Grammar-Quizzes.com

 PRACTICE ON POINTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

• Confusing Words
• accept / except
• affect / effect
• lie / lay
• like / as
• make / do
• rise / raise
• say / tell
• sit / set
• used to / be used to
• during / in
• even / though
• if / whether
• if only / only if
• most / most of the
• so phrases
• so that / such that
• when / while
• phrasal verbs

Used to / be used to

Habit vs. Accustomed

 

 

 

 

Used to vs. be used to

USED TO	BE USED TO
USED TO + VERB  – a former habit; would	BE USED TO + NOUN PHRASE – be accustomed to something or an activity
We used to go camping every spring.  We would go camping every spring.	We are used to going camping every spring.  (We do it often.)
We used to get up early to go fishing.  We would get up early to sleep.	We were used to getting up early to go fishing.  (We get up early habitually.)
We used to tell stories before bedtime.  We would tell stories ....	We were used to telling stories before bedtime.  (We told them often.)

 

 

Used to

Used to is used as an auxiliary verb and is followed by a verb.
 

TIME FRAME	EXAMPLES
PAST	We used to play football after school.  (We don't anymore.)
	I used to spend a lot of time in cafe with my friends. (I don't anymore.)
	My dog used to be aggressive, but he's a mellower now.

 

 

 

Be used to

Be used to is a verbal phrase or expression that is followed by a noun or noun phrase.
 

TIME FRAME	EXAMPLES
PRESENT	We are used to hard work.
FUTURE	We will get used to working hard.  ("get" is mostly  used in the future and means "become")
PAST	We were used to long hours at work.
	We got used to long hours at work. ("get" emphasizes our taking action to do something)

 

 

 

Common Mistakes

ERROR	FIX
We are used to go camping every spring            pop-q 3/29/2009	We used to go camping every spring. (We would go camping ...) We are used to going camping every spring. (It is a family custom.)

 

 

 

 

 

Practice 1

Family Time 

 

 

 

Select the option that best completes the sentence.

Then, compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.

 

#	YOUR RESPONSE	FEEDBACK
1.	Our extended family — used to are used to get together every Saturday night.   extended = family plus aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins
2.	We — used to were used to seeing each other on a regular basis.
3.	Everyone — used to was used to bring one part of the meal .
4.	My mom — used to was used to bring the main dish, usually Lasagne.
5.	Uncle Al — used to was used to bring dessert – usually something chocolaty.
6.	When I went away to school, it was hard to — used to get used to  eating alone.
7.	I   — used to was used to  sitting and talking over dinner for an hour or two.
8.	After a while, I met other people who — used to were used to socializing at dinner time.
9.	They had also come from families that — used to were used to eat together for dinner .
10.	Now, my family is keeping the custom. My children — used to are used to family meals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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