Unit 25 — Used to, Be Used to and Usually

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These three forms look and sound similar, but they have different meanings. Work through the steps in order.

I used to …

A past habit or state that is no longer true.

I used to go to primary school. Now I'm an adult.

I'm used to …

Something is familiar or normal for me.

I'm used to getting up early.

I usually …

Something happens most of the time.

I usually have tea in the morning.

In the scored exercises, choose Check answers for feedback on each answer. Choose Show answers whenever you need help, even if every answer is wrong.

Step 1

When I was a child …

We use used to + base form for past habits and states that are no longer true, or that we present as different now.

I used to go to primary school, but now I'm an adult.
I used to cry when I was left on my own, but I don't do that now.
We used to live in a small flat. Now we live in a house.

We normally use used to for the past, not for present habits. For present habits, use the present simple, often with an adverb such as usually.

Choose the best form

1. When I was five, I ______ be afraid of the dark, but I'm not now.

2. I ______ walk to work; I do it on most working days.

3. I have lived here for ten years, so I ______ the cold winters.

4. My grandfather ______ work in a post office, but he is retired now.

Step 2

Questions and negatives with used to

For questions and negatives, use did and the base form use to.

Did you use to be shy?
I didn't use to enjoy vegetables.
Did they use to live here?

Notice the spelling: in an affirmative sentence we write used to, but after did or didn't we write use to.

Complete the sentences

Type the missing words. Include the correct form of use to.

1. ______ play outside every day when you were a child?

2. I ______ like coffee, but I drink it now.

3. My sister ______ have long hair, but now she has short hair.

4. Where ______ live before they moved here?

Step 3

I'm used to …

Be used to means that something is familiar or normal for you. After be used to, use a noun or an -ing form.

I'm used to cold weather. (noun phrase)
I'm used to getting up early. (-ing form)
She isn't used to driving on the left.
Are you used to speaking English at work?
I'm accustomed to getting up early.
She's accustomed to the cold weather.

Be accustomed to means much the same as be used to, although it is often a little more formal. Both are followed by a noun or an -ing form: I'm accustomed to the cold; I'm accustomed to driving on the left.

Compare the meanings:

Past habit, not now	Familiar or normal now
I used to get up at six, but now I get up at seven.	I'm used to getting up at six. It doesn't feel difficult.
He used to live in Sweden.	He's used to the cold weather in Sweden.

Remember: in I'm used to getting up early and I'm accustomed to getting up early, the word to is a preposition, so it is followed by a noun or an -ing form. This is different from I used to get up early, where used to + infinitive is a past-habit structure meaning that the habit applied in the past but not now.

Choose the correct ending

1. My new job starts at six, but I'm getting accustomed to it. I'm used to …

2. The street is busy, but the people who live here don't notice it any more. They're used to …

3. In Britain, a visitor from a country where people drive on the right may not be used to …

Step 4

Usually: what happens most of the time?

Usually is an adverb of frequency. It normally goes before the main verb, but after be.

I usually have breakfast at seven.
She usually walks to work.
They are usually very friendly.

For this course, think of usually as meaning something happens on most occasions — roughly 70–99% of the time. This is a guide, not a fixed mathematical rule.

Unlike used to, usually can describe present habits. It can also describe past habits when the verb is in the past: When I was at school, I usually walked home.

Choose the natural sentence

1. This is what I do on most working days.

2. When we were children, this happened on most school days.

3. Choose the correct position for usually.

Step 5

Countries, nationalities and stereotypes

People sometimes make general statements about countries and nationalities. These can be stereotypes: simplified ideas that do not describe everyone. We can use this topic to practise the grammar, but we should remember that people within any country have different interests, habits and experiences.

Sweden — Swedish

Some visitors associate Sweden with cold winters, Swedish language and cross-country skiing.

Someone who grew up skiing might be used to skiing over snow.

Italy — Italian

Italy is associated with pasta and pizza, though Italian food varies greatly from region to region.

Someone who grew up eating pasta might be used to eating it regularly.

France — French

France is associated with wine and regional foods, including snails in some traditional dishes, but these are not habits of every French person.

A person who drinks wine with meals may be used to having it at dinner.

Country and nationality words: Sweden — Swedish; Italy — Italian; France — French; Japan — Japanese; Spain — Spanish; Germany — German.

Complete the sentences

Use the correct form of used to, be used to or usually. The sentences describe possible individuals, not everyone in a country.

1. Lina grew up in Sweden and speaks Swedish every day. Complete the sentence.

2. Marco has eaten pasta regularly since he was a child. He ______.

3. Mei drank tea every morning when she was younger, but she doesn't drink tea now. She ______.

4. Erik went skiing every winter when he was young, but he doesn't do it now. He ______ every winter.

The important distinction is the meaning of the sentence, not the nationality of the person. These are examples about individuals, not rules about whole populations.

Step 6

Which form fits the meaning?

Read each situation carefully. Decide whether it describes a past habit that has stopped, something familiar now, or something that happens most of the time.

1. I ______ have long hair, but I cut it short last year.

2. I have worked night shifts for years, so I ______ sleeping during the day.

3. I ______ visit my parents on Sundays; I do it nearly every week.

4. ______ play tennis when you were at school?

5. She's used to ______ to work in the rain, so she doesn't mind it.

Step 7

How about you?

Think about your own life. Write a few sentences using all three forms if you can. You do not have to share anything personal you would rather keep private; you can invent a character instead.

Sentence starters

I used to …, but now …
I'm used to … / I'm accustomed to …
I usually …
Did you use to …?
I'm not used to … yet.

Write your sentences

Self-check

I used used to + base form for a past habit or state that has changed.

I used be used to + noun/-ing form for something familiar or normal.

I used usually for something that happens most of the time.

This activity has no single correct answer. Check that the form you choose matches the meaning you want to express.