Used to / would / be used to / get used to

Discussion questions

1. What is your normal daily routine from start to finish?

2. How do you normally spend your free time?
3. What changes have happened in your life in the last year?
4. What changes have happened in your life recently?
5. What changes will happen in your life this year?
How long did it / will it take you to adapt to them?
6. When you were younger, where did you used to go on holiday?
7. Are there any types of food that you used to like but now you don’t?
8. Are there any types of food that you didn’t use to like but now you do?
9. When you were at school, what used to be your favourite subject? Why?
10. What sports and activities did you use to do? (Things that you don’t do now)

Used to

Used to is followed by the infinitive and is used for actions which no longer happen. It is used for permanent
situations and habitual actions.

The negative of used to is : didn’t use to

Questions are made with did : Did you use to play football?

(Notice in questions/negatives it is ‘use to’ not ‘used to’)

Make an affirmative sentence, negative sentence or question using 'used to + infinitive'.

1. _________________________________________________ ( I / live) in a flat when I was a child.

2. ______________________________________________ (We / go) to the beach every summer?

3. ________________________________________________ (She / love) eating chocolate, but now she hates it.

4. _________________________________________________________(He / not / smoke.)

5. ___________________________________________________________(I / play) tennis when I was at school.

6. _________________________________________(She /not / be) able to speak French, but she has forgotten it all.

7. _________________________________________________ (He / play) golf every weekend?

8. They both ____________________________________________________ (have) short hair.

9. Julie ___________________________________________________ (study) Portuguese.

10. _______________________________________________________ (I / not / hate) school.

Used to Vs. Would

Used to (+ infinitive) is used for action which no longer happen. It is used for permanent situations and habitual
actions.

Would (+ infinitive without to) is used for past habitual actions which were repeated. (Not states or permanent
situations)

Complete the sentences using used to or would.

1. I _______________________ have short hair when I was a teenager.

2. We ________________________________ go to the same little café for lunch every day when I was a student.
3. She ___________________________________________ love playing badminton before she hurt her shoulder.

4. He ______________________________________________ walk along the beach every evening before bed.

5. I _________________________________ always lose when I played chess with my father.

6. She _________________________________ be able to dance very well.

7. My grandfather ___________________________ drink a cup of coffee after dinner every night.

8. Luke ____________________________________________________ (not have) a car.

9. We __________________________________ live in Brazil.

Be used to / Get used to + verb -ing / noun phrase.

1. Be used to is used to express that a situation is not new or strange, or is no longer new or strange.
o I’ve lived here for ten years now so I’m used to driving in the city.
o He’s not used to working at night so he sometimes falls asleep.
o I wasn’t used to working such long hours when I started my new job.
2. Get used to is used to express that an action/situation is becoming less strange or new, or is becoming more
comfortable – it focuses on the process of something becoming normal.
o It took them a long time to get used to their new boss.
o She is getting used to waking up early for her new job.

1. I’ve just got my first job. It’s exciting but I’ll have to BE USED TO / GET USED TO working late.
2. It’s difficult for Tom to drive in England. He ISN’T USED TO / DOESN’T GET USED TO driving on the left side.
3. People from India usually find British food tasteless. They ARE USED TO / GET USED TO eating spicy food.
4. English is an international language. Businesspeople ARE USED TO / GET USED TO speaking English in
international meetings.
5. I still have a few problems using my new iPhone, but I AM USED TO / AM GETTING USED TO it.
6. When Kate moved to England, she couldn’t _________________________________________ the British accent.
7. We __________________________________________ eating Indian food, it’s too spicy!
8. It’s difficult for American Drivers to ___________________________________ driving on the left side of the road
in Britain.
9. Working at night isn’t a problem for me. I ____________________________________ it. I did it at my previous
job.
10. I _________________________________________ working in this company very quickly, the people are very
friendly here.

Complete the second sentence using the word in brackets so that it has the same meaning as the first one.
All of the sentences require you to use a structure with used to, get used to or be used to.
Remember: used to + infinitive / be/get used to + verb-ing

1 It was normal for me to watch TV three or four hours a day.

________________________________________________________ three or four hours a day. (USED)

2 After some time, living here will seem normal to you.

It's going to take you some time _____________________________________________________. (USED)

3 Danger is nothing unusual for soldiers.

Soldiers _________________________________________________________________________. (USED)

4 In the past, Tom was more reliable.

Tom isn't quite as reliable __________________________________________________________. (USED)

5 He often speaks in public.

He _____________________________________________________________________________. (USED)
6 Horror movies were not my cup of tea but I like them now.
_________________________________________________________ horror movies but I do now. (USE)

7 It will soon seem normal to you.

You'll soon ______________________________________________________________________. (USED)

8 Tom talks to children very often.

Tom ___________________________________________________________________________. (USED)

9 It was normal for me to go for a walk every morning before work.

_________________________________________________________ every morning before work. (USED)

10 When I was young, climbing trees was my favourite pastime.

When I was young, I ___________________________________________________________ a lot. (USED)

11 Tom regularly has to make quick decisions.

Tom ___________________________________________________________________________. (USED)

12 Living alone will soon seem normal to you.

You will ________________________________________________________________ very soon. (USED)

13 I would walk past Tom's house almost every day.

I __________________________________________________ past Tom's house almost every day. (USED)

14 I'm surprised to see you smoking. You didn’t smoke when we worked together.
I'm surprised to see you smoking. You _______________________________________________________
when we worked together. (USE)

15 Eating Japanese food will soon seem normal to you.

You'll soon ______________________________________________________________________. (USED)