Used To & Be Used To (B1) — English Grammar

Two Different Expressions

Used to and be used to look similar but mean very different things. Understanding the difference is essential for natural English.

Expression	Structure	Meaning	Example
used to	used to + base verb	Past habit — no longer true	I used to play football.
be used to	be + used to + noun / -ing	Familiar with — feels normal now	I'm used to playing tennis.
get used to	get + used to + noun / -ing	Becoming familiar — in the process	I'm getting used to my new job.

Used To — Past Habits & States

Use used to to talk about past habits, routines, or states that are no longer true. Think of it as: "Before, yes. Now, no."

⚠ In negatives and questions, "used" drops the -d → "use to".
She used to live in Italy.
There used to be a park here.
He used to have long hair.

Form	Structure	Example
Affirmative	used to + base verb	I used to smoke, but I don't anymore.
Negative	didn't use to + base verb	I didn't use to eat vegetables.
Question	Did + subject + use to + base verb?	Did you use to live here?

Be Used To — Familiarity

Use be used to to say something feels normal or familiar — it is not strange or difficult. Can be used in any tense.

⚠ After be used to, use the -ing form or a noun — NEVER the base verb.
❌ I'm used to work early. → ✅ I'm used to working early.
She's used to driving in traffic.
They're used to working at night.

Tense	Example	Meaning
Present	I'm used to getting up early.	It's normal for me now.
Past	I was used to the cold.	It was normal for me then.
Future	I'll be used to it soon.	It will become normal.

Get Used To — Becoming Familiar

Get used to describes the process of becoming familiar with something — it is still new but you are adapting.

I'm getting used to my new job. (still adapting)
She got used to the noise eventually. (adapted in the past)
It takes time to get used to a new culture.
Be used to = already familiar · Get used to = becoming familiar

Side-by-Side Comparison

Situation	Expression to use	Example
Past habit — not true now	used to + base verb	I used to wake up at 6. (not any more)
Already familiar — normal now	be used to + -ing	I'm used to waking up at 6. (it's normal)
Adapting — process ongoing	get used to + -ing	I'm getting used to waking up early.

Would for Past Habits

Would can also describe repeated past actions (often in stories and memories), but not past states:

	used to	would
Repeated action	We used to visit Grandma every Sunday. ✅	We would visit Grandma every Sunday. ✅
State (be, have, live, like, know)	I used to have long hair. ✅	I would have long hair. ❌
Single past action	—	Use Past Simple: We visited Rome in 2015.

Annotated Examples

Subject

Verb

Auxiliary

Object

Adjective

Adverb

Preposition

Hover over any word to see its role.

subjectIauxiliaryused toverbliveprepositionin London,but now I live in Istanbul.

↳ Used to = past state, no longer true.

subjectI'mauxiliaryused toverblivingprepositionin a big city.

↳ Be used to + -ing = familiar, normal now.

subjectShe'sauxiliarygetting used toherobjectnew schedule.

↳ Get used to = adapting, still in process.

Common Mistakes

I'm used to go out late.

→

I'm used to going out late.

"Be used to" is followed by -ing, not the base verb.

Did you used to play football?

→

Did you use to play football?

In questions, drop the -d: "use to" (not "used to").

I didn't used to like it.

→

I didn't use to like it.

In negatives, drop the -d after "didn't".

I use to live in İzmir.

→

I used to live in İzmir.

In affirmatives, it must be "used to" (with -d).

She used to living in Istanbul.

→

She used to live in Istanbul.

"Used to" (past habit) takes the base verb, not -ing.

When I was a child, I would have a dog.

→

When I was a child, I used to have a dog.

"Have" (possession) is a state → used to, not would.

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Used To & Be Used To