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B1grammar31 preguntas

used to, be used to, get used to

used to y be used to parecen casi iguales y no comparten nada: uno es un hábito del pasado, el otro es estar acostumbrado a algo. Aquí trabajas la diferencia entre used to + verbo base y be used to + -ing o sustantivo.

Aprendizaje rápido

used to y be used to parecen casi idénticos y no comparten nada: uno es un hábito del pasado, el otro es estar acostumbrado a algo.

Recuerda

  • used to + verbo base es un hábito pasado ya terminado: I used to smoke.
  • be used to + -ing o un sustantivo significa acostumbrado: I am used to the noise.
  • get used to es la misma idea en proceso: I am getting used to the noise.

Ejemplos

  1. 1David used to play football for the local team, but now he prefers cycling.
  2. 2My grandmother is used to waking up early every morning to tend her garden.

Error común que evitar

El primero es un tiempo verbal y no se mueve; el segundo es una locución adjetiva y toma be en cualquier tiempo. Solo el segundo puede decir I will be used to it.

Profundiza

La regla

  1. Three look-alikes

    English features three distinct grammatical structures that look remarkably similar because they share the word used, but they convey completely different meanings and require different syntax. Conflating them is one of the most common intermediate errors.

  2. Used to

    (1) USED TO + Bare Base Verb (Past Habit or Discontinued State): Describes an action, regular habit, or state that took place repeatedly in the past but is no longer true today. Formula: Subject + used to + bare base verb. Examples:

    • I used to play tennis every weekend when I was younger
    • My grandfather used to smoke, but he quit ten years ago
    • There used to be a cinema on this street

    Negatives: didn't use to.

    • We didn't use to travel abroad

    Questions: Did you use to...?

  3. Be used to

    (2) BE USED TO + Noun / Gerund (-ing) (Accustomed to / Familiar with): Expresses that something is customary, routine, and familiar to the speaker; it is not strange or difficult. Formula: Subject + am/is/are/was/were + used to + noun / verb-ing. Examples:

    • I am used to waking up at six in the morning
    • She is from Norway, so she is used to freezing winters

  4. Get used to

    (3) GET USED TO + Noun / Gerund (-ing) (The Process of Becoming Accustomed): Expresses the dynamic transition or adaptation process over time. Formula: Subject + get used to + noun / verb-ing. Examples:

    • I am slowly getting used to the noise in the city center
    • You will soon get used to driving on the left in the UK

Anatomía de la frase

Frases de esta lección, separadas en sus partes en el orden que exige el inglés.

  1. SujetoDavidVerbo auxiliarused toVerboplayObjetofootballComplementofor the local team,Oraciónbut now he prefers cycling.

  2. SujetoMy grandmotherVerbo auxiliaris used toVerbowaking upTiempoearly every morningOraciónto tend her garden.

  3. SujetoIVerbo auxiliarused toVerboliveLugarin a small coastal villageTiempobefore moving to the capital city.

Guía visual

How to read this B1 topic

At B1, grammar links ideas: condition, result, reported meaning, experience, and narrative order.

1. Name the relationship

Ask whether the sentence gives a condition, contrast, cause, report, or result.

If it rains, we will stay home.

2. Separate time from aspect

Finished event, visible result, duration, and background action use different forms.

I had left before she arrived.

3. Test both clauses

In complex sentences, the second half often proves the first half.

I wish I knew.

Decision path before answering

Use these checks before choosing between close options.

  1. 1Mark the subject, main verb, object, and any connector.
  2. 2Underline the time expression or discourse clue.
  3. 3Reject any option with the wrong agreement, tense, article, pronoun case, or word order.
  4. 4Read the whole sentence once more for naturalness and register.

Contrasts that often decide the answer

Event or background

Simple forms move events forward; continuous forms show an action in progress.

I left while she was talking.

Fact or stance

Modals, hedges, and reporting structures show how certain or responsible the speaker sounds.

This may indicate a problem.

Clause or compressed phrase

Advanced writing often compresses full clauses into participle, noun, or prepositional phrases.

Having reviewed the data, we revised the plan.

Ejemplos

  1. 1David used to play football for the local team, but now he prefers cycling.
  2. 2My grandmother is used to waking up early every morning to tend her garden.
  3. 3It took several months for the foreign student to get used to the British weather.
  4. 4There used to be a lovely independent bookstore on the corner of this street.
  5. 5Are you used to working in a busy, open-plan corporate office environment?
  6. 6We didn't use to eat spicy food, but now we enjoy authentic Indian curries.
  7. 7She is slowly getting used to speaking English during international team meetings.
  8. 8I used to live in a small coastal village before moving to the capital city.
  9. 9He isn't used to driving on the left-hand side of the road yet.
  10. 10Did you use to walk to secondary school every morning when you were young?

Excepciones

Used To Has No Present Tense: Used to can only describe the past. To express a present habit, English uses the Present Simple with adverbs like usually or normally: say "I usually walk to work", never "I use to walk to work". Would vs. Used To: Would can describe past repeated actions ("Every summer we would visit our grandparents"), but CANNOT describe past states: say "She used to have long hair" (never "She would have long hair").

Errores frecuentes

  • Using a base verb after be used to

    Error

    I am used to wake up early.

    Correcto

    I am used to waking up early.

    Be used to requires the -ing gerund.

  • Using "use to" for present habits

    Error

    I use to go to the gym on Mondays.

    Correcto

    I usually go to the gym on Mondays.

    Used to only exists in the past.

  • Didn't used to

    Error

    didn't used to

    Correcto

    didn't use to

    In careful standard writing, did already carries the past.

Repaso

Lo esencial de la lección en una tarjeta, antes de ponerte a prueba.

Recuerda

  1. used to + verbo base es un hábito pasado ya terminado: I used to smoke.
  2. be used to + -ing o un sustantivo significa acostumbrado: I am used to the noise.
  3. get used to es la misma idea en proceso: I am getting used to the noise.

Errores frecuentes

  • Error: I am used to wake up early.

    Correcto: I am used to waking up early.

  • Error: I use to go to the gym on Mondays.

    Correcto: I usually go to the gym on Mondays.

  • Error: didn't used to

    Correcto: didn't use to

Ponte a prueba

Di una frase de cada tipo sobre el mismo sujeto y luego practica este tema.

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