習慣使用「used to」——英語微課堂：英語精讀講義

Today's mini English lesson is about used to.

今天的迷你英語課是關於 used to 的。

What's the difference between these sentences? 表達脈絡

這兩個句子有什麼區別？

I used to drive on the left. 文法

I used to drive on the left.（我以前常在左側駕駛。）

I'm used to driving on the left. 文法

I'm used to driving on the left.（我習慣了在左側駕駛。）

They sound almost the same, 表達脈絡

它們聽起來幾乎一樣，

but in fact there's a very important difference.

但實際上有一個非常重要的區別。

One of them is talking about a past habit that's finished now.

其中一個談論的是現在已經結束的過去習慣。

And one of them is talking about something that is familiar or normal for you.

另一個則談論對你來說變得熟悉或平常的事情。

But which one is which? 片語搭配

但哪個是哪個呢？

When you have used to followed by a verb in the infinitive,

當 used to 後面跟著一個動詞不定詞時，

you're talking about a past habit or state.

你在談論的是過去的習慣或狀態。

I used to drive on the left

我以前常在左側駕駛，

when I lived in England.

當我住在英國的時候。

Now I don't live in England,

現在我不去英國住了，

so it's finished.

所以這已經結束了。

I don't drive on the left.

我現在不在左側駕駛。

This is a past habit.

這是一個過去的習慣。

We can also use this for past states.

我們也可以將它用於過去的狀態。

I used to live in England. 文法

我過去住在英國。

It's finished now.

現在已經結束了。

In the other sentence,

在另一個句子裡，

I'm used to driving on the left,

I'm used to driving on the left,（我習慣了在左側駕駛，）

we're talking about something that becomes familiar or normal for you.

我們談論的是對你來說變得熟悉或平常的事情。

We can see the difference because we don't just have used to.

我們能看出區別，因為我們不僅有 used to。

Before it,

在它之前，

we have a verb.

我們有一個動詞。

In this case,

在這個例子中，

it's to be.

它是 to be（be 動詞）。

I am used to.

I am used to.

And after used to, 文法

在 used to 之後，

we have a verb in the gerund or the -ing form.

我們有一個動名詞或 -ing 形式的動詞。

This means when you first arrived in England,

這意味著當你剛到英國時，

it was very strange to drive on the left,

在左側駕駛感覺非常奇怪，

but now it's completely normal.

但現在完全正常了。

I'm used to driving on the left.

我習慣了在左側駕駛。

We can use the verb -ing

我們可以使用動詞 -ing 形式，

or we can replace it with a noun.

或者我們可以用名詞替換它。

I'm used to the road system in England. 文法

我習慣了英國的道路系統。

When we use this structure to talk about developing a new habit,

當我們用這個結構來談論養成新習慣時，

you can use the verb to get.

你可以使用動詞 to get。

And this talks about the moments that it happens,

這是在談論事情發生的那一刻，

the moment that you develop the habit

也就是你養成習慣的那一刻，

and that this becomes normal for you.

以及這對你來說變得正常的那一刻。

When I moved to England,

當我搬到英國時，

at first it was difficult, 表達脈絡

起初很困難，

but after a few weeks,

但幾週後，

I got used to driving on the left. 文法

我習慣了（got used to）在左側駕駛。

It became normal.

這變得平常了。

I got used to it. 文法

我習慣了。（I got used to it.）

And now I am used to it.

現在我已經習慣了。（And now I am used to it.）

When we use used to to talk about becoming familiar with something

當我們使用 used to 來談論對某事變得熟悉

or something becoming normal,

或者某事變得平常時，

you could use it in any tense, 文法

你可以在任何時態中使用它，

the past, the present, or the future.

過去式、現在式或未來式。

If your friend has a difficult situation at work,

如果你的朋友在工作中遇到困難，

you could say,

你可以說，

"I'm sure you will get used to it." 語氣意圖

「我確信你會習慣的。」

Talking in the past,

談論過去時，

you could say,

你可以說，

"When I first moved to Manchester,

「當我剛搬到曼徹斯特時，

it was difficult to take an umbrella all the time, 片語搭配

總是帶著傘很麻煩，

but I soon got used to the weather in the past."

但我很快就習慣了那時的天氣。」

So here we have the same structure,

所以在這裡我們有相同的結構，

used to,

used to,

in two very different situations.

用於兩種非常不同的情況。

Used to plus infinitive talks about a finished state or habit.

used to 加不定詞，談論已經結束的狀態或習慣。

Be or get used to plus verb -ing

be 或 get used to 加動詞 -ing，

talks about something that becomes familiar or normal.

談論變得熟悉或平常的事情。

So now that you know the rule, 片語搭配

所以既然你懂了這個規則，

you need to go out there and get used to using used to 文法

你需要去實踐，去習慣使用 used to

in these two very different contexts.

在這兩個非常不同的語境中。

Bye.

再見。