The Logic of Used To & Would. It looks the same, but it's not. Is it a memory? A habit? Or a tool?

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Concept Used To Would Be/Get Used To Game Arena

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PAGS Level 3/4 Preparation

The Logic of
Used To & Would

It looks the same, but it's not. Is it a memory? A habit? Or a tool? Parece lo mismo, pero no lo es. ¿Es un recuerdo? ¿Un hábito? ¿O una herramienta?

Start Game (30 Qs)

The Old Photo (Past)

"I used to smoke."

Solía fumar (Ya no).

Nostalgia (Action)

"We would play for hours."

Jugábamos durante horas (Recuerdo de acción).

The New Shoes (Habit)

"I am used to the noise."

Estoy acostumbrado al ruido.

Phase 1

The Sepia Photo (Used To)

Things that were true in the past, but NOT anymore. Works for EVERYTHING (Actions & States). Cosas que eran verdad, pero YA NO. Funciona para TODO (Acciones y Estados).

Formula: USED TO + Infinitive

"I used to play tennis."

Solía jugar al tenis. (Acción pasada).

"She used to have long hair."

Solía tener el pelo largo. (Estado pasado).

"We used to live in Paris."

Solíamos vivir en París. (Estado pasado).

"I didn't use to like olives."

Warning: No 'd' in negative!

No solían gustarme las aceitunas.

Common Error

There is no "Present Tense" for this meaning.

"I use to play tennis."

Correct: "I usually play tennis."

No digas "I use to play". Di "I usually play".

Phase 2

The Nostalgia Filter (Would)

'Would' is poetic. It works for repeated ACTIONS, but it crashes with STATES. 'Would' es poético. Funciona para ACCIONES repetidas, pero falla con ESTADOS.

Action Verbs (OK)

Run, play, visit, go, sit, talk...

"Every summer, we would go to the beach."

Cada verano, íbamos a la playa. (Acción repetida).

"He would always sit in that chair."

Él siempre se sentaba en esa silla. (Hábito/Nostalgia).

State Verbs (FORBIDDEN)

Be, have, live, love, know, understand...

"I would be thin."

"I used to be thin."

Mal: I would be thin. Bien: I used to be thin.

"We would live here."

"We used to live here."

Mal: We would live. Bien: We used to live.

"I would have a dog."

"I used to have a dog."

Phase 3

The New Shoes (Adaptation)

Here, "TO" is a preposition. It acts like a magnet for -ING or Nouns. Aquí "TO" es una preposición. Atrae -ING o Sustantivos.

BE used to...

It's normal for you. No problem.

"I am used to getting up early."

Estoy acostumbrado a levantarme temprano.

"She is used to the heat."

Ella está acostumbrada al calor (Sustantivo).

"They are used to working hard."

Están acostumbrados a trabajar duro.

GET used to...

The process of adapting. It's becoming normal.

"I am getting used to driving on the left."

Me estoy acostumbrando a conducir por la izquierda.

"He got used to the noise."

Se acostumbró al ruido.

"You will soon get used to it."

Pronto te acostumbrarás (a ello).

Phase 4

The Tool (Passive)

This is literally the verb "To Use" in passive voice. Es literalmente el verbo "Usar" en pasiva.

Subject = Object/Tool

Formula: Subject + BE + USED + TO + Infinitive

"A knife is used to cut bread."

Un cuchillo se usa para cortar pan.

"Wood is used to make furniture."

La madera se usa para hacer muebles.

"These keys are used to open the gate."

Estas llaves se usan para abrir la verja.

Don't confuse with habits!

Here, "Used" means "Utilized".

The Arena (30 Qs)

Habit Master Challenge

Score

0/30

• L1: Used to (Past)
• L2: Would (Nostalgia)
• L3: Be/Get used to
• L4: The Tool
• Boss: The Ultimate Mix

QUESTION

Q

REWRITE

Text

Start with...

Logic Mastered!

0

Points out of 30

Share your progress

© 2024 NeuroEnglish PAGS Unit.

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Reading comprehension: Leadership and cultural expectations.

Buenas tardes, estimada familia IPEP #inglésipep #ingléspagsypau (en Twitter).

