Grammar Boost (1)

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Graham: 🌞 We use be used to + verb-ing to show that something is normal or familiar to someone. It describes a situation, activity, or habit that the person does regularly or has adapted to. It can suggest that other people often find these things difficult to do.

🌞 Structure:

Subject + be  + used to + verb-ing / noun / object pronoun (+ verb-ing)

⚠️ Important:

🌞 After used to in this form, we use verb + ing, not the infinitive.

🌞 This is different from used to + base verb which talks about past habits.

I'm not used to. 😡

I'm not used to it. 😍

(No estoy acostumbrado.)

🌄 I’m used to waking up early.

(Estoy acostumbrado a levantarme temprano.)

🏙️ She’s used to living in a noisy city.

(Ella está acostumbrada a vivir en una ciudad ruidosa.)

⏲️ We’re used to working under pressure.

(Estamos acostumbrados a trabajar bajo presión.)

🌶️ I’m not used to eating spicy food.

(No estoy acostumbrado a comer comida picante.)

🗣️ Is she used to speaking in public?

(¿Está ella acostumbrada a hablar en público?)

☎️ I'm used to her calling me every day.

(Estoy acostumbrado a que ella me llame todos los días.)

🚇 When I moved to London, it was hard at first, but now I’m used to taking the underground.

(Cuando me mudé a Londres, fue difícil al principio, pero ahora estoy acostumbrado a tomar el metro.)

😰 Don't worry - I'm used  to it.

(Tranquilo, ya estoy acostumbrado.)


Write some examples about you and some famous people.

➡️ Carlos Alcaraz is used to training every day.

➡️ Shakira is used to performing in front of huge crowds.

➡️ Taylor Swift is used to writing songs about her life.

➡️ Donald Trump is used to people booing him.

➡️ Elon Musk is used to working 80 hours a week.

Juanmi: Great! Thanks for this explanation, I’m getting used to learning English by WhatsApp

Helena: Just like me😉

Graham: It won't take you as long as me to get used to it.



Graham: You can also use Youglish to find examples of grammar structures.

Have a look at these videos with used to having.

You could also try: "used to being", "was used to going", "not used to doing" etc.


Helena: I feel it will take me a lot to get used to coming back  to Madrid again

Graham: Madrid is great at the moment - still relatively empty, which makes it easier to get used to being back.



Graham: Is that the time? It's time I went. 

Do you notice anything unusual about the sentence above?

Helena: The use of the simple past with that expression

Graham: 🌞 Right but it isn't talking about the past.

🌞 It's time + subject + verb (in past)

🌞 It's time I went. =  I should have gone earlier.

🌞 Have a read of this blog post for an explanation Time to go or Time you went.

Now write examples of your own.


Helena: It's time we had a coffee.

Graham: It's high time we went for one.


Juanmi: It’s time I did something about my English learning. 

It’s time I stopped scrolling on Instagram and study more.

It’s time you (sientes la cabeza) and thought about the future. 

It’s time I went to the gym.

Graham: It's time I stopped ... and studied more.

It's time you settled down and thought about your future.


Graham: Here's more on the It's time structures from Chat GPT. Remember you can also listen to texts.

The phrases "It's time to go" and "It's time I went" have subtle differences in tone and meaning. Let's break them down:

1. "It's time to go"

  • This is a straightforward expression, indicating that it’s the right moment for something to happen, like leaving. It’s more about the action itself.

  • Translation in Spanish: Es hora de irse.

2. "It's time I went"

  • This phrase is more personal and suggests that the speaker feels it's the right moment for them to take action, often with a sense of obligation or reflection. It sounds a little more self-reflective, as if the speaker is acknowledging the delay.

  • Translation in Spanish: Es hora de que me vaya.

3. "It's about time"

  • This phrase expresses that something is overdue or should have happened earlier. It often carries a sense of impatience or frustration.

  • Translation in Spanish: Ya era hora.

4. "It's high time"

  • Similar to "It's about time," but more emphatic. It suggests that something is very overdue, often with a stronger sense of urgency or expectation.

  • Translation in Spanish: Ya era más que hora.

10 Workplace Dialogue Examples:

Here are 10 examples in a two-lined dialogue format, showcasing these expressions in a workplace context:

1.
Employee: "It's time to go, the meeting is over."
Manager: "Yes, let's wrap things up and head out."

2.
Employee: "It's time I went to the client’s office."
Manager: "Okay, make sure you have everything ready."

3.
Employee: "It's about time we received the budget approval!"
Manager: "I know, we’ve been waiting for weeks!"

4.
Employee: "It's high time we addressed the software issues."
Manager: "Agreed, we can't afford more delays."

5.
Employee: "It's time to go over the new project timeline."
Manager: "Yes, let’s schedule a meeting for this afternoon."

6.
Employee: "It's time I went to HR about this problem."
Manager: "If it’s urgent, don’t wait, go now."

7.
Employee: "It's about time we hired some new staff!"
Manager: "You're right; the team is getting too overwhelmed."

8.
Employee: "It's high time we updated the office equipment."
Manager: "I agree, we’ve been using the same computers for years."

9.
Employee: "It's time to go over the presentation before tomorrow."
Manager: "Let’s review it now and make any necessary changes."

10.
Employee: "It's time I went on a break, I've been working non-stop."
Manager: "You deserve it, take a few minutes."


Graham: VERB PATTERNS

Explain the difference:

I stopped to watch the news.

I stopped watching the news.

Helena: I was walking and I stopped to be able to read the news.

I don't watch the news any longer.

Does it make sense? 

Graham: Crystal clear. 👏🏻

Right. 

You were doing something (e.g. walking) which you stopped because you wanted to watch the news.

