used to
1. Used before an uninflected verb to indicate an action or state that was done or existed formerly or previously. (The verb is sometimes dropped if referenced earlier.) I used to be a high school principal, before I changed careers. A: «Do you have guitar I could borrow?» B: «I used to, but I sold it last year.»
2. Familiar with or habituated to someone or something. Is she getting used to her new job? I know Gregory can be a bit pretentious at times, but you get used to him after a while. I never could get used to driving on the other side of the road when I lived in England.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
*used to someone or something
Fig. accustomed to someone or something; familiar and comfortable with someone or something. (*Typically: be ~; become ~; get~.) I am used to eating better food than this. I am used to the doctor I have and I don’t want to change.
used to do something
to have done something [customarily] in the past. We used to go swimming in the lake before it became polluted. I used to eat nuts, but then I became allergic to them.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
used to
1. Accustomed or habituated to. This expression is often put as be or get used to , as in I’m not used to driving a manual-shift car, or She can’t get used to calling him Dad. [Early 1500s]
2. Formerly. This sense is used with a following verb to indicate a past state, as in I used to ride my bicycle to the post office, or This used to be the best restaurant in town. [Late 1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
- as one does
- by half
- 10-4
- come in
- come in a certain position
- come on in
- crickets
- be (flat) on (one’s) back
- (Is) that everything?
- a little goes a long way
Студенты часто путаются в конструкциях used to, get used to и be used to и не понимают разницу между used to и would. Чтобы понять отличия между ними, читайте нашу статью и изучайте примеры использования этих конструкций в контексте.
Конструкция used to do smth
Конструкция used to в английском языке используется, чтобы рассказать о действии, которое происходило или часто повторялось в прошлом, но на данный момент уже не происходит. При переводе предложений с этой конструкцией на русский язык обычно добавляют слово «раньше» или «бывало».
I used to have an MP3 player. Now I just listen to music online. — У меня раньше был MP3-плеер. Теперь я просто слушаю музыку онлайн.
I used to believe in the tooth fairy. — Я раньше верил в Зубную фею.
Brian used to steal from the shops. — Брайан раньше воровал в магазинах.
С помощью конструкции used to мы рассказываем о привычках, которые были в прошлом.
Tony used to drink much coffee. — Тони раньше пил много кофе.
I used to bite my fingernails when I was five. — Когда мне было пять, я грыз ногти.
Еще used to используется для описания состояний в прошлом.
Gaby used to be overweight. But now she looks fit. — Раньше у Гэби был лишний вес. Но сейчас она выглядит подтянуто.
Detroit used to be densely populated city. But now a few people live in it. — Детройт раньше был густонаселенным городом. Но сейчас там мало кто живет.
Вопросительные предложения с used to строят с помощью вспомогательного глагола did, а в отрицательных предложениях к вспомогательному глаголу did добавляется частица not — did not, didn’t.
Why did you use to collect chocolate wrappers? — Почему ты собирала обертки от шоколадок?
Where did Henry use to go fishing? — Куда Генри ходил рыбачить?
I did not use to sing in the shower. — Раньше я не пел в душе.
Debbie didn’t use to smoke. — Дэбби раньше не курила.
Допускается образование отрицания без вспомогательного глагола did. Такое предложение будет уместно в официальной ситуации.
Our company used not to carry out corporate trainings. — Наша компания раньше не проводила корпоративных тренингов.
Глагол would
Глагол would, как и конструкция used to, выражает повторяющееся действие в прошлом. Однако would лучше употреблять, если есть привязка к конкретному времени.
Every time Sarah came, we would play X-box for hours. — Каждый раз, когда приходила Сара, мы часами играли в X-box.
We would used to play X-box for hours with Sarah. — Мы часами играли в X-box вместе с Сарой.
В отличие от конструкции used to, would не используется, если речь идет о состояниях в прошлом.
Tony would used to eat too much sweets. — Тони раньше ел слишком много сладкого.
Travis would used to be a polite person a few years ago. — Трэвис был вежливым человеком пару лет назад.
Но глагол would добавляет оттенок ностальгии в теплые воспоминания о прошлом.
Every summer I would live in a country house with my grandmother. In the early morning I would go fishing at the lake. After that I would climb the tall old oak near the house. I would sit in the tree and read a book almost all day long. — Каждое лето я жил в домике у своей бабушки. Рано утром я ходил рыбачить на озеро. После этого я забирался на большой старый дуб возле дома. Я сидел на дереве и целый день читал книжку.
Чтобы задать вопрос, поставьте глагол would в начало предложения.
Would you play hide-and-seek when you were a kid? — Ты играл в прятки, когда был маленьким?
Записывайтесь на курс практической грамматики и тренируйтесь в использовании used to, would, be used to и get used to.
