Used To – Get Used To – Be Used To | Confusing Grammar Terms

Learn the use of English grammar Terms, Used to, Get used to, and Be used to with useful sentence examples in English. Learn how to use Used to, get used to, and be used to in English grammar with examples and ESL pictures.

Table of Contents

Used to:

Form

Positive Sentence:

Subject + used to + V (infinitive).

Negative Sentence:

Subject + didn’t use to + V (infinitive).

(We can also use never used to + infinitive. In more formal or written English, used not to + infinitive is sometimes used.)

Question form:

Did + subject + use to + V (infinitive)

How to Use

We use the structure used to do something when we talk about something we did regularly in the past, but do not do it now. Used to is different from the past simply because it emphasizes that the action was repeated many times.

Example:

He used to go to our school.

We also use used to + the infinitive for past situations. It emphasizes that the situations are no longer true.

She used to be overweight but became she a model last year.

How to Use Be/Get Used to

Form

Positive Sentence:

Subject + be/get used to + noun/pronoun/gerund.

Negative Sentence:

Subject + not be/not get used to + noun/pronoun/gerund.

Question Form:

Be + subject + used to + noun/pronoun/gerund?

And

Auxiliary verb + subject + get used to + noun/pronoun/gerund?

How to Use

Be used to is used to express that a situation is not new or strange, or is no longer new or strange. You have experienced it many times.

Examples:

He is used to swimming every day.
I‘m not used to getting up early.

Get used to is used to express that an action/situation becomes less strange or new, or becomes more comfortable.

Examples:

Staff will have to get used to a new way of working.
I could not get used to driving on the wrong side of the street!

Note:

Used to be about the past so there is no present or future form.
In the negative didn’t use to and the question did you use to, notice that there is no d on use.
Be used to can be modified with adverbs.

Example:

I’m very used to his strange behavior now.