used to.grammar

1. Used to, be used to, get used to
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Used to
Used to shows that:
• a particular thing always happened or was true in the past.
• But it no longer happens or is no longer true now:
Examples:
• David used to live in Madrid.
• She used to exercise every morning, but since she had that terrible accident she doesn't
exercise anymore.
• Why don't you come and see me like you used to?
Forms of used to
Here are the interrogative, affirmative and negative forms of used to
• Did you use to exercise regularly?
• Yes, I used to go jogging nearly everyday.
• No, I didn't use to exercise on a regular basis.
Used to, be used to, get used to
1.Used to shows that a particular thing always happened or was true in the past (see examples
above)
2.Be used to is used to say that something is normal, not unusual.
Examples:
• I'm used to living alone.
• Don't worry, John is used to driving for long hours. He has worked as a professional driver
for 20 years.
3.Get used shows that something is in the process of becoming normal.
Examples:
• He doesn't like that small town, but he'll get used to it.
• She found the heels too high, but she got used to them.
• Since the divorce, she has become very sad. But I think she'll get used to her new life.
• I got used to living in Canada in spite of the cold weather.
4. Get used to and be used to are followed by either a noun or a gerund.
Get used to + noun Get used to + gerund (verb+ing)
I got used to the noise
I'm used to the cold weather
I got used to waking up early
I'm used to working late at night
Grammar Exercise - Used to, be used to, get used to
Do the exercises below on used to, be used to, get used to and click on the button to check
your answers.
(Before doing the exercises you may want to read the lesson on used to, be used to, get used to)
Choose the correct word.
1. He used to fat but now he's thin
2. He isn't used to in these bad conditions.
3. How did you get used to in the middle of this mess
4. Did you write poems when you were young?
5. I need some time to get used to in this town.
6. Sting used to a teacher before he became a famous
singer.
7. I'm not used to linen by hand.

2. 8. She'll get used to in the extremely cold winter of
Siberia.
9. My mother didn't drink much coffee. But now she has
become addicted to it
10. There used to a lot of trees in this court yard. They have
all been cut down.
- Be/get 'used to' + noun
- Be/get 'used to' + -ing
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
Long Form Contracted Form
I am used to driving I am not used to driving I'm not used to driving Are you used to driving?
 To be used to something means to be accustomed to it.
 To get used to something means to become accustomed to it.
 'Used to' refers to something that was strange before and has become familiar,
something that you have learned to accept.
 'Used to' is followed either by a noun or by a verb ending in -ing.
 Noun
o Tom is used to noise.
o Julie is used to hard work.
 Verb
o Tom is used to living in a noisy street.
o Julie is used to working hard.
 'Used to' is used with be and get in all tenses : past, present, future and conditional.
 Now that I live in France, I am used to driving on the right.
 Since I moved to the city, I have got used to noise.
 Before I lived in Italy, I wasn't used to eating pasta.
 I wasn't used to the weather. It took me some time to get used to it.
Subject Verb Noun Verb in -ing form
Tom is used to walking to work
Laura is not used to spicy food
Traffic wardens are used to noise
Tourists to Britain are not used to driving on the left
Our grandparents were not used to mobile phones
Ski instructors get used to cold weather
Pedro has got used to speaking English
Alex will get used to living in a big city

3. 1. Be used to is used to express that a situation is not new or strange, or is no longer new
or strange.
 I’ve lived here for ten years now so I’m used to driving in the city.
 He’s not used to working at night so he sometimes falls asleep.
 Are you used to the climate?
 I wasn’t used to working such long hours when I started my new job.
2. Get used to is used to express that an action/situation becomes less strange or new, or
becomes more comfortable.
 It took them a long time to get used to their new boss.
 Have you got used to driving on the left yet?
 She is getting used to waking up early for her new job.
Additional points
Be used to can be modified with adverbs.
 I’m very used to his strange behaviour now.
 She should be pretty used to living without electricity or running water by now.
1. Used to is used to talk about habitual or regular actions or states in the past that are
now finished.
 I used to have a dog. (I had a dog in the past but I don’t have a dog now)
 I used to play football every weekend but I don’t have time now.
 Did you use to go swimming when you were at school?
 I didn’t use to like action films, but I love them now.
 I never used to like spinach. (but now I eat it every day)
2. Would is also used to talk about habitual actions in the past, but not to talk about past
states.
 When I was young I used to go fishing with my father every summer. (correct)
When I was young I would go fishing with my father every summer. (correct)
 She used to have a house in the country. (correct)
She would have a house in the country. (incorrect)
USED TO+infinitive ,GET USED TO gerund, BE USED TO+gerund.
1.-Choose the correct sentence
a.- We aren´t used to listening to that kind of music
We arent´used to listen to that kind of music
b.- She will soon get used to work here
She will soon get used to working here
c.- I used to working for that company
I used to work for that company
d.- We never got used to getting up so early
We never got used to get up so early
e.- We used to getting up early but we are retirednow and we don´t need to
We used to get up early but we are retirednow and we don´t need to
f.- When she moved to France she had to get used to drive on the right
When she moved to France she had to get used to driving on the right
g.- We couldn´t sleep very well in Japan, we aren´t used to sleeping on the floor
We couldn´t sleep very well in Japan, we aren´t used to sleep on the floor

4. h.- We used to travelling a lot before having children
We used to travel a lot before having children
i.- The most difficult thing was to get used to eating such spicy food
The most difficult thing was to get used to eat such spicy food
j.- I am used to working on the night shift
I am used to work on the night shift
1. was used to/used to/was accustomed to
Do they differ from one another in meaning?
Or do they mean the same thing with one another?
Sorry for my rough content . I want to know if "be used/ accustomed to" was written in past
tense form, how do they differ from "used to" in meaning?
Ex:
I used to play tennis a lot.
I was used to playing tennis a lot.
I was accustomed to playing tennis a lot.
Do the above examplesdiffer in meaning from one another,or is there no such usage like
sentence two and three(was/were + used/accustomed to + N./Ving)?
Last edited by terrenziqq; 10-Jun-2011 at 04:58.
Re: was used to/used to/was accustomed to
Not a teacher
Although pretty close in concept, I think there is a slight difference:
"Used to" expresses the following infinitive as something the subject did habituallly in the past,
Compare the following:
"He plays tennis regularly" (present habit)
"He used to play tennis regularly" (past habit)
"Accustomed to" expresses adaptation to a frequent situation or condition:
"He is accustomed to an easy life"
It also takes the present participle, rather than the infinitive:
"She's accustomed to being alone"
Humbly, expecting further elucidation,
M.