¿Cómo debe ser un buen líder? ¿Qué cualidades debe tener? ¿Cómo debe hacerse respetar? Veamos:

@mmolpor

Esta actividad está cogida prestada de https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/upper-intermediate-b2/cultural-expectations-and-leadership a quienes les doy las gracias por hacer público su trabajo y ayudarnos tanto.

Actividad previa a la lectura:

'Gabriela worked for a multinational company as a successful project manager in Brazil and was transferred to manage a team in Sweden. She was excited about her new role but soon realised that managing her new team would be a challenge.

Despite their friendliness, Gabriela didn't feel respected as a leader. Her new staff would question her proposals openly in meetings, and when she gave them instructions on how to carry out a task, they would often go about it in their own way without checking with her. When she announced her decisions on the project, they would continue giving their opinions as if it was still up for discussion.

After weeks of frustration, Gabriela emailed her Swedish manager about the issues she was facing with her team. Her manager simply asked her if she felt her team was still performing, and what she thought would help her better collaborate with her team members. Gabriela found her manager vague and didn't feel as if he was managing the situation satisfactorily.

What Gabriela was experiencing was a cultural clash in expectations. She was used to a more hierarchical framework where the team leader and manager took control and gave specific instructions on how things were to be done. This more directive management style worked well for her and her team in Brazil but did not transfer well to her new team in Sweden, who were more used to a flatter hierarchy where decision making was more democratic. When Gabriela took the issue to her Swedish manager, rather than stepping in with directions about what to do, her manager took on the role of coach and focused on getting her to come up with her own solutions instead.

Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede uses the concept of 'power distance' to describe how power is distributed and how hierarchy is perceived in different cultures. In her previous work environment, Gabriela was used to a high power distance culture where power and authority are respected and everyone has their rightful place. In such a culture, leaders make the big decisions and are not often challenged. Her Swedish team, however, were used to working in a low power distance culture where subordinates often work together with their bosses to find solutions and make decisions. Here, leaders act as coaches or mentors who encourage independent thought and expect to be challenged.

When Gabriela became aware of the cultural differences between her and her team, she took the initiative to have an open conversation with them about their feelings about her leadership. Pleased to be asked for their thoughts, Gabriela's team openly expressed that they were not used to being told what to do. They enjoyed having more room for initiative and creative freedom. When she told her team exactly what she needed them to do, they felt that she didn't trust them to do their job well. They realised that Gabriela was taking it personally when they tried to challenge or make changes to her decisions, and were able to explain that it was how they'd always worked.

With a better understanding of the underlying reasons behind each other's behaviour, Gabriela and her team were able to adapt their way of working. Gabriela was then able to make adjustments to her management style so as to better fit the expectations of her team and more effectively motivate her team to achieve their goals. 

Saludos.

Actividades de comprensión:

Rewriting: reescribe las oraciones en inglés utilizando las palabras indicadas entre paréntesis (1)

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Una de las tareas más difíciles del inglés es la de reescribir una oración usando una palabra o palabras dada. Ello implica conocer muy bien la gramática del idioma, a la par que el significado de las palabras. Dada la dificultad intrínseca de este tipo de ejercicios, iremos practicando poco a poco de cara al próximo examen.

Vamos hoy a hacer una pequeña práctica con algunas de las expresiones y tiempos verbales más usuales: by the time..., as, since, all the..., consequently, as a result of, because of, due to, owing to, on account of...

https://www.freepik.es/fotos-vectores-gratis/escribiendo-libro

Pero veamos primero cada una de estas palabras en detalle, sus usos y significados, con ejemplos:

📚 Conectores y Preposiciones de Causa y Tiempo

Esta tabla organiza los términos en inglés, su significado y su uso principal.

