Grammar Boost (1)

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🌞 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.


Usually v Used To v Be/Get Used To

You'll get used to it soon



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.


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








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: 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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."


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.


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, I'd rather be a mouse's head than a lions tail.

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


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 than with me 🤨?


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

https://chatgpt.com/s/t_68dbe10b36008191a336a4c6bfc7a793



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.


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.

Graham: Only if you are a history buff.


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

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


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

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


Because I'm worth it

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