Lesson 8b- USED TO - Part 2

The answer: Before Jennifer became a mother, playing the piano was a normal part of her life. After she had children, she had to learn to change and accept that there was less time to play.
This third structure “get used to” expresses that someone becomes familiar or comfortable with a situation or activity. The antithesis is on becoming, becoming a custom to something.(contrast with “be used to”=already familiar or comfortable).

Consider these two examples:

*I had to get used to playing less often. This means I learned to become comfortable with having less time to play. It became a normal situation.

*I quickly got used to an electronic keyboard.This means it was strange at first to play on an electronic keyboard, but I quickly became comfortable with it.

Now let’s take a look at form.

*I had to get used to playing less often.

[get used to + (_ing form of verb)]

*I quickly got used to an electronic keyboard.

[get used to + noun/pronoun]

In these two examples, you see the structure “get used to” requires an object. That object can be a gerund (_ing  form of  verb) or noun/pronoun. The verb “get” can be used in the past, present, or  future and it agrees with the subject.

Exercise 2: Read the question, watch the video clip, and then answer the question.When you answer, try to use one of the three structures “used to”, “be used to” or “get used to”..
Example: Is Carol a good bowler?
“Were you a good bowler?_I used to be.I won many trophies.”
Answer: (short answer)
     She used to be.
Or           (Complete answer)
She used to be a good bowler.

1.*Did Yoland stop playing the piano?

*What kind of work did he do in Belgium?

“Where are you from?_I’m from Belgium.”
“And what do you do?_I play the piano”
“Do you give lessons?_I used to…in Belgium.”
“And what do you do now?_ I’m the company pianist for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater”
The answer:
-No, he didn’t
-He used to give piano lessons in Belgium.

2. What was different about driving in the U.S. for Yoland?

“How is your life here in the States different from your life back home?_Oh, well… just one thing would be driving a..an automatic. I used to drive a stick shift. So I had to get used to that.”
The answer is: He used to drive a stick shift.
He had to get used to driving an automatic.

3. What was different about shopping in the U.S. for Yoland?

“Is anything else different?_Um…shopping at night. I had to get used to shopping at night.In Belgium, all the stores close around 6…6:30. And here in the U.S., they open until 10…10:30 everynight.”
The answer is:
He wasn’t used to shopping at night.

Exercise 3: Answer the questions in complete sentences. Try to use one of the three structures “used to”, “be used to” or “get used to”.

1. (Get used to)

Name something that wasn’t easy for you to do at first, but is no longer difficult or uncomfortable.

2. (Used to)

People change. Describe one way you’ve changed for the better.

3. (Be used to)

Name something in your culture that probably seems strange to foreigners.

Additional practice for this lesson can be founded englishcafé.com.My user name is JenniferESL. Follow the link in the video description.

At the beginning of this lesson, I asked you if there was something you used to do…something you really enjoyed…Can you answer that question now?Why did you stop? Maybe, like me and the piano, you’ll find a way to enjoy that activity again.One thing is for certain-if I want to be as good as I used to be, I better start practicing.
Thanks for watching!Happy studies!