Used To, Be Used To, Get Used To

What is used to, be used to and get used to?

These three structures look almost the same, but they mean different things.

• used to + verb talks about the past: something was true before, but it is not true now.
• be used to + noun / -ing means something is normal and familiar for you.
• get used to + noun / -ing means something is slowly becoming normal for you.

I used to live in a warm country. At first I wasn't used to the snow, but I got used to it after two winters.

How to form used to (past habits and states)

Used to is followed by the base form of the verb (the verb with no ending: go, live, work). It is the same for every subject.

Didn't use to or didn't used to?

After did and didn't, English normally uses the base form, so the standard spelling is didn't use to and Did you use to...?

You will also see didn't used to in emails, online and even in some books. Many people accept it in informal writing, but didn't use to is the safer choice for exams and formal writing. Both sound the same when spoken.

A third form, used not to (I used not to like it), exists but is formal and rare today.

There is no present form

Used to only talks about the past. For present habits, use the present simple with usually, often or normally.

• Wrong: I use to get up at seven.
• Correct: I usually get up at seven.

Pronunciation

In all three structures, used to is pronounced /juːstə/, with an s sound, not a z sound. The d is not heard.

When to use used to

1. Past habits that have stopped

Something you did regularly in the past, but you do not do now.

• I used to take the bus to work, but now I cycle.
• We used to go skating on the canal every weekend.
• My dad used to make pancakes on Sundays.

2. Past states that are no longer true

States are things that are not actions: live, have, be, like, know, believe.

• There used to be a bakery on this corner.
• She used to have long hair.
• I didn't use to like spicy food, but now I love it.

3. Contrast between then and now

Used to often suggests a change. You do not need to add but not now: it is already in the meaning.

• Did you use to live in Vancouver? (You do not live there now.)
• This street used to be really quiet.

When to use would for past habits

Would + base verb can also describe repeated actions in the past. It often appears in stories and memories, after the time has already been set.

• When I was a child, we would visit my grandparents every summer. My grandmother would bake bread every morning.

But would is only for repeated actions, not for states.

For more about would in other meanings, see Modal Verbs.

How to form be used to and get used to

In be used to and get used to, the word to is a preposition, not part of an infinitive. So after it, use a noun, a pronoun or a verb in the -ing form (a gerund).

Both structures work in any tense, because be and get change:

• I wasn't used to tipping when I first came to Canada. (past)
• I've finally got used to the time difference. (present perfect)
• Don't worry, you'll get used to it. (future)
• She is getting used to her new job. (in progress)

North American English often uses gotten in the present perfect: I've gotten used to it. British English uses got. Both are correct.

When to use be used to and get used to

1. Be used to = something is normal and familiar

It is not strange or difficult for you any more.

• I've lived in Winnipeg for ten years, so I'm used to cold winters.
• He isn't used to speaking English on the phone yet.
• Are you used to the early starts?

2. Get used to = something is becoming normal

This is the process of change: at first it was strange or hard, and then it becomes normal.

• It took me a few months to get used to driving on the right.
• I can't get used to this new keyboard.
• You'll soon get used to the snow.

Be used to describes the result. Get used to describes the change.

Used to vs be used to vs get used to

Compare these two sentences carefully:

• I used to drive in snow. (I did it in the past. Now I don't.)
• I'm used to driving in snow. (It is normal for me. It is not a problem.)

Common mistakes

Mistake 1: Using use to for the present

• Wrong: I use to drink tea in the morning.
• Correct: I usually drink tea in the morning.
• Reason: used to has no present form.

Mistake 2: Base verb after be used to

• Wrong: I'm used to wake up early.
• Correct: I'm used to waking up early.
• Reason: to is a preposition here, so it takes -ing.

Mistake 3: Forgetting be

• Wrong: I used to the cold now.
• Correct: I'm used to the cold now.
• Reason: without be, it means a past habit and needs a verb.

Mistake 4: Would for past states

• Wrong: We would live in a small apartment.
• Correct: We used to live in a small apartment.
• Reason: would is only for repeated actions, not states like live or have.

Mistake 5: Used to with a number of times or a specific time

• Wrong: I used to visit Montreal three times last year.
• Correct: I visited Montreal three times last year.
• Reason: for a fixed number of times or a finished period, use the past simple.

Mistake 6: Used to after did

• Not recommended: Did you used to work here?
• Correct: Did you use to work here?
• Reason: after did, use the base form use.

Quick reference

Common questions

Is it 'didn't use to' or 'didn't used to'?

The standard form is didn't use to, because did is followed by the base form. Didn't used to is common in informal writing, but use didn't use to in exams and formal texts.

Why is it 'used to doing' and not 'used to do'?

In be used to and get used to, to is a preposition, like in or at. Prepositions are followed by nouns or -ing forms, so you say I'm used to cooking, just like I'm good at cooking. See Gerunds and Infinitives for more verbs like this.

What does 'This tool is used to cut wood' mean?

This is a different structure: the passive of the verb use (= this tool is used for cutting wood). Here to is part of the infinitive, so a base verb follows. It looks the same as be used to, but the meaning is about purpose, not familiarity.

Practise next

• Past Simple — for finished past actions and specific times
• Gerunds and Infinitives — more patterns with a preposition + -ing
• Modal Verbs — other meanings of would
• Past Tenses Quiz (A2) — check your past forms