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Understanding English Grammar
Used to + Verb (1st form) and be/get used to + Verb+ing or
noun
By Antoine Marcq
1. Introduction
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Harry used to be a regular boy. He got used to being a famous wizard quite quickly.
Was he a regular boy? Yes, he was.
Is he a regular boy now? No, he isn’t anymore. He’s famous.
Was the change easy on him? Quite easy. Now, he’s feels fine being famous.
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Bridget didn’t use to have a boyfriend. She was used to spending her evenings alone.
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Did she have a boyfriend before? No, she didn’t.
Does she have a boyfriend now? Yes, she does.
Did she usually spend her evenings alone? Yes, she did.
2.
Usage

used to + Verb infinitive / didn’t use to + Verb infintive
"used to" expresses habits and zones of comfort.
Most commonly, we use "used to" + verb infinitive to talk about habits from the past.
He used to live with three other students in a shared flat. Now, he lives alone.
She didn't use to be blonde. She dyed her hair blonde after college.

get used to + Verb+ing
We use "get used to" + verb+ing or noun to talk about changes in habits.
I changed jobs and I quickly got used to working six days a week.
They moved to the countryside to escape the hassle and stress of citylife but they never got
used to the poor public transport.

be used to + Verb+ing
We use "be used to" + verb+ing or noun to talk about our feeling to habits and our zones of
comfort.
It was hard at first but now, I'm used to the cold weather here.
I'm sorry I'm late again, I'm not used to such heavy traffic.
It is unlikely but you could very well imagine a sentence using all three of these
expressions:
I used to live in Spain where I was used to having long lunch breaks and naps but I quickly
got used to my new work schedule here in Germany.
3.
Exercises
Rewrite these using used to or didn’t use to:

John: “I don’t walk to work anymore.”

Sally: “I’ve got a cat now.”
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
Helen: “I’m a vegetarian now.”

Jack: “I haven’t got long hair anymore.”
Choose the best answer:

“I find it hard to wake up early in the morning.”
“Believe me, you _______ getting up early when you start working.”
a- are used to
b- got used to
c- will get used to

“Do you regularly go to the gym?”
“No, but I _______ exercise a lot when I was a student.”
a- was used to
b- used to
c- didn’t use to

“Do you like working from home?”
“Yes, it’s great. I _______ it really quickly.”
a- was used to
b- used to
c- got used to

“Do you remember where we _______ go for our summer holidays when we were
kids?”
“Yes, we always went to see our cousins in the south.”
a- didn’t use to
b- was used to
c- used to

“Sandra _______ her new phone. She still tries to use the functions of her old one.”
a- isn’t used to
b- won’t get used to
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1. c- didn’t use to
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http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/i350903/harry-potter-and-the-philosophers-stone-a-young-danielradcliffe.html
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http://www.encyclopedie-hp.org/help-about/films/films-hp.php
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http://toutelaculture.com/tendances/le-buzz/le-troisieme-tome-des-aventures-de-bridget-jones-se-precise/
http://www.toutlecine.com/images/star/0000/00005844-colin-firth.html
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