Master “Used To”: Understand the Difference Between Past Habits and Current Adaptations

Do you know the difference between “I used to drive on the left” and “I’m used to driving on the left”? While they look similar, they carry very different meanings. Mastering these structures is essential for talking about your past, your habits, and how you adapt to new experiences.

1. “Used to + infinitive”: Past Habits

We use used to followed by the infinitive to describe a past situation, repeated action, or state that is no longer true today. It highlights that something happened in the past but has since changed.

• Examples:
  • “She used to be a long-distance runner when she was younger”.
  • “I didn’t use to sleep very well, but then I started doing yoga”.
  • “Did you use to come here as a child?”.
  • “I used to want to be a lawyer, but then I realised how hard they work!”.

2. “Be used to”: Being Familiar

Be used to means you are already familiar with or accustomed to something. It can be used to describe the past, present, or future.

• Structure: Followed by a noun, pronoun, or the -ing form of a verb.
• Examples:
  • “She’s used to the city now and doesn’t get lost any more”.
  • “He wasn’t used to walking so much and his legs hurt after the hike”.
  • “I’m a teacher, so I’m used to speaking in public”.
  • “How’s Boston? Are you used to the cold weather yet?”.

3. “Get used to”: The Process of Adaptation

We use get used to to describe the process of becoming familiar with something that was previously new or strange. Like “be used to,” it is followed by a noun, pronoun, or the -ing form of a verb.

• Examples:
  • “I’m finding this new job hard, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it soon”.
  • “It took my mother years to get used to living in London after moving from Pakistan”.
  • “I’m getting used to the noise now. I found it really stressful when I first moved in”.
  • “No matter how many times I fly, I’ll never get used to take-off!”.

Quick Reference Summary

Structure	Meaning	Followed By
Used to	A past state/habit no longer true	Infinitive (e.g., to walk)
Be used to	Familiar/accustomed to	Noun, Pronoun, or -ing
Get used to	The process of adapting	Noun, Pronoun, or -ing

Test Your Grammar Skills!

Ready to see if you have mastered these structures? Head over to our interactive grammar test to practice your knowledge.

[Link: Click Here for Grammar Test 1]

How did you do? Let us know in the comments below, or try writing your own sentence using “get used to” to describe a new experience you are currently going through!