Конструкции to be used to и to get used to
Конструкция be used to описывает привычку, которая уже сформировалась, а get used to — процесс приобретения привычки. Дальше подробнее расскажем, как строятся утвердительные, отрицательные и вопросительные предложение с этими конструкциями.
- Конструкция to be used to
После конструкции to be used to используется глагол с окончанием -ing, существительное или местоимение.
I am already used to driving on the left. It was rather hard when I first came to England. — Я уже привык ездить по левой стороне дороги. Это было довольно сложно, когда я впервые приехал в Англию.
Tony is used to sleeping with the lights on. — Тони привык спать с включенным светом.
I am already used to the strange taste of traditional Asian cuisine. — Я уже привык к странному вкусу традиционных блюд Азии.Отрицательные предложения строятся с помощью вспомогательного глагола to be и частицы not.
Debora hates going to Chinese restaurants. She isn’t used to eating with chopsticks. — Дебора ненавидит ходить в китайские рестораны. Она не привыкла есть палочками.
Вопросительные предложения начинаются со вспомогательного глагола to be.
Are you used to commuting to work every day? — Ты привык ездить на работу в город?
- Конструкция to get used to
После конструкции to get used to также используется глагол с окончанием -ing, существительное или местоимение.
I find it hard to get used to new conditions. — Мне трудно привыкать к новым условиям.
They are getting used to sleeping in the open air. — Они привыкают спать на свежем воздухе.
He is such a rude person! It took us a while to get used to him. — Он такой грубый! Потребовалось время, чтобы к нему привыкнуть.Для построения отрицательных и вопросительных предложений используйте вспомогательные глаголы: Present Simple — do, Past Simple — did, Future Simple — will, Present Perfect — have/has, Past Perfect — had. В отрицательных предложениях также добавляйте частицу not.
Sam didn’t get used to southern climate. He has moved to Canada. — Сэм не привык к южному климату. Он переехал в Канаду.
Kate still can’t walk after receiving an injury. Will she get used to it? — Кейт до сих пор не может ходить после того, как получила травму. Она привыкнет к этому?Get used to (в прошедшей форме) и be used to (в настоящей форме) взаимозаменяемы, если мы говорим о привычке, которая уже сформировалась.
I got used to wearing this stupid uniform. = I am used to wearing this stupid uniform. — Я привык носить эту дурацкую форму.
Sally works very slowly. But we got used to it. = But we are used to it. — Салли работает очень медленно. Но мы привыкли к этому.
Итак, повторим: конструкция used to do smth используется, когда речь идет о часто повторяющемся действии в прошлом; would указывает на действие, повторяющееся в прошлом, но нужна привязка ко времени; конструкция to be used to указывает на сформировавшуюся привычку, тогда как to get used to описывает процесс приобретения привычки.
Предлагаем пройти небольшой тест для закрепления полученных знаний.
Тест по теме «Разница между used to, would, be used to и get used to»
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English learners often confuse used to, be used to and get used to. And that makes a lot of sense! They sound almost exactly the same, after all.
But they actually have very different functions in the English language. So, how do we use them, and what’s the difference? Advertisements
The difference between used to, be used, and get used to is:
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Used to is a verb we use to talk about something that happened in the past that doesn’t happen anymore. We always use it in the past tense.
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Be/get used to is an adjective that means we are so familiar with something that is seems normal or usual. Just as with any adjective, we can use the verb be or get before it.
There are a few more subtle differences and common mistakes that we’re going to talk about today. We’ll talk about:
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Used To: Usage and Structure
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Be Used To and Get Used To: Usage and Structure
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
Then you’ll have the opportunity to practice and test your knowledge with a couple of practice exercises and a writing prompt. So, if you’re ready to dive into the differences between these two phrases, let’s get started!
The Difference Between Used to, Be Used TO and Get used to
How to Use Used To
Used to actually functions as a modal verb. We use modal verbs such as can, could, would, or should to talk about things such as ability, probability, suggestion, advice, or obligation, to name a few.
Used to is a modal verb that we specifically use to talk about habits we had in the past. So, because it functions as a modal verb, we always put used to with a base verb. Here’s the basic structure:
Structure
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Subject + used to + base verb + . . .
Examples
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He used to work here.
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She used to run every day.
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We used to be good friends.
Keep in mind that we never change the base verb that comes after used to.
Examples
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He used to work here.
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He used to working here.
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She used to run every day.
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She used to running every day.
Used To in the Negative
If we want to talk about how a habit or repeated action didn’t exist in the past, but it exists now, we can use did not use to. Here, we use use to instead of used to because of the auxiliary verb did, so be careful of the spelling here.
Structure
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Subject + didn’t + use to + base verb + . . .
Examples
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He didn’t use to cry so much.
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She didn’t use to drive so fast.
