Grammar-Quizzes.com

 PRACTICE ON POINTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

• Confusing Words
• Accept / Except
• Affect / Effect
• Another/ The other
• Because / Though
• During / In
• Even / Though
• For / Since
• Fewer / Less
• If / In case
• If only / Only If
• If / Unless
• If / Whether
• Lie / Lay
• Like / As
• Little / Few
• Loose / Lose
• Make / Do
• Most / Most of the
• Much / Many
• Much / More
• Rise / Raise
• Say / Tell
• Sit / Set
• So that/Such…that
• Some / Any
• There / Their
• Used to / Be used to
• When / While
• Phrasal Verbs

• On this page:
• Used to – Be used to
• Used to – Examples
• Be used to – Examples
• Common Mistakes
• Practice

Used to / be used to

A former habit vs. accustoming to a new habit

 

 

 

 

Former Habit vs. Accustomed Activity

USED TO	BE USED TO
Use used to for a former habit; something that you no longer do.  (used to + verb)	Use be used to for something that you are accustomed to; are familiar with and accept as normal.  (be used to + verb-ing). Also, in Amer. Engl  get used to  (become accustomed gradually).
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 wake up early to go fishing.  We would get up early to sleep.	We got used to waking 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.

See Past Habits  (would vs. used to)   

 

 

Be used to

Be used to is a verb + preposition that is followed by a noun, a noun phrase or a gerund clause.
 

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  means to become, gradually changing) We became used to the long hours at work.

 

 

 

Common Mistakes

ERROR	FIX
We are used to go camping every spring.	We used to go camping every spring. (We would go camping ...) We are used to going camping every spring. (It is a family custom.)

Pop-Q "Used to"

 

 

 

Practice

Family Time 

 

 

 

 

1. Select the response from the menu that best completes the sentence.
2. 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.