This post contains a short excerpt from the now defunct Desperate Housewives in which Lynette (one of the housewives) complains about her routine using be used to.
This show will be sorely missed.
Be used to is one of my nightmare grammar points. You know, one of those structures I always dread to teach. Apart from the inevitable confusion with used to, there are so many layers of meaning and form that need to be uncovered before students can fully understand and eventually start using be used to / get used to in spontaneous communication, that teachers sometimes don’t know where to start.
Experience has shown me, though, that a memorable context always helps – perhaps more than we often give it credit for.
So here’s a very short video excerpt from Desperate Housewives, full of be used to examples, which might help you teach both meaning and form (not pronunciation, though – this you should do yourself.)
If you do use this video, remember to draw students’ attention to the other forms of be used to: is used to, will get used to, have never gotten used to and so on.
Thanks for reading. And watching!
Related search: used to Grammar, difference between used to and be used to.
Hey Luiz,
Needless to say, I love your activity! I’m a big fan of using video in class, and once again you’ve managed to find something simple yet perfect to clarify a tough grammatical point (like you’d done before with that brilliant activity on future forms using “The Big Bang Theory”.) I’m your fan!
Now, if that’s not too much to ask, could you tell us what program you use to create these amazing activities?
All the best, mate.
Higor.
Dear Higor,
Thank you so much for your kind and generous words.
Since I have a MAC, I use iMovie and it gets the job done nicely. If you’re a Windows guy, try the Nero Suite – it’s just as efficient (though the final result doesn’t look quite as slick and polished).