Different uses of 'used to'

Do you know the difference between I used to live in Spain and I'm used to living in Spain? Enhance your knowledge with a lesson given below and the grammar explanation to guide you better.

Check out these examples to see how used to, get used to, and be used to are used:

• I used to play the guitar, but I gave it up a few years ago.

• How’s your new job? Are you used to the long hours yet?

• No matter how often I go to the gym, I’ll never get used to waking up early!

Grammar explanation - Different uses of 'used to'

Used to + infinitive and be/get used to + -ing may look similar, but they have different meanings and uses.

1. used to

We use used to + infinitive to talk about a past situation that is no longer true. It refers to a repeated action or state in the past that has now changed.

• He used to live in the countryside, but now he lives in the city.

• I didn't use to like coffee, but now I drink it every day.

• Did you use to visit your grandparents during summer vacation?

2. be used to and get used to

Be used to means 'to be familiar with' or 'to be accustomed to.'

• She’s used to the noise now and doesn’t find it bothersome.

• He wasn’t used to driving on the left, but he’s getting better at it.

• I'm used to working long hours, so it doesn't bother me.

Get used to refers to the process of becoming familiar with something.

• The new software is confusing, but I’ll get used to it soon.

• It took her a while to get used to living in a small town after living in a big city.

• I'm getting used to waking up early for my new job.

Be used to and get used to are followed by a noun, pronoun, or the -ing form of a verb, and they can be used to talk about the past, present, or future.

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