Intro
If you grew up in the 1980s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles are not new to you. It was a popular comic book back then, and then a cartoon, telling the story of
four teenage turtles who fought the bad guys living in New York City. The
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were so popular that several live action movies were made at that time as well.
Turtles Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello star
in the 2014 movie, in which they have to fight the evil Shredder and save New
York City from a terrible future. Actress Megan Fox plays a TV reporter who
works with the turtles to save the city. The many versions of
the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show just how popular this group of characters
must be!
Do you think that Gary and Brian want to see the Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles movie? Find out in today’s English lesson about a classic TV
show.
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Dialogue
Gary:
Hey, Brian.
Brian:
Yeah.
Gary:
T.M.N.T.
Brian:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
Gary:
Oh, yeah.
Brian: Dude. The new live action one?
Gary:
Are you a fan?
Brian: I am a fan of the classic stuff.
Gary: The classic stuff? There are a couple of
different versions of the classic stuff.
Brian: I like the comics, the original Eastman comics. But
I loved the cartoon as a kid.
Gary:
So, I used to deliver newspapers when I was a kid.
Brian:
Yeah?
Gary: And one morning I came inside, turned on the
television, and there it was. Michelangelo, Leonardo, and the whole crew fighting Shredder on TV. And every single Sunday from that day, I
would watch T.M.N.T.
Brian:
Yeah, it’s great. I loved those. I’m not so sure about this new movie. They
have noses and lips, which I think is weird.
Gary: But I do like the fact that they’re being created
scientifically, versus“an accidental spill of nuclear waste.”
Brian: Yes. I will probably see it. I will say the trailer made me laugh, and made me want to see it more than
when I wanted to before I saw the trailer.
Gary:
So, did you see the 80s one?
Brian:
Oh, yeah.
Gary:
All right.
Brian: I
loved the 80s one.
Gary:
That’s so good.
Brian:
Yeah.
Gary: I
may go see it. I’ll let you know how it is.
Brian:
Sounds good.
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Discussion
Gary is excited to talk with Brian about the new Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. He started watching the cartoon when he was a kid, so he’s interested to see how it’s
been made into a live
action film.
Brian isn’t sure that he wants to see it, though. He likes
the classic TV show so much that he might not be able to enjoy a movie
that has turtles in it that look so different. For example, the new turtles
have lips and noses, which just doesn’t seem right to him. However, it seems
like he’s curious, and he wants to hear from Gary about what it’s like.
Are you
going to see the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie? Did you watch the
cartoon when you were growing up? What do you like about the turtles?
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Grammar Point
Used to Do vs Be Used to
Gary
tells Brian that “I used to deliver newspapers when I was a kid.” This is an
example of using used to do.
It’s
easy to confuse used to do and be used to. Both forms look alike, but they
have very different meanings and structures.
First
let’s look at used to do, or used to + verb. When I say I used to dosomething, I mean that I did something regularly in the past which I no
longer do now. For example, “When I was a child, I used to fight with my siblings, but now we
get along.”
We can
also use used to do to talk about something that was true in the past but
is not true now, for example, “Drinking alcohol used to be illegal in the U.S.” In other
words, drinking alcohol was illegal in the past, but it is no longer illegal.
Be used to means something different. If
you are used to something, you
are accustomed to it. It is normal or usual for you. Be used to is
always followed by a noun or gerund (verb ending in -ing). For
example, I can say “Iam used to the
rain,” or that “I am used to staying
up late.”
Which is
correct, “He is used to eat dirt when he was a baby,” or, “He used to eat dirt
when he was a baby”?
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