USE Basic Verbs Learn English Grammar

hi everybody my name is Alisha welcome

back to know your verbs in this episode

we’re going to talk about the verb use

let’s get started

the basic definition of the verb to use

is to put something to a purpose

examples we used our iPhones to make a

video use your time wisely let’s look at

the conjugations for this verb present

use uses past used past participle used

progressive using

let’s talk about some additional

meanings for this verb the first

additional meaning for the verb use is

to consume to consume like for example

eating or taking all of something and

applying it so that all of it goes away

you’re consuming it somehow examples you

used all the butter we’ve used almost

all the toilet paper so here these are

items which we can gradually get rid of

like in the case of butter in the first

example we eat butter and so we consume

it by eating so it goes away toilet

paper we use for cleaning purposes and

so gradually it goes away we consume it

but we use the word use instead okay

let’s go on to these second additional

meanings the second one is a slang term

which means to take drugs to take drugs

as like a habit examples of this use I

heard he’s using again they haven’t used

in years so here you don’t hear any drug

there’s no word drug being used or no

specific drug name but we use the verb

used to refer to taking drugs so when

someone says he’s using again it means

he’s using drugs again but saying drugs

is quite direct and kind of strong so

instead we say using alone we don’t

specifically say what he is using but it

refers to drugs so this use of the word

use refers to drug use actually okay the

third additional meaning of the verb use

is to exploit a person or to exploit a

situation exploit means to take

advantage of someone or to take

advantage of a situation examples he’s

just using you for money don’t let them

use you for your ideas so in both of

these examples sentences use refers to

someone being taken advantage of for a

different reason so in the first example

sentence he’s just using you for money

it means the he in the situation is

taking advantage of the listener because

he wants money from the listener

so he’s taking advantage of the listener

and getting money in the second example

sentence it’s the person’s ideas so one

person has a lot of ideas and a group of

people are taking those ideas from the

other person so taking advantage of

someone or taking advantage of a

situation it has a negative image

let’s move on to some variations of this

verb the first expression is could use

something could use something it means

that that thing might be useful in some

way it might be a good idea in some way

examples I could use a break you look

like you could use a vacation so these

just mean that the item talked about

seems like it could be useful or might

be useful so in the first example

sentence I could use a break we see

could this is actually used in the

second example sentence 2 I could use a

break

meaning it would be possible for me to

use a break like that seems like a good

idea to me right now in the second

example sentence you look like you could

use a vacation it means it seems based

on your appearance you need a vacation

it would be useful for you to have a

vacation so could use something means it

seems like that thing might be good for

you so this expression is used tip is

used in positive statements you look

like you could use something it means

that thing might be useful for you or it

might be a good idea for you

okay let’s move along to the second

variation which is to use up to use up

so this means to consume completely to

consume completely in the alternate

definitions for this verb we saw it

means to consume to use means to consume

but to consume completely we use the

word use up to refer to this examples

she used up all of her sunblock at the

beach we used up all the wood for the

fire so here you’ll see in both of these

examples sentences I included the word

all she used up all of her sunblock at

the beach we used up all the wood for

the fire so all shows everything

completely consuming that thing so when

you want to talk about using everything

you can use use up use up she used up

all her sunblock we used up all the wood

you can also exchange verbs here like

for example we drank up all the wine or

we drank up all the beer or we ate up

all the pizza you can use it

while other situations relating to

consumption - but use up is used for

like resources of some kind so those are

a few hopefully new ways for you to use

the word use I hope that you found

something new of course if you know a

different way to use this verb or if you

have any questions or comments please

feel free to let us know in the comment

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for other things you can use for your

English to study thanks very much for

watching this episode of know your verbs

and we’ll see you again soon bye might I

use the Force use the Force that’s

obviously the best example sentence from

this lesson