first, but it 101 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:07,920 feels normal now you're comfortable with it. I am used 102 00:08:07,959 --> 00:08:11,519 to taking off my shoes when I go to someone's house. 103 00:08:12,199 --> 00:08:16,360 And we use get used to when we talk about 104 00:08:16,439 --> 00:08:21,480 the process of adjusting to something new, like I'm getting 105 00:08:21,639 --> 00:08:26,000 used to driving on the left. It's really all about 106 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:30,879 where you are in your experience with something the past, 107 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:35,519 present or in progress. All right, and now it's your 108 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:39,559 turn what's something you used to do but you don't 109 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:44,480 do it anymore. What's something you're still getting used to 110 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:48,960 right now? Come share it with me on Instagram at 111 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,360 Happy English and why, or drop me a message. If 112 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:58,200 you're listening on Spotify or Speaker, thanks as always for listening. 113 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:02,120 And remember the best to remember English like this and 114 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:05,360 any other word or phrase in English is to take 115 00:09:05,399 --> 00:09:08,960 that word or phrase write it in a sentence that's 116 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:13,080 true for you or true in your world. Then memorize 117 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:17,639 your sentences. And if you really want to get more 118 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:21,919 practice using your English, well, you should join my podcast 119 00:09:22,039 --> 00:09:26,840 Learner's study group. There you can make new international friends, 120 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:30,799 join us for live group lessons every week where we 121 00:09:30,919 --> 00:09:36,399 practice these podcasts lessons together. Plus you get access to 122 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:41,240 the PDF, transcript and audio download for every Happy English 123 00:09:41,279 --> 00:09:45,360 podcast in the past and in the future. And on 124 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:49,039 top of that, each episode has exercises where you can 125 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:54,559 practice this English point with speaking and writing checked by me. Yeah. 126 00:09:54,639 --> 00:09:58,159 To learn more, well, just visit Myhappy English dot com 127 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:04,320 Choose podcast lesson eight sixty two. Remember, learning another language 128 00:10:04,399 --> 00:10:08,080 is not easy, but it's not impossible, and I'm here 129 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:11,759 to help you on your journey. 130 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:15,799 Speaker 2: This podcast is brought to you by Happy English. Please 131 00:10:15,879 --> 00:10:20,440 visit Myhappy english dot com. Show your support for Happy 132 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:24,200 English by leading us a review. Get English, Get Happy, 133 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:35,840 Happy English.