Back in the Day: Using BACK to Refer to the Past

Hi everyone. I'm Jennifer from English with  Jennifer. Do you know what this is? It's an  

audio cassette. Back when I was in middle school  and high school, U had tons of cassettes. And  

almost every kid back then had a boombox. That's  how we listened to music at home or outside. And  

actually, if we go way back to my early childhood,  I remember my record collection. When I listened  

to audiobooks, the book would come with a  record. You had to put it on a record player.  

It's fun to look back and remember  old technology and old trends.  

These days I'm trying to be optimistic about  growing older, and I realize that the additional  

years give me more perspective. It's like stepping  back and seeing how the pieces of the puzzle come  

together. Whether you're younger, older, or about  the same age as me, we can all look at the past  

and talk about it. In this lesson, let's look at  ways we use the word "back" to refer to the past.

In informal conversation, we can use "back"  

to mean "ago." A few years back,  my family took a trip to Hawaii.

A while back, we drove to New  Hampshire and visited Mount Washington.

Don't use "back" with recent events.  For example, I saw Maria a second ago.  

I just had lunch an hour ago, so I'm not hungry.

"Back" is more informal and more conversational  than "ago." If you have any doubts, use "ago."

Earlier, I told you that I had tons of  cassettes back when I was in high school.  

I don't have to use the word "back" in this  sentence. It's something I added in. It's a  

pattern we use in conversation. We can use "back  when" to recall a distant period in time. Back  

when there was no caller ID, we had to say, "May  I ask who's calling" or "Who is this, please?"

Back when there were no phones, people relied  on telegrams. Did you ever send a telegram?

A variation is "way back when." We can use this  as a stand-alone phrase or like a noun phrase.

Way back when, we used to get a  TV guide in the local newspaper  

to find out what would be on TV every day.  Of course, today you just turn on the TV,  

and the menu or the guide is on the screen.  Do you know what this is? It's a Victrola.  

It's a phonograph or a record player from way  back when. It may be over a hundred years old.  

This was in our family home when we were  kids, and one of my brothers inherited it.

"Way back" is used for emphasis to refer  to something that happened a long time ago.  

Way back in the 1950s, Americans  had milk delivered to their homes.

And actually, milkmen continued to deliver milk  past the 1950s. I have memories of the milk box  

near our front door way back  when I was a little girl.

"Way" is also used for emphasis in "go way back,"  which we use to talk about a long relationship. My  

friend Sheree and I go way back. We first met in  sixth grade at a special tournament, and then we  

went to high school together. A variation is,  "My friend Sheree and I go back a long way."

Okay. Let's pause and practice. Complete  these sentences with your own ideas.  

You can share your examples in the comments.

Do you ever feel nostalgic? That's how  we feel when we look at the past and  

wish we could experience certain things again.  Sometimes we feel nostalgic about our childhood.  

We can also romanticize the past, forgetting about  the hardships and imagining only the good things.  

Back in the day, ladies wore  pretty dresses and men wore  

stylish hats and suits. Don't you  wish people dressed more nicely today?  

Well, actually no. Ii think it's very comfortable  to wear jeans and sneakers every day like I do!  

So "back in the day" refers to a distant time  period. It could be in someone's lifetime,  

but then that would be more typical of an older  person talking about their youth. For example. My  

93-year-old cousin Gina could talk about life  back in the day. She could tell us about the music  

they listened to, the clothes they wore, and the  kinds of things they'd find in the local stores.

"Back in the day" is often used with  pleasant memories or recollections,  

but it could also be used to mention hardships.  

Back in the day, women were expected to wear  hoops under their skirts and corsets under  

their dresses -- all kinds of uncomfortable  and restrictive clothing. Can you imagine?

"Back" is used in a number of phrasal verbs  to refer to a past time. I already gave you  

the example of my friend and I going way back,  meaning we've known each other for a long time.  

When you look back, you remember the  past and consider it. You can look back  

on something. You can look back at something.  Look back on your past mistakes, for example.

When you think back to a time, you recall and  reflect. When Adam thinks back to his twenties,  

he wishes he had made better choices. A  song can take you back to a pleasant time.  

1980s songs take me back to my youth.

And if you show me a book I loved as a child, I  might comment, "Ah, that story takes me back!"  

Meaning it makes me remember my  childhood in a good way, fondly.

Let's review the ways we use "back" to refer  to the past: back when I was in high school;  

almost every kid had a boombox back then;  

a few years back; a while back; way  back when; way back in the 1950s.

Back in the day.

And the phrasal verbs. Go way  back or go back a long way.  

You can look back on something or look back  at something. You can think back or think  

back to a certain time. Something can take you  back. It can take you back to a certain time.

It's time for more practice. Look at these items.  

Try to create an example with  "back" to refer to the past.  

Seeing Michael Jackson takes me back to a time  when everyone, including me, tried to moonwalk.

We'll end here. Please like and share  the video if you found the lesson useful.  

As always, thanks for watching and happy studies!  

I'd like to take a moment and say thank you  to all of my Kind-Hearted Patrons on Patreon.  

Your pledge of two dollars a month is very  sweet, and your support is appreciated.

I invite high intermediate and advanced students  to join me on Patreon. As a Valuable Member,  

you can attend the monthly livestream. As a  Super Member, get the livestream and additional  

group lessons with follow-up practice tasks.  Members at the higher tiers can benefit from  

a monthly one-on-one video call. Visit me  today. English with Jennifer on Patreon.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

And don't forget to subscribe.  Turn on those notifications.