Unit 1:

Meeting Salvadoran
personalities

CONTENT THREE
Use of “used to”
ITALO LÓPEZ VALLECILLOS

Italo López Vallecillos was a poet, historian,

journalist and editor. He was born in San
Salvador on November 15,1932 and died in
México D.F. on February 9,1986. He was the
guide of the mythical Generación
Comprometida (Commited Generation), which
was composed of famous poets like Roque
Dalton, Manlio Argueta and Alvaro Menen
Desleal. In the early 1970’s, he founded the
Editorial Universitaria Centroamericana
(EDUCA).
Conversation

A: I was looking at some old pictures a few days ago. I

saw the photos of the trip we made with granddad to
the beach when we were little kids, Tom
B: Do you still have that picture of granddad building
a fire out of coconut shells? He used to build big fires
when we were kids.
A: Yes, I still have that picture. There are a lot of old
pictures. Mom used to take a lot of photographs.
Conversation

B: I remember that I still have that big black camera

that Mom used to take all of those pictures.
A: Really? Does it still work?
B: No, I don’t think that it works anymore. I kept it as
an antique. I am used to seeing that old camera
every time I clean the closet.
A: Good, don’t throw it away. If it could be fixed, you
might be able to use it again.
Questions

1. What did granddad use to build when they were little

kids?

2. Who used to take a lot of photographs?

3. Does the big, black camera that Mom used still work?

4. When is Tom used to seeing the big black camera?

5. What would he have to do to make the camera work

again?
“USED TO” CAN HAVE THREE MEANINGS:
1. “used to” can indicate the past.
For example: We used to live in Houston.

2. “used to” or “used for” can indicate purpose.

For example: This saw is used to cut trees.

3. “ be used to” means accustomed to.

For example: We are used to hot weather.
What’s the difference between these two sentences?
1. He used to eat breakfast early.
2. 2. He is used to eating breakfast early.
Sentence 1 refers to an action that happened
regularly in the past but no longer occurs.
Sentence 2 refers to an activity that he has done
regularly so that it is not strange, new, or difficult for
him. Notice that in sentence 2 the verb takes the “-
ing” form.
Answer the following questions using “used to” meaning “purpose”. Follow
the example.
Example: What are the brakes on a car used for?

Answer: The breaks on a car are used to make the car slow down.

1. What is a memory stick used for?

R/ A memory stick is used to save information, picture, videos, etc.

2. What is a stethoscope used for?

R/ A stethoscope is used to hear the beating heart.

3. What is a blender used for?

R/ A blender is used to blend ingredients or liquid in the kitchen.

4.
R/ What is amachine
A sewing sewing machine
is used to used for?
sew clothes.

R/ What
5. A drill is
is aused
drilltoused
drill for?
a hole in walls, iron, woods, and other materials.
Structure of be used to

The structure of be used to is:

subject + main verb be + used to + object

Look at the structure again with positive, negative and question sentences:

subject main verb be not used to object

+ I am used to horses.

- He is not used to children.

We are n't used to big cities.

? Are you used to her temper?

Note that if the object involves a verb, we use

the -ing form (-ing form):
 am not used to being lied to.
 He is used to working late.
 We aren't used to taking the bus.
 Are you used to cooking?
Why do we use -ing for a verb
after be used to? Because we
always use -ing for a verb after a
preposition - and the to is a
preposition.
'Used to + infinitive':

We use this expression to talk about habits or repeated actions in the past which we don't do
in the present. We also use it to talk about states in the past which are no longer true. For
example:

 I used to have long hair (but now I have short hair).

 He used to smoke (but now he doesn't smoke).

 They used to live in India (but now they live in Germany).

Watch out! With the negative and the question it's 'use' and not 'used':

 Did you use to be a teacher?

 Did he use to study French?

 She didn't use to like chocolate, but she does now.

 I didn't use to want to have a nice house.

Note! With this 'used to' there is no verb 'be'. We CAN'T say . 'I am used to have long hair'
Use to or Used to: Know the Differences and Rules
How do you describe an activity that you don’t do anymore?
It’s hard to know whether you “use to” do it, or if you “used
to” do it. Only one answer is correct in this context, while the
other option is appropriate in a different sentence. Read on
to discover when you should use “used to” – and when “use
to” is actually the right choice.

Different Parts of Speech

Both used to and use to are idiomatic English phrases.
Depending on their purpose in a sentence, they can establish
an action that no longer occurs or state that the speaker is
accustomed to something. Their use changes their
part of speech.
Used To as an Adjective
The most common mix-up between used to and use to occurs when
describing the feeling of being accustomed to something, or “used to”
it. Here are some examples of used to as an adjective. Notice that each
of these sentences also includes a form of the helping verb to be (is,
wasn’t, are).
 She’s use to disappointment. (Incorrect)
She’s used to disappointment. (Correct)
 Carl wasn’t use to sleeping with the window open. (Incorrect)
Carl wasn’t used to sleeping with the window open. (Correct)
 The students are use to staying inside when it’s raining. (Incorrect)
The students are used to staying inside when it’s raining. (Correct)
Using used to as an adjective is clear cut – always used to, never use
to. You’ll noticed that used to is followed by a noun in these examples.
“Sleeping” and “staying” are gerunds, words that are formed from
verbs but function as nouns.
Used To as a Verb
Both ”used to” and ”use to” are commonly used as modal
verbs, which are a type of helping verb that establishes a
sentence’s mood. They both combine with an infinitive (to
+ verb) to explain that an action no longer happens.
Some used to examples include:
 She used to swim every morning.
 Henry used to want to be a firefighter.
 The school used to have fourteen teachers.
These sentences all use ”used to” as past-tense verbs. If
you remove ”used to”, the sentences would be in the
present tense. They would also have
subject-verb disagreement.
Use To as a Verb
Did you ”used to” or ”use to” ride your bike to school? The only
correct time to write ”use to” is when you also use the
words did or didn’t. These sentences are meant to clarify past
behavior. Some examples of correct uses of ”use to” include:
 Did you use to go to Jefferson High School?
 Didn’t your dad use to play bass guitar?
 I didn’t use to enjoy green tea, but now I do.
Did and didn’t are already in the past tense form, so you don’t
need to add the d to use. A rare exception to this rule is the
uncommon contraction usedn’t to, which means “didn’t use to.”
However, you’re not likely to use or see the word American
English.
 HOMEWORK
Identify whether “used to” indicates past routine or purpose.

1. My father used to wake up very early in the morning.

2. A scythe is used to cut long grass and corn.
3. A highlighter is a special pen used to mark words in a text.
4. A microwave is a type of oven used to cook or heat food very quickly.
5. My family used to camp together in Chalatenango.
6. A jack is used to lift up a car so that you can change a flat tire.

Rewrite the sentence and make an affirmative sentence, negative sentence or question using 'used to +
infinitive':

 We / go to the beach every summer?

 She / love eating chocolate, but now she hates it

 I / play tennis when I was at school

 He / not / smoke

 I / not / hate school