生活英语对话 Episode 38: A chat with the professor

本单元是关于同教授谈话的对话

Prof. Lewis: Come in Helen, sit down. Now how are you?
Helen: Fine really. Honestly, I'm fine.
Prof. Lewis:Are you? That's not what your marks are saying to me. They tell a very different story. You failed this mid-term test quite badly. Even John, who seems to do no work at all in class, managed to do so much better than you.
Helen: Humph!
Prof. Lewis:Is there something you want to talk about?
Helen: No, it's nothing.
Prof. Lewis:You and John just don't seem as close as you used to be. Is there something wrong?
Helen: No, it's just that?Oh I don't know.
Prof. Lewis:Helen, I'm here to help. Now why don't you just tell me what's on your mind.


Vocabulary:（词汇）

close friends: （好朋友）
pals who like each other very much

on your mind: （放在心上）
what you're thinking about

本单元的语言点是 used to 的用法，used to 意思是过去常常，请看下面例句

Used to

Uses:（用法）

We can use used to to talk about things:

1. we did regularly 1 in the past that we don't do now
She used to smoke 20 a day but gave up cigarettes almost 10 years ago.
He used to eat lots of meat but now he's a vegetarian 2 so he doesn't eat chicken, lamb or beef any more.

2. that were true in the past but which aren't true now
You and John just don't seem as close as you used to be. Have you two fallen out?
There used to be loads of shops in our village but now there are only four.
Form:（句型）

The positive, negative and question forms of 'use to' stay the same no matter what pronouns 4 you use:

Positive:
This is made up of used to + base verb 5
Tim used to work in a newsagent's but now he works 6 in a department store.
You used to like me. Why aren't we friends anymore?

Negative:
This is made up of Didn't use to + base verb
There didn't use to be a cinema here.
She didn't use to like wine but now she drinks a glass of it every evening.


Question:

This is made up of Did + pronoun 3 + use to + base verb
Did you use to play sport?
Did she use to be scared of spiders?

Note it's unusual to use this form when asking questions about the past. We're much more likely to ask:
Did you play sport when you were at school?
Are you scared of spiders?/Were you scared of spiders when you were young?

Used to refers to the past. We can't use 'used to' to talk about the present or future.

To talk about your daily habits you can't say 'Every day I use to go to work by bike' you need to use the present simple - 'I go to work by bike'


To talk about future habits you can't say 'When I live in New York next year, I'll use to take the subway everywhere', you need to use will + base verb - 'I'll take the subway'