Name: Learn the English Phrases "in good shape" and "in bad shape"
Uploaded: 2026-02-05T21:01:10.000Z
Duration: 4 min 19 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Past simple

In this English lesson, I wanted to help you learn the English phrase, in good shape.

Present continuous

When we say something is in good shape, it means that - well, let's say we're talking about a vehicle.

You can also use this to talk about people.

If you say he's in good shape, it usually means he has some muscles and he's healthy.

The other phrase I wanted to teach you today is the phrase in bad shape.

Now, if I was talking about a vehicle and I said it was in bad shape, that would mean it's probably rusty.

When you try to start it, it might not start the first time.

But when we talk about people, this means something slightly different.

If you're in good shape, you're healthy and you have muscles and you're not overweight.

But when you're in bad shape, it sometimes means that you're hurt.

After a car accident, you might say, "Oh, he's in bad shape.

He has a broken arm and he has a broken leg."

So it doesn't mean the opposite of healthy.

So to review,  if a car is in good shape, it means that it looks really good.

The paint looks good. The engine runs very smoothly.

If a person's in good shape, it means that they're healthy and muscular and go to the gym a lot.

If a car or something else is in bad shape, it means it probably has rust on it and the engine doesn't run well.

If a computer is in bad shape, it means it just doesn't turn on all the time.

And if a person is in bad shape, it usually is used to describe them after something like a car accident when they have injuries.

But hey, let's look at a comment from a previous video.

You haven't been active on this channel in the last few months. What was the reason?"

In my response, and I have said this a number of times, so sorry if you've heard this a million times.

I broke my collarbone last summer and it has taken a while for me to feel 100%.

I also had a very busy schedule in the fall at school.

Now I'm feeling much better and my schedul is much nicer.

And it was fun to be able to kind of let you know the reason.

And I'll explain in a little more detail.

And that seems to have caused it to take a long time for me to heal.

But I have been feeling pretty good since last fall.

But in the school year, there are semesters.

And last semester or in my school year, not every school has that.

So I basically was at work almost like it was full time.

When I normally teach part time, I either teach for most of the morning or most of the afternoon.

And so that was a little different for me.

I've never had that schedule before and it was hard to get used to.

I found I was spending more time at work than I should have been.

By the way, this van, it's in good shape, sort of, but it is starting to rust a little bit.

We take it off the road in the winter because we don't have as many drivers.

So yeah, my semester, last semester was really busy.

Oh, by the way, it's the weekend right now.

Anyways, I don't have to go to work until about 10 or 11 in the morning.

Anyways, that's it for this little short lesson.

I'll see you next week with another short English lesson.

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Learn the English Phrases "in good shape" and "in bad shape"

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