Three phrases look almost identical and mean three different things. Used to describes a past habit that has stopped. Be used to describes a present state of comfort. Get used to describes the process of becoming comfortable.
The grammar differs too. Used to takes the base verb: used to live. Be used to and get used to take a noun or a gerund: used to the weather, used to living here.
This page separates the three phrases, shows the questions and negatives, and lists the spelling traps. The 20-question drill at the end checks each structure in a full sentence.
The rule
Used to: a past habit or state
- Form: used to plus the base verb: "I used to live in Rome."
- The habit or state is finished and is not true now.
- Questions: "Did you use to live in Rome?" The d disappears after did.
- Negatives: "I did not use to like coffee" or "I never used to like coffee."
Be used to: accustomed
- Form: be used to plus a noun or a gerund: "I am used to the noise", "She is used to working late."
- The phrase describes a current state: something is normal and comfortable now.
- Be can take any tense: was used to, is used to, will be used to.
- The to here is a preposition, so a verb after it takes the -ing form.
Get used to: becoming accustomed
- Form: get used to plus a noun or a gerund: "He is getting used to the climate."
- Get focuses on the change from uncomfortable to comfortable.
- It works in all tenses: got used to, is getting used to, will get used to.
- A beginner often says "I will never get used to it" and then does.
The -ing trap
- After be used to and get used to, a verb takes -ing: used to getting up early.
- After used to for a past habit, the verb has no -ing and no to: used to get up early.
- Compare: "I used to get up early" is the past habit. "I am used to getting up early" is present comfort.
- The -ing form is a gerund, so it behaves like a noun after the preposition to.
Spelling and sound
- Used to is pronounced with a /s/ sound, and the d is silent: use to.
- In negatives and questions, write use to after did: did not use to, did you use to.
- Be used to and get used to keep the /zd/ sound and use used in every form.
- Would can replace used to for repeated actions in the past, but not for past states: "We would visit every summer" works; "I would live in Rome" does not mean the same as "I used to live in Rome."
Examples
- I used to live in Rome.A finished past state, so used to takes the base verb.
- She used to play tennis every weekend.A repeated past habit that has stopped.
- I am used to the cold weather now.Be used to takes a noun and describes present comfort.
- He is used to working night shifts.A verb after be used to takes the -ing form.
- They are getting used to the new system.Get used to shows the process of adapting.
- Did you use to live in Paris?After did, the phrase is use to without the d.
- I did not use to enjoy coffee.The negative keeps use to after did not.
- She was used to long journeys before the move.Be used to can stand in the past tense.
- We will soon get used to the noise.Get used to works in the future.
- I cannot get used to waking up at five.The -ing form waking follows the preposition to.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: I am used to wake up early. Right: I am used to waking up early.
- Be used to takes a gerund after the preposition to, so wake becomes waking.
- Wrong: I used to waking up early every day. Right: I used to wake up early every day.
- Used to for a past habit takes the base verb with no -ing.
- Wrong: Did you used to live in Paris? Right: Did you use to live in Paris?
- After did, the phrase loses the d and becomes use to.
- Wrong: He is used to work under pressure. Right: He is used to working under pressure.
- The to in be used to is a preposition, so the next verb takes -ing.
- Wrong: I am getting used to get up early. Right: I am getting used to getting up early.
- Get used to follows the same -ing rule as be used to.
Practice drill
Answer all 20 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the rule is explained under the question.
I ___ in Rome when I was a student.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. used to live A finished past state takes used to plus the base verb live.
She ___ tennis every weekend before her injury.
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Answer: B. used to play A repeated past habit takes used to play with the base verb.
I ___ the cold weather now; it does not bother me.
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Answer: C. am used to Be used to plus a noun describes present comfort with the cold weather.
He ___ night shifts after two years in the job.
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Answer: D. is used to working Be used to takes a gerund, so working follows the preposition to.
They ___ the new system at work.
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Answer: A. are getting used to Get used to describes the process of adapting to something new.
___ you ___ in Paris before the move?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Did ... use to live After did, the past habit phrase becomes use to live without the d.
I ___ enjoy coffee, but I love it now.
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Answer: C. did not use to The negative past habit takes did not use to plus the base verb.
She ___ long journeys before she moved abroad.
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Answer: D. was used to Was used to plus a noun describes a past state of being accustomed.
We will soon ___ the noise from the airport.
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Answer: A. get used to Get used to works in the future for the process of adapting.
I cannot ___ up at five every morning.
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Answer: B. get used to waking The to in get used to is a preposition, so waking takes the -ing form.
My father ___ work in a factory.
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Answer: C. used to A finished past habit takes used to plus the base verb work.
She ___ the traffic in London now.
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Answer: D. is used to Be used to plus a noun describes present comfort with the traffic.
He is used to ___ under pressure.
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Answer: A. working A verb after be used to takes the gerund working.
I ___ like olives when I was a child.
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Answer: B. did not use to The negative past habit takes did not use to plus the base verb like.
Did she ___ wear glasses?
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Answer: C. use to After the auxiliary did, the phrase loses the d from used to: did she use to wear glasses?
After a month, I am finally getting used to ___ early.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. getting up Get used to takes the gerund getting up after the preposition to.
We ___ visit our grandparents every summer.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. used to A repeated past habit takes used to plus the base verb visit.
He will have to get used to ___ his own meals.
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Answer: B. cooking The preposition to in get used to takes the gerund cooking.
I was not used to ___ so early before this job.
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Answer: C. waking up Be used to takes the -ing form, so waking up is correct.
There ___ be a cinema on this street.
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Answer: D. used to A past state that no longer exists takes used to plus the base verb be.
Drill complete
You answered every question.
Next topic: Passive voice: present and past tensesTake the level test
Questions learners ask
How can I tell "used to" from "be used to" quickly?
Look at what follows. If a base verb follows and the meaning is a finished past habit, it is used to. If a noun or an -ing form follows and the meaning is comfort, it is be used to or get used to. The next word usually settles it.
Why does the d disappear in "Did you use to"?
Did already marks the past, so the main verb stays in its base form: did you use. The spelling follows the grammar, even though the pronunciation of use to and used to sounds the same. In careful writing, keep the d only in positive statements.
Can I say "I am used to live here" if I mean the past?
No. The past habit is "I used to live here." If you mean you were comfortable living here, say "I was used to living here." The form with to live does not fit either meaning.
More grammar topics
Passive voice: present and past tenses
The passive always takes a form of be plus the past participle. The tense lives in be, and the doer moves behind by or disappears.
Passive voice with modal verbs
A modal passive keeps the modal in front and puts be plus the past participle after it. For the past, be becomes have been.
Past perfect vs past simple: which came first
When one past event happens before another, the earlier event takes had plus the past participle. The later event stays in the past simple.
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