used to, would, get used to, be used to
Hi, in today's lesson we are going to learn about the verbs "used to," "would",
"get used to" and "be used to."
These verbs all sound very similar but in fact, they're are very different.
In this lesson, we are going to learn the differences between them and how to use them with confidence.
So, let's get started.
So, let's start with "used to."
"Used to" is always talking about the past.
It always stays the same for all pronouns.
So, I used to, you used to, he/she used to and so on.
Firstly, we use "used to" when we talk about things that happened regularly in the past
but don’t happen anymore.
For example,
I used to play tennis every Tuesday when I was at school. ( But I don't now)
Note the pronunciation, "used to." You can hear a "t" sound instead of the -ed as it is spelt.
and the "to" is more of a "used t play tennis."
It's very unstressed.
So, in the past, when she was at school she regularly played tennis but she doesn't anymore.
The form is : the subj + used to + verb.
Used to doesn't change. It is the same for all pronouns.
Here is an example of a negative sentence.
I didn't use to watch TV every day, but I do now.
So in the past he didn't watch TV, but he does now. Things have changed.
Notice there is no "d" on "use" in the negative.
So, the negative form is:
Subj + didn't use to + verb
Again didn't use to doesn't change and remains the same for all pronouns.
I didn't use to , you didn't use to, he didn't use to and so on.
So, now let's look at questions.
Did you use to eat a lot of sweets as a child?
Again note no "d" when we use "used to" with questions.
Did he use to, did we use to, did they use to and so on.
Secondly, "used to" can also be used for things that were true, but are not true anymore.
We used to live in Oxford when I was a child.
So, in the past, we lived in Oxford.
But this is no longer true and we no longer live in Oxford.
Maybe we have moved to London.
Another example is:
Nicole used to have very long hair when she was a child.
Here in the past, Nicole had long hair but this is no longer true.
She must have got it cut.
An important thing to remember about "used to" is that it is referring to the past
and therefore has no present form. You can't say, "I use to do."
If you want to talk about something you do regularly in the present you use the present simple.
So talking about the past, you'd say,
"I used to play football."
If you play football regularly in the present you say:
"I play football," using the present simple.
So, let's move on to "would."
"Would" means the same as "used to" only to talk about things that happened regularly in the past.
Often either ‘would’ or ‘used to’ is possible. Both of these sentences are possible.
So, "Every Sunday, I would go on a long bike ride."
or
"Every Sunday, I used to go on a long bike ride."
Or:
When we were children on holiday we would get up early and play with our toys.
You can also use the past simple in the same way as "used to" and "would" to talk about repeated
actions in the past.
So you can say:
We used to go to the same beach every summer.
We would go to the same beach every summer.
or
We went to the same beach every summer.
We can also use the past simple for past states.
So, "I used to have a dog called Millie."
or "I had a dog called Millie."
Remember you can't use "would" for past states or situations and only repeated actions.
However, if something happened only once we can’t use ‘used to’ or ‘would."
We must use the past simple.
Finally, let's look at "get used to" and "be used to."
Imagine you work on a building site and it's very noisy.
At the beginning, you find the noise difficult.
You are not used to the noise. You are not accustomed to the noise.
As time goes by, you get used to the noise, you become accustomed to the noise.
Then finally, you don't notice the noise at all. You could say, "I'm used to it!"
Let's look at the form.
The form of "to get used to" is
the subject+ to get + used to + noun
So, I am getting used to the noise. You are getting used to the noise,
he/she is getting used to the noise and so on.
Here, we conjugate the verb "to get"
However, if it's followed by a verb,
we have the subject + to get + used to + gerund.
So, "I am getting used to working hard,"
"You are getting used to working hard,"
"He/she is getting used to working hard" and so on.
Let's look at the form of "to be used to."
Here, it's very similar to "get used to."
So, it's the subject + to be + used to + noun
I am used to the noise, you are used to the noise, he/she is used to the noise and so on.
Here, we conjugate the verb to be.
However, if it's followed by a verb,
we use the gerund.
So, we have the subject + to be + used to + gerund.
So, I am used to working hard. You are used to working hard. He/she is used to working hard.
It can seem a bit odd to have "to" followed by a gerund but here the "to" is a preposition
and not part of the following verb.
So, now its your turn.... Fill in the gaps.
1. Bob had to get used to …....(drive) on the left.
Driving. Here it is the verb "to get used to" which if followed by a verb in the gerund form.
It means to become accustomed to something.
2. We used to ….. in a small village, but now we live in London.
Live. Here we are using the verb "used to" when referring to a state that was true in the past
but no longer is.
3. Dan used to ….. a lot of coffee. Now, he prefers tea.
Drink. Referring to a past habit or regular activity that is no longer true.
We use "used to" + the verb, the bare infinitive "drink."
4. Whenever Richard was angry, he …....(walk) out of the room.
Here you can say either "used to walk"/ "would walk" or just "walked" (the past simple)
as it is describing something that regularly happened in the past.
5. The city is very noisy. But you will …...... the noise.
GET USED TO. Here it means you will get accustomed to the noise.
Congratulations, you now know how to use the verbs "used to", "would," "get used to" and
"be used to" in English.
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used to would get used to be used to