Palabra/Frase en Inglés	Significado Principal	Uso en Inglés (Explicación)	Uso en Español (Explicación)
by the time...	Para cuando	Used as a subordinating conjunction to show that one action or event is completed or will be completed before a second action or event takes place. It often involves the Past Perfect or Future Perfect tenses.	Se utiliza como una conjunción subordinadapara indicar que una acción o evento está completado o se completará antes de que ocurra un segundo evento. Frecuentemente requiere el pretérito perfecto o el futuro perfecto.
as	Como, Ya que, Mientras	Acts as a subordinating conjunction to express reason/cause (meaning since) or to express simultaneity (meaning while). It can also mean in the manner of.	Funciona como una conjunción subordinadapara expresar razón/causa (significando ya que) o para expresar simultaneidad (significando mientras). También puede significar en la manera de.
since	Ya que, Desde	Primarily acts as a subordinating conjunction to express reason or cause, similar to because or as. It also functions as a preposition or conjunction referring to time, marking the starting point of an action.	Actúa principalmente como una conjunción subordinada para expresar razón o causa, similar a porque o ya que. También funciona como preposición o conjunción para referirse al tiempo, marcando el punto de inicio de una acción.
all the...	Todo/a el/la, Durante todo el/la...	Used as a quantifier/adjective to indicate an entire quantity or duration. When referring to time (e.g., all the morning), it emphasizes that the action was continuous throughout that period.	Se utiliza como cuantificador/adjetivo para indicar una cantidad o duración completa. Cuando se refiere al tiempo (ej. toda la mañana), enfatiza que la acción fue continua durante ese periodo.
consequently	Por consiguiente, En consecuencia	An adverb used to connect two independent clauses, showing that the second statement is the result or consequence of the first. It is usually preceded by a semicolon or a period and followed by a comma.	Es un adverbio que se usa para conectar dos cláusulas independientes, mostrando que la segunda declaración es el resultado o la consecuencia de la primera. Suele ir precedido por un punto y coma o un punto y seguido de una coma.
as a result of	Como resultado de, A consecuencia de	A compound preposition used to introduce a reason or cause, followed by a noun or noun phrase (or a gerund). It emphasizes the consequence that followed the action mentioned.	Es una preposición compuesta que se utiliza para introducir una razón o causa, seguida de un sustantivo o frase nominal (o un gerundio). Enfatiza la consecuencia que siguió a la acción mencionada.
because of	A causa de, Debido a	A compound preposition used to introduce the reason or cause for something, and must be followed by a noun or noun phrase. It cannot introduce a full clause (subject + verb).	Una preposición compuesta que se usa para introducir la razón o causa de algo, y debe ir seguida de un sustantivo o frase nominal. No puede introducir una oración completa (sujeto + verbo).
due to	Debido a	A compound preposition that usually means the same as because of. Traditionally, it modifies a noun (acting like an adjective), but it is now widely accepted to use it to introduce the reasonfor a whole sentence.	Una preposición compuesta que generalmente significa lo mismo que a causa de. Tradicionalmente, modifica un sustantivo(actuando como adjetivo), pero ahora es ampliamente aceptado su uso para introducir la razón de una oración completa.
owing to	Debido a, Gracias a	A compound preposition used synonymously with because of and due toto express reason or cause, followed by a noun or noun phrase. It is considered slightly more formal.	Una preposición compuesta que se utiliza como sinónimo de because of y due to para expresar razón o causa, seguida de un sustantivo o frase nominal. Se considera ligeramente más formal.
on account of	A causa de, Por razón de	A compound preposition used to introduce the reason or cause for something, followed by a noun or noun phrase. It is often used in formal contexts and is a less common alternative to because of.	Una preposición compuesta que se utiliza para introducir la razón o causa de algo, seguida de un sustantivo o frase nominal. A menudo se utiliza en contextos formales y es una alternativa menos común a because of.

Vamos ahora con la práctica: Rewriting practice.

1. It is now 12:30 and my students are still sleeping. (all the morning)

   
   

2. The prom party will begin at 20:00 with a speech by the headmaster. (by 20:30)

   
   

3. Valentino Rosi is good at driving motorbikes. Therefore, he sometimes helps Márquez when he is late by kicking him out of the way. (since)

   
   

4. My mother cooked lasagna; then, all the family came for lunch. (by the time) 

   
   

5. I broke my leg while I was attempting to fix the pipes in the garden, so I had to quit my job for a while. (as)

   
   

6. Due to the great difficulty of the crossword I was attempting to complete, I decided to call a code-breaker to help me decipher it! (consequently)

