Used to, Be Used to, Get Used to: Distinctions and Usage Guide

Used to, Be Used to, and Get Used to are quite basic and commonly encountered in both spoken and written English. If not understood thoroughly, it can be easy to confuse these structures. In the article below, Prep shares with Preppies all the necessary knowledge about these three structures, so let's follow along!

I. What is Used to?

Used to in English is pronounced /juːst tuː/ and is often used with two meanings:

• Referring to something that was done or experienced in the past but is no longer the case. For example:

  • I used to love Literature but now I don't anymore. 

  • Bella used to jog every morning, but now she does yoga. 

• Referring to being accustomed to something. For example:

  • John is used to working late nights, so his current job can't be too difficult for him.

  • Anna is used to working under pressure, so she can climb the career ladder rapidly. 

Similar phrases/structures with the same meaning as used to:

II. How to Use Used to

“Used to” is used to talk about a habit, an action, or an event that occurred in the past and no longer happens in the present. Sometimes, the Used to structure is also used to emphasize the difference between the past and the present. For example:

• Bella used to like watching romantic movies, but now she doesn't anymore. 

• Sophia used to like going to the beach, but now she prefers going to the mountains. 

III. The Structure Used to

1. Forms of Used to in Sentences

To better understand how to use Used to, Prep will present three structures for different types of sentences with Used to in the table below:

2. Note on Using the Structure Used to

Important notes to help you use Used to correctly:

• The structure Used to cannot be used in the present tense: If you want to express a habit in the present, you can use adverbs of frequency such as: usually, always, often, never, etc.

• Use Used or Use? It can be observed that Used is the past form of the verb Use, so we conjugate the verb according to grammar rules. When following auxiliary verbs like: did, could, might, "Use" is in its base form. For example: I didn’t use to go to school late.

IV. The Structure and Usage of Be Used to and Get Used to

1. Be Used to’s structure

1.1. Definition

Be Used to means being accustomed to something. For example:

• She is used to waking up at 3 am. 

• Jack is used to being scolded by his boss. 

1.2. How to Use Be Used to

Be Used to + Ving is used to describe someone who has done something many times and is experienced in it. It can be translated as being accustomed to something. For example:

• Jenny is used to speaking in public. 

• Bella is used to failing exams. 

Note: We use V-ing or a noun after the structure Be Used to. You can refer to the structure below for a better understanding.

1.3. Forms of Be Used to in Sentences

2. Get Used to

2.1. Definition

Get used to means gradually becoming accustomed to something. To better understand the definition of Get used to in English, let's refer to the following examples:

2.2. How to Use Get Used to

Get used to is used to describe that someone is becoming familiar with a particular issue or situation. For example:

• After living abroad for a while, you get used to using public transportation. 

• Hana got used to walking. 

2.3. Get used to’s structure

IV. Notes on Distinguishing Used to, Be Used to, and Get Used to

The terms Used to, Be used to, and Get used to have completely different usages but are often confused. To grasp and understand each term clearly, refer to the following comparison table:

V. Exercises on Used to, Be Used to, and Get Used to

To remember how to use the structures Used to, Be used to, and Get used to, let's practice some exercises below with PREP!

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the verb use.

1. John didn’t ______ to do much skiing.

2. I ______ to walk to school when I was a high school student.

3. They ______ not to let John join this club because he is very good.

4. There ______ to be a lake there years ago.

5. Anna didn’t ______ to like Jack when they were classmates.

6. When ______ we to live here?

7. Why did you ______ to use this dishwater?

8. The John never ______ to have electricity in our house.

9. We hardly ever ______ to have time for picnic together.

10. Did they ______ to let you bring food into cinemas?

Exercise 2: Choose the correct structure (use used to, get used to, or be used to).

1. When John started to work here, he needed a lot of help, but now John is (used to doing/ used to do/ get used to doing) all the work on his own.

2. She (was used to reading/ used to read/ got used to reading) several books a month, but she doesn’t have time anymore.

3. Jack was surprised to see his driving – he (got used to driving/ was used to driving/ didn’t use to drive) when we first met him.

4. Don’t worry, it’s a simple game to play. Bella (are used to/ will get used to/ used to use) it in no time, I’m sure.

5. When we had to commute to work every day we (used to get up/ used to getting up) very early.

6. We are afraid we will never (get used to living/ used to live/ got used to living) in this place. I simply don’t like it and never will

7. Whenever they came to Coventry they always (used to stay/ got used to staying) in the Central Hotel. They loved it.

8. When Emily was the head of our office everything (got used to be/ used to be/ was used to being) well organized. Now it’s total chaos here.

9. Sophia was shocked when she joined our busy company because she (wasn’t used to/ didn’t used to) doing much work every day.

10. At first, the employees didn’t like the new office, but in the end they (got used to/ get used to/ are used to) it.

Answer keys:

In this article, PREP has provided knowledge for you to grasp the meanings, uses, and distinctions of the structures Used to, Be Used to, and Get Used to, along with specific examples. Don’t forget to practice the exercises above to master this grammar point, Preppies! Wishing you effective studying!