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B1grammar31 questions

used to, be used to, get used to

used to et be used to se ressemblent presque et n'ont rien en commun : l'un est une habitude passée, l'autre le fait d'être habitué à quelque chose. Ici tu revois used to + verbe de base et be used to + -ing/nom.

Apprentissage rapide

used to et be used to se ressemblent presque et ne partagent rien : l'un est une habitude passée, l'autre le fait d'être habitué à quelque chose.

À retenir

  • used to + verbe de base est une habitude passée révolue : I used to smoke.
  • be used to + -ing ou nom veut dire habitué : I am used to the noise.
  • get used to est la version en cours de la même idée : I am getting used to the noise.

Exemples

  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.

Piège courant à éviter

Le premier est un temps et ne bouge pas ; le second est un groupe adjectival et prend be à tous les temps. Seul le second peut dire I will be used to it.

Approfondir

La règle

  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

Anatomie de la phrase

Des phrases de cette leçon, découpées dans l'ordre qu'exige l'anglais.

  1. SujetDavidAuxiliaireused toVerbeplayObjetfootballAttributfor the local team,Propositionbut now he prefers cycling.

  2. SujetMy grandmotherAuxiliaireis used toVerbewaking upTempsearly every morningPropositionto tend her garden.

  3. SujetIAuxiliaireused toVerbeliveLieuin a small coastal villageTempsbefore moving to the capital city.

Guide visuel

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.

Exemples

  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?

Exceptions

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").

Erreurs fréquentes

  • Using a base verb after be used to

    Erreur

    I am used to wake up early.

    Correct

    I am used to waking up early.

    Be used to requires the -ing gerund.

  • Using "use to" for present habits

    Erreur

    I use to go to the gym on Mondays.

    Correct

    I usually go to the gym on Mondays.

    Used to only exists in the past.

  • Didn't used to

    Erreur

    didn't used to

    Correct

    didn't use to

    In careful standard writing, did already carries the past.

Récap

L'essentiel de la leçon sur une carte, avant de te tester.

À retenir

  1. used to + verbe de base est une habitude passée révolue : I used to smoke.
  2. be used to + -ing ou nom veut dire habitué : I am used to the noise.
  3. get used to est la version en cours de la même idée : I am getting used to the noise.

Erreurs fréquentes

  • Erreur: I am used to wake up early.

    Correct: I am used to waking up early.

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

    Correct: I usually go to the gym on Mondays.

  • Erreur: didn't used to

    Correct: didn't use to

Teste-toi

Fais une phrase avec chacun pour le même sujet, puis entraîne-toi sur ce point.

Points de grammaire associés

Poursuivez votre apprentissage avec d'autres notions de ce niveau.

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