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