Used to and be used to are two commonly confused phrases in English, but they have very different meanings. Used to is used to talk about past habits or actions that are no longer true in the present. Be used to, on the other hand, is used to talk about being accustomed to something.
Used to
‘Used to’ is a phrase used to describe an action that was done regularly or habitually in the past but is not done anymore. It is always followed by a verb in the base form. For example:
- She used to play tennis every Saturday.
- They used to live in London.
Be Used to
‘Be used to’ is a phrase used to describe a state of being accustomed to something. It is followed by a noun or a gerund. For example:
- He is used to the cold weather.
- She is used to working long hours.
‘be used to’ is also commonly be used in the negative and interrogative forms. For example:
- Negative: I am not used to driving on the left side of the road.
- Interrogative: Are you used to the spicy food here?
Differences between ‘Used to’ and ‘Be Used to’
The main difference between ‘used to’ and ‘be used to’ is that ‘used to’ refers to a past habit or action, while ‘be used to’ refers to a present state of being accustomed to something. Additionally, ‘used to’ is always followed by a verb in the base form, while ‘be used to’ is followed by a noun or a gerund.
Used to + base form of the verb.
Used to + base form of the verb.
Another difference is that ‘used to’ cannot be used in the present tense, while ‘be used to’ can be used in both the present and past tense. For example:
- She is used to working long hours. (something she is accustomed to now)
- She was used to working long hours. (something she was accustomed to in the past)
Examples of ‘Used to’
Here are some examples of how ‘used to’ is used in sentences:
- She used to live in London, but now she lives in Paris.
- They used to go to the cinema every weekend, but now they prefer to stay at home.
- He used to smoke, but he quit last year.
- We used to have a cat, but it died a few years ago.
- I used to play the piano when I was a child, but I haven’t played in years.
In all of these examples, ‘used to’ is used to describe something that happened in the past but is no longer true or does not happen anymore.
Examples of ‘Be used to’
When using ‘be used to,’ the speaker is referring to something that they have become accustomed to or were accustomed to doing in the past. Here are some examples of how to use ‘be used to’ in a sentence:
- She was used to waking up early when she worked at the post office.
- They are used to living in a big city, so they don’t get overwhelmed by the crowds.
- He is used to dealing with difficult customers because he has worked in customer service for a long time.
- She is used to the cold weather because she grew up in a northern climate.
- They are used to working long hours because their job requires it.
- He is used to driving on the left side of the road because he lives in the UK.
It is important to remember that ‘be used to’ is always followed by a verb in the gerund form (-ing).
Conversation Questions With ‘Used to’ and ‘Be used to’
Below are some examples of conversation questions English learners can answer to practice their use and understanding of “ised to” and “be used to”.
- Did you use to have a favourite childhood toy?
- Are you used to doing exercise earlier in the morning?
- How did people used to communicate in the past compared to nowadays?
- Did you use to play any sports when you were younger?
- Are you use to people asking for your autograph?
- Are you used to speaking English at work?
- Did your parents used to make you eat vegetables when you were a child?
- Do you use to have any bad habits that you no longer have?
- Did you used to play the guitar when you were young?
In Summary
Understanding the difference between “used to” and “be used to” is essential for effective communication in English. “Used to” refers to past habits or actions that are no longer true, while “be used to” refers to being accustomed to something.
It is important to note that “used to” is always followed by a verb in the base form, while “be used to” is followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund. Confusing the two can lead to misunderstandings and incorrect grammar usage.