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full-time.'
To make questions, we use the normal auxiliary did. Note that used to cannot be
used in question tag form. Note also the possible/probable replies to used to
questions.
Study the following examples:
" 'Did you use to go ice-skating when you were young?' 'No, I never did.'
" 'Didn't you use to ring the school to say you were ill and then play poker with
Sam?' 'I sometimes did, yeah!'
" 'You used to do ballet in the church hall, didn't you?' 'Yes, I did. Every
Saturday between the ages of nine and twelve.'
be used to + noun or -ing
get used to + noun or -ing
If somebody gets or is used to something, he becomes or is fully familiar with it. It
is no longer strange or awkward. It can refer to past, present or future experiences.
Study the following:
" 'These are very high heels, I know, but I'm sure you'll get used to (wearing)
them.'
" 'I wasn't used to living in such a small flat and I found it really hard at first.'
" 'I'm used to all the noise now, but I'd always lived in the country before, you
see, where it is very quiet.'
" 'I never got used to shaking hands with people all the time when I lived
there. It's just not the custom in our country.'
" 'Are you getting used to the accent now? It's very different from standard
English, isn't it?
In all of the above examples be or get used to can be replaced by be or become
accustomed to which is very similar in meaning, if a little more formal.
Read through them again using these replacement verbs. So, just to recap and
confirm:
" 'When I lived in Mexico, I used to drink tequila at every opportunity.' (A
regular habit then, but probably not now.)
" 'I found it quite a strong drink at first, but I soon got used to it.' (It quickly
became quite palatable.)
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verbs with adverbial particles
Amin, studying English in New Zealand, writes:
Many times I have heard sentences like these:
" I'll just pop into the supermarket.
" You can pop over to this office any time tomorrow.
I understand the meaning, but I am not sure how to use them.
What are the differences between pop into and pop over? And how about pop out?
Can we say pop out somewhere?
I would be most grateful if you could tell me which sentences in those settings (along
with prepositions) are most common.
These verbs with adverbial particles or prepositions are extremely common in
informal idiomatic English and are often preferred to a single verb equivalent.
Compare the following:
" I decided to lay on transport for everybody as the train drivers were on
strike.
" I decided to provide transport for everybody as the train drivers were on
strike.
Informally, we would be more likely to say and write the first of these two
possibilities, whereas in more formal English we might write the second of these two:
" Alternative transport was laid on for all employees throughout the train
drivers strike.
" Alternative transport was provided for all employees throughout the train
drivers strike.
The problem with phrasal verbs (verb plus preposition or verb plus adverbial particle)
is that the meaning of the two-word (or sometimes three-word) verb is very different
from the meaning of the two parts taken separately.
Lay on is not the same as lay + on:
" I lay on the bed thinking about what to do next. (lay on = was in a
horizontal position on)
" Caroline laid on a wonderful spread of food for everyone. (laid on =
provided)
Let s have a look at how pop is used with either particles or prepositions:
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pop into pop in pop out pop off
pop over pop round pop down pop up
In all of these examples with pop, Amin, all the prepositions function as adverbial
particles, not as prepositions with objects except for:
" He popped into the shop.
They are all similar in meaning with the adverbial particle indicating direction, except
for pop off which has a more distinctive meaning and is not quite so common.
Compare the following:
" My new neighbours across the road had just moved in so I popped over to
see them.
" I was passing by, noticed the light was on, so thought I would just pop in for
a chat.
" I m going to pop out to the shops for ten minutes. Don t answer the door if
anyone calls.
" My friend, Dora, lives in the flat above me. So she often pops down if she
needs anything, or I might pop up to see her if I m feeling lonely.
" I hadn t seen him for years. Then he just popped up one day at the club we
used to belong to.
" I may be 85 and I may have to use a stick to get around, but I ve no
intention of popping off yet.
In the first five examples above, we might define pop + particle as appearing or
disappearing (popping out) briefly and casually. In the sixth example it means
appearing unexpectedly. And in the final example it is a euphemism for dying.
Of course, we can also use pop in its original literal sense, meaning to burst open
with a short sharpish sound.
" He had shaken the champagne bottle and the cork popped out before he
was ready to pour.
When you are learning phrasal verbs, it is safest to assume that for each one each
particle introduces a different meaning and sometimes more than one meaning!
Let s compare the following pairs. Are they similar or different in meaning?
drop off pop off
drop in/by pop in
drop out pop out
drop over pop over
" Could you give me a lift in your car and drop me off at the station? (= let me
get out)
" The lecture was so boring that I dropped off half way through. (= fell into a
light sleep)
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" Drop by any time you re passing. You don t need to phone first. (= pay a
casual visit)
" He dropped out after a term - he just wasn t prepared to study. (= left
college early)
" I opened the car door carelessly and my purse dropped out. (= fell out)
" I dropped over to see her because I knew she wasn t feeling well. (paid a
casual call).
Learning phrasal verbs is probably a lifetime s work and if you want to do it well, it s
probably worth getting hold of (= obtaining) or lashing out on (= spending a
substantial sum of money on) a dictionary of current idiomatic English which pays
attention to verbs with prepositions and particles. I emphasise the word  current as
idioms come into and go out of fashion.
The reward is that if you can use them appropriately in context, they are
distinguishing marks of a native-like command of English.
wedding or marriage?
Morena Diego from Italy asks:
Could you please explain to me the difference between wedding and marriage?
wedding / wed
A wedding is a marriage ceremony which is held in church or a registry office and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]