And probably because the news is not.good for health, you gave up / stopped watching it. You don't watch it any longer. 

I used to be a news junkie but I've *gone right off it*. I don't trust most of what I hear or even see.


Augusto: You are right Graham. It's about time I stopped watching so many news.

Augusto: (The thing is that I have a similar situation.)

Graham: *News is* uncountable so:

... so *much news*.

Graham: We're in the same boat.


Augusto: It's high time I went to the dentist.








Graham: Are your teeth as bad as Austin's?

Augusto: It's high time I did my homework.

Graham: You said it.

Augusto: It's high time you ran a marathon.

Graham: Nope. My marathon days are behind me.


Graham: VERB PATTERNS

Would ('d) rather is used to express preferences.

Subject + would rather + ~to~ base verb (for general preference)

Subject + would rather + object + past verb (for preference about what someone else does)

🌞 I *would rather stay* home _tonight_.

→ *Prefiero quedarme* en casa _esta noche_.

🌞 She *’d rather drink* tea *than* coffee.

→ Ella  *prefiere beber* té *que* café.

🌞 They *would rather you didn’t smoke* here.

→ *Prefieren que no fumes* aquí.

(Notice: when the preference is about another person’s action, we use a past tense verb in English but it translates to present in Spanish.)

🌞 Shall I open the window?

— *I’d rather you didn’t*.

→ ¿Abro la ventana?

— *Prefiero que no (lo) hagas*. 

🌞 *Would you rather watch a movie or go out*?

→ *¿Prefieres ver una película o salir?*


I *prefer* tea *to* coffee.

→ *Prefiero* el té *al* café. (_general preference_)


I *d rather drink* tea *than* coffee _right now_

→ *Prefiero beber* té *en vez de* café ahora. (specific choice _in the moment_)


Would prefer vs. Would rather:

Both are correct but not always interchangeable.

- I *"d prefer to stay* home.

- I *'d rather stay* home.

Both mean Prefiero quedarme en casa, but:

would prefer + to + infinitive (a bit more formal)

would rather + verb (more common in speech).

Summary: 

Use *prefer + gerund/noun* for general preferences.

Use *would rather + base verb* for specific choices.

When the preference is *about another person, put the verb in the past* (I’d rather you stayed…).

*Never put “to” after would rather*.

Give some example sentences of your own.


José: She would rather be dead than simple.

I would rather be mouse's head than lion's tail.

I would prefer to live as I think than suffer that the others want to I think.

Graham: I'd rather be *a mouse's head* than *a lions tail*.

I'd prefer to live as I think than *suffer by living* as *others want  me to think*.

Helena: I agree, Id rsther be mouses head than lions tail

Graham: Read my correction of Jose's comment. Don't repeat his mistake.

Graham: You and José *are two peas in the same pod*. 🫛

Juanmi: Is it incorrect to say?

I'd rather be a mouse's head than a tail's lion

Juanmi: - I'd rather pizza than sushi

- ⁠would you rather work from home or at the office?

- ⁠I'd prefer to drink coffee than tea

- ⁠would you prefer to stay with him that with me 🤨?

- ⁠

- ⁠

-

Helena : Yo make me be confused  Always, now and again etc🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤣🤣🤣🤣

 Graham: .... than a lion's tail.

A big fish in a small pond is kind of related to the Spanish expression.

Listen to this:

https://chatgpt.com/s/t_68dbe10b36008191a336a4c6bfc7a793



Graham: *VERB PATTERNS*

*to be worth + verb-ing* is used to say that an action deserves the time, effort, or cost it requires — in other words, it’s valuable, beneficial, or rewarding to do it.

🎬 This movie *is worth watching*.

→ Esta película vale la pena verla.

💴 It *'s not worth spending* so much money on that.

→ No vale la pena gastar tanto dinero en eso.

📖 The book is worth reading twice.

→ El libro vale la pena leerlo dos veces.

🕊️ It isn’t worth arguing about.

→ No vale la pena discutirlo.

😡 It’s worth to see.

😍 It’s worth seeing.


🌞 You can also use *be worth it* (without verb-ing) to refer to something in general:


✈️The trip was expensive, but *it was worth it*.

→ El viaje fue caro, pero valió la pena.7


Do you think it’s worth spending a lot of money on clothes?

Is it worth taking a year off to travel after finishing school?

Is it worth going to university nowadays?

Are electric cars worth buying yet?

What is a famous place that you've been to that you don't think is worth visiting?

What’s something you think is really worth doing in life?


José: Feeling useful it's very important, for this reason, among other reasons, I was worth working during my life. 

It was worth meeting my daughter, the first time I saw her, at birth, was unforgotten.

It was worth visiting the Walley of Pas in Cantabria with high and green mountains. I remember that we couldn't go by car to some villages and we had to go walking.

Graham: *Feeling useful is* deeply important to me. For this *reason, among others*, I believe that dedicating myself to work throughout my life *has truly been worthwhile*.

*Seeing my daughter for the first time*, at the moment of her birth, was *an unforgettable experience* — one of those rare moments that give life meaning.

*Visiting the Valley of Pas in Cantabria was also worth it*.  I still remember *the towering green mountains* and how we *had to walk to reach some of the remote villages where cars couldn’t go*.

Augusto: It's worth visiting Culloden if you go to Inverness.

Augusto 🤓: It's worth visiting the Orkney Islands if you plan to travel to the Highlands.

Augusto: I'd rather visit the Setland Islands in the summer, as winter is too cold there.

Graham: Only if you are a history buff.

Graham: They are *well worth visiting* especially if you like bird life.

Graham: Actually, I don't think there is much difference in the temperature all year round there. But in the winter there is very few hours.of.daylight.

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