   
   

7. Social networks such as Instagram, Twitter and even Facebook still need to better their functionality in some respects because they have frequent breakdowns. (as a result of)

   
   

8. More often than not, it is not so easy to spot clues in a puzzle. Solvers have to struggle to guess which the answers are. (because of/ due to /owing to)

   
   

9. Studying a degree at university involves a certain amount of effort which not everybody is ready to make. Therefore, some students drop out when they finish their secondary education. (as /since)

   
   

10. Picasso painted lots of figurative pictures, full of squares and triangles, with puzzles and riddles, so not many people can understand them. (Due to)

    
    

11. Understanding why Rosi kicked Márquez requires a great effort. Therefore, I will have to watch the video again. (since)

    
    

12. Life is so brief and short. Consequently, we have to make the most out of it and seize the day! (Because of)

    
    

13. I have been putting on some weight lately, so I my trousers don’t fit any longer. (since)

    
    

    
    

    KEY ANSWERS:

    
    

    📝 Ejercicio de Reescribir Frases (Rewriting Practice)

    A continuación, se presentan las frases originales y su reescritura, empleando la palabra o frase de conexión solicitada.

    • Original: It is now 12:30 and my students are still sleeping.

      • Reescrita (all the morning): My students have been sleeping all the morning (and they are still sleeping).

    • Original: The prom party will begin at 20:00 with a speech by the headmaster.

      • Reescrita (by 20:30): The prom party will have started by 20:30.

    • Original: Valentino Rosi is good at driving motorbikes. Therefore, he sometimes helps Márquez when he is late by kicking him out of the way.

      • Reescrita (since): Valentino Rosi sometimes helps Márquez when he is late by kicking him out of the way, since he is good at driving motorbikes.

    • Original: My mother cooked lasagna; then, all the family came for lunch.

      • Reescrita (by the time): By the time all the family came for lunch, my mother had cooked lasagna.

    • Original: I broke my leg while I was attempting to fix the pipes in the garden, so I had to quit my job for a while.

      • Reescrita (as): As I broke my leg while attempting to fix the pipes in the garden, I had to quit my job for a while.

    • Original: Due to the great difficulty of the crossword I was attempting to complete, I decided to call a code-breaker to help me decipher it!

      • Reescrita (consequently): I was attempting to complete a crossword of great difficulty; consequently, I decided to call a code-breaker to help me decipher it!

    • Original: Social networks such as Instagram, Twitter and even Facebook still need to better their functionality in some respects because they have frequent breakdowns.

      • Reescrita (as a result of): Social networks such as Instagram, Twitter and even Facebook still need to better their functionality in some respects as a result of their frequent breakdowns.

    • Original: More often than not, it is not so easy to spot clues in a puzzle. Solvers have to struggle to guess which the answers are.

      • Reescrita (because of/ due to /owing to): Solvers have to struggle to guess the answers because of/due to/owing to the fact that it is not so easy to spot clues in a puzzle.

    • Original: Studying a degree at university involves a certain amount of effort which not everybody is ready to make. Therefore, some students drop out when they finish their secondary education.

      • Reescrita (as /since): Some students drop out when they finish their secondary education, as/since studying a degree at university involves a certain amount of effort which not everybody is ready to make.

    • Original: Picasso painted lots of figurative pictures, full of squares and triangles, with puzzles and riddles, so not many people can understand them.

      • Reescrita (Due to): Due to the fact that Picasso painted lots of figurative pictures, full of squares and triangles, with puzzles and riddles, not many people can understand them.

    • Original: Understanding why Rosi kicked Márquez requires a great effort. Therefore, I will have to watch the video again.

      • Reescrita (since): I will have to watch the video again since understanding why Rosi kicked Márquez requires a great effort.

    • Original: Life is so brief and short. Consequently, we have to make the most out of it and seize the day!

      • Reescrita (Because of): Because of how brief and short life is, we have to make the most out of it and seize the day!

    • Original: I have been putting on some weight lately, so I my trousers don’t fit any longer.

      • Reescrita (since): My trousers don’t fit any longer since I have been putting on some weight lately.

    Y aquí os dejos las traducciones: