English Grammar: The Three "Used To"s

Understanding habits, states, and familiarity.

Past Habit/State

1. Used To + Verb

Use this to talk about things that happened repeatedly in the past but do not happen now, or states that are no longer true.

"I used to smoke, but I quit last year."
"She used to live in London."

Note: In questions and negatives, we usually use "did use to" (e.g., "Did you use to play soccer?").

Familiarity

2. Be Used To + Gerund/Noun

Use this when you are accustomed to something. It isn't strange or new to you anymore.

"I live in Alaska, so I am used to the cold."
"He is used to waking up at 5:00 AM."
Transition

3. Get Used To + Gerund/Noun

This describes the process of becoming familiar with something. It's the journey from "new" to "normal."

"I just moved to Japan. I'm still getting used to eating with chopsticks."
"Don't worry, you'll get used to the new software soon."