LEVEL UPPER INTERMEDIATE 1

UNIT 8

LESSON 2 - BATTLE OF THE SEXES

be used to and get used to

Be used to doing

Use

We use be + used to + gerund to talk about things that are

normal for us, things that we are accustomed to:
I’m used to getting up early. It’s something that I’ve always
done.

We can substitute the gerund for a noun, too:

I’m not used to the heat here in Rio. I’m from Norway.

Get used to doing

Use

When we talk about a change in state, from not being used to
something to being used to something, we use get + used to +
gerund:
I soon got used to sleeping in the afternoon when I moved to
Spain.
NB 2: avoid confusion with use + something + for + gerund or
use + something + to + infinitive:
We use this for scraping the ice off the windscreen. (apply for
a purpose)
We use this to scrape the ice off the windscreen.

NB 1: be careful not to mix this up with the structure used to +

infinitive for describing past states or habits:
I used to live in Montreal. (I don’t live there anymore.)

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