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We didn’t use to fight like this.
We can also use “never used to” to express the same meaning.
Examples
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He never used to cry so much.
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She never used to drive so fast.
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We never used to fight like this.
Used To in a Question
It is possible to use used to in a question if we want to know if someone has always had the habit they have now. And in this case, we have to follow the same spelling of “use to” without the -d at the end.
Structure
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Did + subject + use to + base verb + . . . ?
We can also put a question with used to in the negative:
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Didn’t + subject + use to + base verb + . . . ?
Examples
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Didn’t you use to climb trees when you were a kid?
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Did you use to exercise more in the past?
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Did they use to take such long vacations?
Used To With Adverbs of Frequency
We often use used to with adverbs of frequency like sometimes, never, always, or often to show how often a repeated action or habit occurred in the past.
Examples
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They never used to make so much noise.
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We sometimes used to swim in the river.
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He always used to eat dessert after every meal.
Related post: What’s the Difference Between If and Whether?
How to Use Be Used To and Get Used To
Now, let’s take a look at the phrases be used to and get used to.
I’m grouping be used to and get used to together because they have a similar function, and their meanings are almost the same.
Both be used to and get used to are adjectives that mean we are accustomed to doing something, or that we are in the process of getting accustomed to it. Here are some examples:
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I am used to waking up early.
(I am accustomed to waking up early.)
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It was uncomfortable at first, but eventually, I got used to public speaking.
(Eventually, I got accustomed to public speaking.)
Structure
With be/get used to, there are two possible structures:
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Subject + be/get + used to + -ing
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Subject + be/get + used + noun
Get Used To
We covered the uses of get in another post, but the important thing to remember here is this: get indicates a process of change. To understand this, let’s look at a simple example. If I say,
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“I wasn’t used to the humidity when I first moved to Taiwan, but eventually I got used to it.”
Using get here in its past form got signifies that the transformation is complete: I am now accustomed to the humidity.
So we often say that we got used to something when we were in a situation that felt strange or difficult, and we slowly became accustomed to it until it felt normal.
Remember also that we always follow get used to with a noun or a gerund (-ing verb). We never follow it with a base verb.
Examples
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It took him a while to get used to the slower pace of life here.
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When I was younger, I hated waking up early. But eventually, I got used to it.
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Even though they have lived here for nine years, they still can’t get used to the winters.
We often use get used to in the continuous form if the process of change is still ongoing:
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I am slowly getting used to the weather here.
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They are still getting used to the traffic in this city.
Be Used To
We can use be used to to show how something that didn’t feel normal in the past feels normal now.
Examples
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He is used to the sound of their fighting now.
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We are used to the smaller rooms in this apartment.
Unlike get used to, we don’t use be used to in the present continuous tense:
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We’re being used to the smaller rooms in this apartment.
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We’re used to the smaller rooms in this apartment.
It takes time to get used to new things, so we can use get used to and be used to with still, already, yet, and just to show where we are in the process of adjusting to a new experience.
Examples
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I have just gotten used to that new car smell.
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He’s still not used to his new work environment.
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We’re already used to the customs here.
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They haven’t gotten used to living in an old house yet.Advertisements
Also check out: What’s the Meaning and Difference Between Although, Even Though, and Though?
Used To, Be Used To, and Get Used To: Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Make sure to spell used to correctly in sentences that aren’t negative or questions. Don’t forget to add the -d, even though you can’t always hear it in speaking:
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We use to go to that park all the time.
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We used to go to that park all the time.
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But with questions and negative sentences, we don’t add the -d to use to.
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He didn’t used to cry so much.
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He didn’t use to cry so much.
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Did you used to climb trees?
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Did you use to climb trees?
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In American English, the negative form of used to is didn’t use to, but in British English, it’s okay to say used to not. Just be careful not to get confused.
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They didn’t use to argue so much. (American English)
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They used to not argue so much. (British English)
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Be careful not to confuse be used to with the modal verb used to.
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She was used to visit her grandmother more often.
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She used to visit her grandmother more often.
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They were used to invite us to dinner sometimes.
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They used to invite us to dinner sometimes.
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Be careful not to confuse be used to with get used to.
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I am got used to the new apartment.
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I am used to the new apartment.
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They aren’t get used to having a dog.
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They aren’t used to having a dog.Advertisements
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USED TO, BE USED TO, OR GET USED TO: EXERCISE 1
Using the word given, complete the second sentence so its meaning is similar to the first. All answers need used to, be used to, or get used to.
1. In the past, I had the habit of shopping in the store, but now I only shop online.
I used to shop in the store and not online.
2.Eating a vegetarian diet is going to feel normal for you eventually.
You _______________________________________ eating vegetarian.
3. We didn’t like your old habit of smoking.
We didn’t like that _______________________________________ .
