Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksExport to PDFExport Page to HTML/PDFBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== To be used to / to get used to ====== ===== Introduction ===== <html> <p><img width="276" height="271" id="397" style="width: 112px; height: 108px;" alt="Greeting, bowing, Japanese" src="http://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/397_c2e1802aed76d2853fb789cde0dcb322.png"> <b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'>James <span style="color:#0000cc;">is used to </span>working with Japanese people.</span></b></p> <br> </html> ===== Definition ===== <html> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>'<span style="color:#0000cc;">To be used to </span>something or someone' means to be accustomed to or familiar with something or someone. If you are used to something, it isn't new or strange for you.</span></b></p> <br> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>'To get'</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'> has several different meanings. Here, it means 'to become', so '<span style="color:#0000cc;">to get used to</span> something or someone' means to become used to or familiar with something or someone.</span></b></p> <br><br> </html> ===== Uses ===== <html> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>It is used to talk about past, present or future states or situations and can be used to make comparisons between the past, present and future.</span></b></p> <br> </html> ===== Construction ===== <html> <p style="margin:0;"><b><u><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>To be used to</span></u></b></p> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>Affirmative: subject + 'to be' + 'used to' + noun/gerund</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0 0 0 35px;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>I'<span style="color:#0000cc;">m used to </span>working with Japanese people.</span></b></p> <br> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>Negative: subject + 'to be' + 'not' + 'used to' + noun/gerund</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>I'<span style="color:#0000cc;">m </span>not<span style="color:#0000cc;"> used to </span>working with Japanese people.</span></b></p> <br> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>Interrogative: 'to be' + subject + 'used to' + noun/gerund</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'><span style="color:#0000cc;">Are</span> you <span style="color:#0000cc;">used to </span>working with Japanese people?</span></b></p> <br><br> <p style="margin:0;"><b><u><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>To get used to</span></u></b></p> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>Affirmative: subject + 'to get' + 'used to' + noun/gerund</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>She'<span style="color:#0000cc;">s</span> <span style="color:#0000cc;">getting used to</span> her new boss.</span></b></p> <br> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>Negative: subject + 'not' + 'to get' + 'used to' + noun/gerund</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>She <span style="color:#0000cc;">isn't getting used to</span> her new boss.</span></b></p> <br> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>Interrogative: auxiliary + subject + 'to get' + 'used to' + noun/gerund</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'><span style="color:#0000cc;">Is</span> she <span style="color:#0000cc;">getting used to</span> her new boss?</span></b></p> <br> <p><b><span style="color:#0000cc; font-family:'Arial','sans-serif';">Note that </span></b></p> <p style="margin:0 0 0 36px;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>1. they can be used in different tenses - past, perfect, present and future - and with a variety of modals.</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0 0 0 36px;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>2. 'to get used to' is rarely used in the present simple.</span></b></p> <br> </html> ===== Construction with 'used to' ===== <html> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='color:#7030a0; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>Used to</span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'> is a structure for talking about past habits and states and is sometimes confused with 'to be used to'. Although we occasionally find them in the same sentence, 'to be used to' <u>does not refer to a present habit</u> and is therefore not the present form of 'used to'.</span></b></p> <br> <p style="margin:0 0 0 21px; line-height:115%;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>I <span style="color:black;">used to </span>live in a big house [a past state in contrast to the present] so I <span style="color:#0000cc;">was used to</span> having a lot of space. Now I live in a much smaller house but I'<span style="color:#0000cc;">m getting used to </span>it.</span></b></p> <br> <p style="margin:0;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>If we want to talk about present habits, we use an adverb of frequency such as 'usually':</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0 0 0 21px; line-height:115%;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>I usually eat in the same restaurant when I go to Paris. <img width="18" height="13" id="39" style="width:18px; height:13px;" alt="green check" src="http://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/39_db7196aad25f86da510b9bb08610a187.jpg"></span></b></p> <p><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'><strong> I'm used to eat in the same restaurant when I go to Paris. <img width="17" height="20" id="40" style="width:17px; height:20px;" alt="red x" src="http://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/40_457126aaf23a65c1331eea83d27fb7c4.jpg"></strong></span></p> <br> </html> ===== Examples ===== <html> <p><img width="124" height="83" id="593" style="width:124px; height:83px;" alt="airport delays" src="http://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/593_4f59fee8c67c1a532cba9677b55193d8.jpg"> <span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'><strong>James travels a lot with his job so he <span style="color:#0000cc;">is used to </span>delays at the airport.</strong></span></p> <p><img width="122" height="80" id="1103" style="width:122px; height:80px;" alt="presentation" src="http://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/1103_8d2ad753452c3f7fa4b7f41264f64309.png"> <b><span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>Philippe is very nervous today. He <span style="color:#0000cc;">isn't used to</span> giving presentations in English.</span></b></p> <p><img width="115" height="92" id="508" style="width:115px; height:92px;" alt="crowd" src="http://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/508_5752634d268cd2c2e037894632d52628.png"> <span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>Maria doesn't like living in London. She grew up in the country so she <span style="color:#0000cc;">isn't used to </span>crowds, but I expect she'll <span style="color:#0000cc;">get used to</span> them before long.</span></p> <p><img width="108" height="107" id="6" style="width:108px; height:107px;" alt="plans" src="http://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/6_509d9220e524d3337a0ad8cf1b2c14db.jpg"> <span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>Are you<span style="color:#0000cc;"> used to </span>working with this kind of plan? Yes, we had them in my last job.</span></p> <p><img width="90" height="115" id="394" style="width:90px; height:115px;" alt="working alone" src="http://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/394_fbf77ab960961e4b730696cb03838bd4.jpg"> <span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>In her previous job, Jenny worked in a busy office with lots of people. Now she works from home and she just can't<span style="color:#0000cc;"> get used</span> <span style="color:#0000cc;">to </span>being alone all day.</span></p> <p><img width="102" height="130" id="1090" style="width:102px; height:130px;" alt="interview" src="http://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/1090_50175b93a49871e52760e3401a3b8463.png"> <span lang="EN-US" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>Lewis used to hate interviews but he's had so many now that he'<span style="color:#0000cc;">s getting used to </span>them.</span></p> <p><img width="101" height="102" id="1273" style="width:101px; height:102px;" alt="chopsticks" src="http://www.e-exercises.com/img/bibliotheque/1273_cf1451369b292896144adc99fdd6a0d6.jpg"> <span lang="EN-GB" style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";'>Using chopsticks was impossible for me for a long time but by the time I left China after working there for 10 years, I'd <span style="color:#0000cc;">got used to</span> it.</span></p> <br><br> </html>