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Used to do & Be used to

December 16, 2013 by Bret Tutor

Used to do & Be used to

Used to play football.


When we talk about the past we can use the words used to do. Even though, this phrase is not a verb tense, it behaves as one. It is a specific way of expressing the past, and only the past. Used to do is used only to express the past. The expression be used to easily be confused with used to do. However, they have different meanings, so make sure to use the correct one.

subject auxiliary did not main verb use infinitive
+ I used to do.
– I did not use to do.
? Did(auxiliary) you(subject) use to do?

Used or use?

  • We say use to (notice there is no d) when the sentence includes did.
  • We say used to (with d) when there is no did in the sentence.

Use of Used to do

Whenever we are talking about:

  • A habit or something we did often in the past or
  • circumstances or situations that were true in the past.

We use the expression used to as illustrated below.

She used to play soccer.
past present future

There are more examples below:

the past the present
She used to play in a band. Now she stays at home with the baby.
We used to eat a lot of bread. Now we don’t eat any bread.
They used to be in the same class. Now they are in different classes.
We used to visit a restaurant here. Now there is a bookstore here.
I didn’t use to go hiking. Now I go hiking often.
Did she use to play the drums?
  • Be used to a thing.
  • Be used to an activity.

Be used to is not a verb tense, but rather a phrase. If you say “I am used to the weather”, it is like saying “I am accustomed to these temperatures.”

The expression be used to can easily be confused with used to do. However, they have different meanings, so make sure to use the correct one.

The structure is:

subject + be + used to + object
subject main verb be not used to object
+ I am used to noise.
– She is not used to dogs.
They aren’t used to heat.
? Are you used to smell?

We use the –ing form whenever the object involves a verb:

We are not used to being tired.
She is used to eating at 6:00 p.m.
He isn’t used to making decisions.
Are they used to eating out?

Remember, we always use – ing when we have a verb after a preposition. This is why we use –ing if there is a verb in the object after be used to.

Use of Be used to

When we talk about something that is easy or common for us we use the phrase be used to. For example:

  • She is used to his snoring.

It means that hearing him snore is not hard for her. Someone may say they have a hard time sleeping when he snores, but for this person it is usual and customary to hear him snore and it does not bother her.
Look at these examples.

  • He is used to loud noises.
  • I am used to hearing loud noises.
  • She is not used to Chinese food.
  • She isn’t used to eating Chinese food.
  • Are you used to long commutes?
  • Are you used to living far?

Tenses

The phrase be used to can be used in any tense by conjugating the verb be appropriately. For example:

  • When they moved to Florida, they were overwhelmed by the heat.
  • They have been used to the warm weather for a long time.
  • She will soon be used to walking to work.

Filed Under: Verbs Tagged With: Grammar, Verbs

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