4. Living on the top floor without an elevator feels normal to them now.
They _____________________________ living without an elevator.
5. She is never going to adjust to that smell.Advertisements
She is never going ______________________________________________ that smell.
USED TO, BE USED TO, OR GET USED TO: EXERCISE 2
Are the sentences correct? If not, what’s the correction?
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Were you use to go to church in the past?
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Annie has gotten used to life at her new university.
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They got used to stop by the store every day.
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Our old dog is used to go to the bathroom inside the house.
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I use to make friends more easily.
Used To, Be Used To, and Get Used To: Writing Exercise
Taking some time every week to practice your writing is one of the best ways you can improve, and I usually notice more improvement in students who do some extra writing in English every week.
So here’s a writing prompt to get you thinking and scribbling or typing away in English:
What is one old piece of technology that we used to use that we should use again? Why? Write at least five sentences to support your argument, and use used to, get used to, and be used to in your writing.
About the writer
Marta is an online ESL teacher who works with students from around the world. As a writer for In English With Love, her mission is to empower English learners with knowledge and positivity.
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You give three different situations that I feel require different expressions.
The gift can:
- blend into your surroundings.
- melt into the background.
You can become oblivious of/ to your surroundings.
You can also become accustom to something.
I worked in the room so often I became accustomed to the smell of cigarette smoke.
The gift sat on my desk for so long, it just blended into my surroundings.
I walked past the shop so often I became oblivious to its existence.
It is also possible to become numb to something however this seems to be used more when talking about sensations or experiences.
My boss yelled at me so much, I became numb to it after a while.
«it» refers to the experience of your boss yelling at you.
Note, though that «I didn’t even notice it,» implies that it is truly invisible to you, whereas «accustomed to» implies that you had to adapt to something so there was a conscious effort. So, my first example (depending on your intentions) might better be phrased «I worked in the room often, so I had to accustom myself to the smell of cigarette smoke.» I mention this last example because Paul Ryan recently took over John Boehner’s office, and will have to sterilize the room because he cannot take the smell. «I don’t think I can accustom myself to the smell. I’m sure John was oblivious to it.»
EDIT:
JEL suggested «acclimate.» I feel this is an excellent addition. From my point of view, acclimate can also be applied to the situation described above about John Boehner’s previous office. We also use the word acclimate for weather situations. I offer this word because I think it will help you better describe a situation in the future. Each of the words suggested have different uses. I don’t think «acclimate» would fit the «gift on my desk situation.» but it could fit another you have in mind.
‘I’m getting used to eating sushi, but I can’t get used to using chop-sticks!’
In the past we have looked at used to for past habits: ‘I used to play tennis, but now I don’t’.
get used to…
Today we look at a very different meaning for the phrase ‘be used to’.
‘be used to means ‘become familiar with’. For example, imagine that you have recently moved to, let’s say, Japan. Because Japan is so different from your home country, you felt a little uncomfortable being there. Everything was new and strange. Then after a while, you started to feel more at home in Japan. You can use this expression:
‘It was strange at first, but now I am used to Japan.’
Do you notice the grammar of this phrase?
Subject (I, he, she, we) + be verb (am, is, are) + used to + object (Japan, it)
getting used to…
OK. Let’s take you back to Japan. When you arrived you started to take Japanese lessons. Of course, it takes a long time to learn a strange new language. Slowly, your Japanese is getting better, but it’s not perfect yet. In this situation we can use:
‘I am getting used to speaking Japanese.’
Notice: in the above sentence ‘used to’ is followed by an ‘–ing’ verb. We do not use infinitive verbs after ‘used to’ because ‘to’ here is a preposition.
‘getting used to’ means that you are not 100% familiar with something, but you will be eventually. It’s an ongoing process.
can’t get used to…
Time for one final trip to Japan. In Japan people eat sushi (raw fish). Imagine that you hate it! You tried it and you don’t like it. You can say:
‘I can’t get used to sushi.’
You know that you will never be able to eat it. In this situation we use this expression:
‘I will never get used to sushi.’
Before we move on, we should review:
I am used to… = It was uncomfortable and strange, but now it’s fine.
I am getting used to…= It’s still a little uncomfortable and strange, but it’s getting better.
I can’t get used to… = It is still strange and will be in the future!
‘Used to’ in questions
In questions we can ask:
‘Are you used to eating sushi?’
Link: ‘Used to’ for past habits
- I live in Australia. I can’t get used to ___ Christmas in summer.
- It was unusual at first, but I’m ___ used to it.
- I’ll ___ get used to driving on the left.
- Do you think I will ___ used to the food?
- When I was young I used to ___ football with my friends.
- They ___ to the weather by now.
are used
used to
is used to - You should try and get ____.
never to used to reading
used to read
used to reading
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