This is my guide to: Used to, use to, be used to, get used to, never used to, not like (I) used to.
Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? Well, fear not, because my video explains all these different variations. You can watch it here, or read on… or both!
Before we get to the phrase ‘used to’, it should be noted that used and use can be put before a to-infinitive when we are talking about the function of something. This is different from the phrase ‘used to’ or ‘use to’, but it appears the same. It sounds complicated so let’s look at some examples:
- What can I use to climb this tree? (present)
- A ladder was used to climb this tree. (past)
This refers to function.
Used To
Used to is similar to saying ‘formerly’. It describes a past action or state that is no longer happening or is no longer true. The form is subject + used to + verb, and it stays the same with all pronouns:
I used to
He/She used to
They used to
We used to
Examples:
I used to work as a dental technician.
There used to be a park here but now there is a school.
Used to also refers to a past habit or continuous action in the past.
Examples:
She used to go to the gym once a week. (past habit)
He used to study all the time for his exams. (continuous action in the past)
Be Used To
Used to is not to be confused with ‘be used to’. Meaning: to be accustomed to something, normally out of habit or experience.
The form is be + used to + present participle (verb-ing)
Example:
The celebrity is used to being the centre of attention.
Get Used To
There is also an idiomatic phrase ‘get used to’ something. Meaning: to become accustomed to something through experience. This expression is different to ‘used to’ in that it can be used for the past, present and future.
Examples:
At first Gemma didn’t like her new phone, but she soon got used to it. (past)
Nothing is going to change, so get used to it. (present)
My new car is different to my old one, but I’ll get used to it. (future)
In the negative form we can use the following words:
Past
never – I have never got used to something. (present perfect – up until now)
never – I never got used to something. (past simple – completed action)
Present
can’t – I can’t get used to something.
will not or won’t – (refusal) – I won’t get used to something.
Future
will never (prediction)- will never get used to something.
‘Used to’ vs. ‘Use to’
We know that ‘used’ is a past tense verb. But in a question or negative sentence the auxiliary verb did or didn’t already shows that we are talking about the past.
To compare here’s a positive statement:
– I used to walk to school every day.
But here’s the same sentence as a negative:
– I didn’t use to walk to school every day, but I do now.
We remove the -d and it becomes ‘use to’.
Never Used To
We can also use the negative word ‘never’ with used to, but in this case, we haven’t already used a past tense verb, so we don’t drop the -d.
Example:
She never used to be so grumpy.
Not Like I Used To
Another negative way to use this phrase is with ‘not like’. This describes something that happened in the past, and continues to happen now, but in a different way. Something has changed. We often use the word ‘still’ in the subject clause.
The form is Subject clause + but + not like + pronoun + used to
Examples:
– He can still paint pictures but not like he used to. (In the past he was a better artist than he is now.)
– I love you, but not like I used to.
Again, we haven’t used a past tense verb in the sentences, so we keep the -d.
Questions
We’re using did again so we will drop the -d.
Example:
– Did you use to live here?
I will point out that the difference between used to and use to is only noticeable in written English. When we speak normally in English our speech is connected so that the d blends in with the t, and the ‘to’ is a weak unstressed sound. It sounds like /juːstə/. But at the end of a sentence it sounds more like /juːstu/
This happens when we ask or answer questions, or with ‘not like (I) used to’, which I mentioned before.
Examples:
– Do you drive a car? No, but I used to. Or
– I don’t drive. Oh, but didn’t you use to?
– She can dance, but not like she used to.
Until next time!
(Please note, there is an updated version of this video which can be found here)
