Used to vs Be Used to vs Get Used to

B1 · IntermediateCommon Grammar Confusions

I used to live there vs. I'm used to it now vs. I'm getting used to it — three different ideas, three different grammars.

What you'll learn

  • Used to + bare infinitive describes a PAST HABIT or state that is no longer true
  • Be used to + -ing/noun describes being ACCUSTOMED to something — a present state
  • Get used to + -ing/noun describes BECOMING accustomed — a process of adjustment
  • 'Used to' is followed by the bare infinitive (used to live); 'be/get used to' is followed by -ing or a noun (used to living)
  • These three look similar but answer different questions: what did you do before? / what are you accustomed to now? / what are you adjusting to?

Three structures, three different jobs

'Used to', 'be used to', and 'get used to' all contain the words 'used to', which makes them look related — but they do very different grammatical jobs. 'Used to' is about a past habit. 'Be used to' and 'get used to' are about being or becoming familiar with something, in the present.

"I used to play football every weekend. (past habit, not anymore)"
"I'm used to playing football on hard ground now. (accustomed to it)"
"I'm getting used to playing without my old teammates. (adjusting)"

Used to: a past habit that's no longer true

Use 'used to' + the bare infinitive (no 'to' twice, no -ing) to talk about something that happened regularly in the past but doesn't happen now, or a state that used to be true but isn't anymore.

"I used to live in Odesa. (I don't live there now)"
"She used to have long hair. (not anymore)"
"Did you use to play an instrument? (question form: use to, no -d)"

Be used to: accustomed to something now

Use 'be used to' + -ing (or a noun) to say that something is familiar or normal for you now — it doesn't surprise or bother you anymore. This is a present state, not a past habit.

"I'm used to getting up early. (it's normal for me now)"
"She's used to the noise from the street."
"We're used to working under pressure."

Get used to: becoming accustomed — the process

Use 'get used to' + -ing (or a noun) to describe the PROCESS of becoming familiar with something new — the change from unfamiliar to familiar. It's often used with time expressions like 'slowly' or 'it took me a while'.

"It took me a month to get used to the new job."
"I'm still getting used to living alone."
"You'll get used to the accent after a few weeks."

Real English

"I used to hate coffee, but now I can't live without it."
"I'm used to working late — it doesn't bother me anymore."
"It took her a while to get used to the time difference."
"Did you use to live abroad?"

Watch out

✗I'm used to wake up early.
✓I'm used to waking up early.

'Be used to' is followed by -ing or a noun, not the bare infinitive — 'to' here is a preposition, not part of an infinitive.

✗I use to drink coffee every morning.
✓I usually drink coffee every morning. / I'm used to drinking coffee every morning.

'Used to' is only for past habits that have stopped — for a present routine, use 'usually' or 'be used to'.

✗I used to the cold weather here now.
✓I'm used to the cold weather here now.

'Used to' (past habit) and 'be used to' (accustomed now) need different verb forms — don't drop the 'be' when you mean 'accustomed to'.

Real life — Talking about a move to a new city

"How's the new city treating you?"

"Honestly, it took me a while to get used to the pace here — it's so much faster than back home."

"And now?"

"Now I'm totally used to it. I used to hate the crowds, but I barely notice them anymore."

Practice

Exercise 1 · Choose the correct form

Choose the correct form: I ___ live in a small village. (a past habit, not true now)

Exercise 2 · Choose the correct form

Choose the correct form: She ___ the noise now — she's lived next to the airport for years.

Exercise 3 · Choose the correct form

Choose the correct form: It took him months to ___ waking up so early.

Exercise 4 · Choose the correct form

Choose the correct form: We ___ eat out every Friday, but we don't anymore.

Exercise 5 · Choose the correct form

Choose the correct form: I'm slowly ___ the new schedule at work.

Exercise 6 · Choose the correct form

Choose the correct form: He ___ spicy food — he grew up eating it every day.

Exercise 7 · Choose the correct answer

Which structure describes a PAST HABIT that is no longer true, using the bare infinitive?

Exercise 8 · Choose the correct answer

Which structure describes becoming accustomed to something — a PROCESS of adjustment?

Exercise 9 · Complete with the correct form

Complete: When I was a kid, I ___ (use) to be afraid of the dark. (past habit)

Exercise 10 · Complete with the correct word

Complete: After a few weeks, she got used ___ driving on the left. (preposition)

Exercise 11 · Sort the sentences into groups

I used to play the piano as a child.
He is used to working night shifts.
They are getting used to the new manager.
We used to live in Kyiv.
She is used to cold winters.
I'm still getting used to this keyboard.

0 / 6 sorted

Quick challenge

Five quick questions to check what stuck.

Question 1 / 5

Score: 0/0

Choose the correct form: I ___ smoke, but I quit five years ago.

You learned

  • Used to + infinitive: a past habit that's no longer true.
  • Be used to + -ing/noun: accustomed to something now — a present state.
  • Get used to + -ing/noun: becoming accustomed — a process of adjustment.
  • 'Used to' takes the bare infinitive; 'be/get used to' takes -ing or a noun.

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