Archive for May, 2010

grammatical word: eventually

{ May 6, 2010 @ 1:56 pm } · { grammatical word }
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Lourens_Eventually02

Today I’d like to talk about an adverb which is commonly used in English: “eventually”. It is used to talk about situations when something will happen at a later time, but we don’t know exactly when it will happen or we choose not to say exactly when it will happen. For example:

Right now I’m working for ABC Company, but eventually I’m going to look for another job.

Right now the economy is bad, but it will improve eventually.

My sister is learning French these days. She’s just a beginner now, but I’m sure she’ll eventually be a very good French speaker.

We can also use this word in past tense sentences to talk about when something happened at a later time than something else. Again, either we don’t know how long it took, or we don’t want to say. For example:

My sister was married for a while, but eventually she got a divorce.

Getting up early was very difficult for me at first, but eventually I got used to it.

My grades in high school were very bad in my first year, but eventually they got better.

the difference between words: use to and be used to

{ May 5, 2010 @ 5:59 am } · { the difference between words }
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life_is_not_fair_get_used_to_it_bill_gates_mug

Last week, one of my students asked me to explain the difference between “use to” and “be used to”; so that is what I’d like to write about today.

In English, when we say we used to do something, it means that we did something on a regular basis in the past, but that we no longer do it. For example:

When I was a kid, I used to watch cartoons every Saturday morning.

I used to smoke, but I quit about two years ago.

I used to have to get up at 5:00 am but, with my new job, I don’t have to get up until 8:00 a.m.

We can also use the negative form to talk about things we didn’t do in the past but that now we do. For example:

I didn’t use to drink much, but lately I’ve been drinking a lot.

I didn’t use to have to go on business trips, but now I do.

However, when we say we are used to doing something, it means that we have become accustomed to something that we didn’t like or that was difficult for us in the beginning. For example:

When I lived in Korea, eating the spicy food was difficult for me, but I got used to it.

I really hate the crowded trains in Tokyo. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to riding them during rush hour.

A: Getting up early for my new job is really hard for me.

B: Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it eventually.

So, as you can see, “use to” is followed by the base form of a verb, and “be used to” is followed by the -ing form of a verb or by the pronoun “it”. It’s very important in English not to get these two expressions mixed up. I hope that answers my student’s question.

inseparable phrasal verb: put up with

{ May 3, 2010 @ 11:16 am } · { phrasal verbs }
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what-some-dogs-put-up-with--1311771602-1310

Today’s phrasal verb is “put up with”, and it means to tolerate someone or something that is negative. For example:

My new boss is really demanding, but I need my job. I guess I’ll just have to put up with him.

I’m so tired of your insults, and I’m not going to put up with them anymore!

My friend just left her husband. He’s an alcoholic, and she put up with it for years because she loved him, but she just couldn’t do it any longer.

I know you don’t like getting up early, but you’re just going to have to put up with it if you want this job.

I’m planning to move out of my apartment because my neighbors are really noisy. I just can’t put up with them anymore.

As you can see, it is often used with: “can’t”, “couldn’t”, “have to” and “not going to”.  This is a very common expression, so I hope that you will find it useful in your daily conversations.

idiom: to take a load off (one’s feet)

{ May 2, 2010 @ 2:29 pm } · { idioms }
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IMG_4098

It’s the beginning of Golden Week in Japan. This is a famous holiday season in Japan which allows the very hard-working people of this country to take a well-deserved break for about five days. So, in the spirit of holiday, I’d like to write about an idiom which has to do with relaxation: “to take a load off”. We can also say “to take a load off one’s feet”. This idiom means for someone to sit down and relax. Let me give you some examples:

You’ve been working so hard all day. Please sit down and take a load off your feet. I’ll get you a drink.

I’m so tired right now. I need to find a place where I can sit down and take a load off.

Please come in and take a load off your feet. I’ll be with you just as soon as I’ve finished cooking dinner.

So, with this expression, the “load” is a person’s own body weight. When we sit down, we no longer have to support the weight of our own bodies; therefore we take that load (weight) off our feet. This expression is only used in casual situations.

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