Study this example situation:

a few years ago Nicola doesn't travel much these days.

She prefers to stay at home.
But she used to travel a lot.
She used to go away two or three times a year.

She used to travel a lot= she travelled a lot often in the

past, but she doesn't do this any more.

she used to travel she doesn't

travel
these days past now

Something used to happen = it happened often in the past, but no longer happens:
0 I used to play tennis a lot, but I don't play very much now.
0 David used to spend a lot of money on clothes. These days he can't afford it.
C 'Do you go to the cinema much?' 'Not now, but I used to.' (=I used to go)
We also use used to ... for things that were true, but are not true any more:
0 This building is now a furniture shop. lt used to be a cinema.
0 I used to think Mark was unfriendly, but now I realise he's a very nice person.
0 I've started drinking tea recently. I never used to Like it before.
0 Lisa used to have very long hair when she was a child .
'I used to do something' is past. There is no present. You cannot say 'I use to do'.
To talk about the present, use the present simple (1 do).
Compare:

1 pas~e used to play we used to Live I there used to be

r-,;-esent he plays we Live there is

C We used to Live in a small village, but now we Live in London.

0 There used to be four cinemas in the town. Now there is only one.

The normal question form is did (you) use to ... ?:

0 Did you use to eat a lot of sweets when you were a chi ld?
The negative form is didn't use to .. . (used not to ... is also possible):
:_ I didn't use to like him. (or I used not to like him.)

Compare I used to do and I was doing:

~ I used to watch TV a lot. (=I watched TV often in the past, but I no longer do this)
0 I was watching TV when Rob ca lled . (= I was in the middle of watching TV)
Do not confuse I used to do and I am used to doing (see Unit 61). The structures and meanings are
different:
U I used to Live alone. (= I lived alone in the past, but I no longer live alone)
0 I am used to Living alone. (= I live alone, and I don't find it strange or difficult because I've
been living alone for some time)

Past contin uous (1was doing) ~ Un it 6 Would (= used to) ~ Unit 36

Be/get used to (doing) something~ Unit 61
 ~ Unit
Exercises ~- .18
Complete the sentences with use(d) to+ a suitable verb.
1 Nicola doesn't travel much now. She .. tA?.e4 U:?....tr.~Y.~...... a lot, but she prefers to stay at home
these days.
2 Sop hie ..... ..... . ....... .. .... . ................. a motorbike, but last year she sold it and bought a car.
3 We moved to Spain a few years ago . We . . ... ...... ...................... .. ... ............... in Paris.
4 I rarely eat ice-cream now, but I .. ................. it w hen I was a child.
5 Jackie ......... .... .. .. .. my best friend , but we aren't good friends any more.
6 lt only takes me about 40 minutes to get to work now that the new road is open. lt
.... ............. .... .... .. ..... ....... more than an hou r.
7 There .... ....... .... .... ... ... .. a hotel nea r the a irport, but it closed a long t ime ago.
8 When you lived in New York, .... .... .. .. .. . ................ .. .. .. . . to the theatre very often ?

Compare what Karen said five years ago and what she says today:

FIVE YEARS AGO I'm a hotel TODAY My dog died two

receptionist. I eat lots of / years ago.
cheese now~
I travel a lot. ~ .-.L~.- . .........
/ I play the piano.
(
/
_;read a newspaper
every day now.
I work very hard
I've got lots
these days. - - - I haven't been to a
of friends. - --
~ party fo r ages.
I don't know many/ ; I haven't played t he
I'm very lazy. ----- people these days. / ~ piano fo r years.

1don't like/ I work in a / ~ I don't go away

cheese. bookshop now. .......
I I I
~ h1 th
a Cl e.......
1i J C
d~
UJ J·
.....

I go to a lot of parties. Tea's great! I li ke it now.

Now write sentences about how Karen has changed. Use used to I didn't use to I never used
to in the first part of your sentence.
1 .$Y1 e:.. V.5~ to tt~Y.~----~ LQt.> ...................... but ...?.h.e. ....Me5n >t, .go G4'YO-.y. mtAc}1 tt.J.~?-~ ~ 5 . ........... .
2 She used .. . ..... . ..... .. . ..... .. but ... ................... . .... .. ... . .............. ....... ................................. ........ ..........
3 ....................................... .......................................................... but . ... .............................. ............................................. ............................. ................... .
4 .............................. . ................................. .. ..... ..... .......... .......... .. but .
5 .. .................... ..... ........... . but
6 .. .. ................... .. . . ...... . . ...... ....... but
7 ..... . ............. .... ........................ ...... ........................... but
8 ......................................... ...................................................................... but ...........................................................................................................................................
9 .......... ...................... ...... .................................... .............................. but
10 ... ............................. .......................... bu t

Write sentences about yourself Like the examples. Begin I used to ... (I used to be/work/like/
play/read etc.).
1 1....~ 5.~ ~-- ..~Y.~ .. 4.'1 ...~... 5rr..o..U.:... Y.~~->-.Jwt n9N ...J... 4.Y~ ...itl. Jo.r 49Yl ........... .... .. .....................................................
2 1.....1!..~-~ tq ___ pla.y ~~ni-s .. o.... LQt> P.v...t J cion,t p~ __any mqre .....
3 I used .... ....... .. .... . . ..... ....... ... , but .................... . _
4 I ................................... .... . ....... .... .. ......................... . . ................... ... ............ ..... . .... ............. ... ........ ................... .
5
Now begin with I didn't use to ....
6 .....1 44in ,~. tA~.~ W.... .r~ o..... lot-,.. Jn~~..l cio ~olN..·........ . ...
7 I didn't .... .................. . .. .....................
8 .............................................................................. .................................... .............................................. ............................................................ 0 ...... .. . ...... . .

-+ Additiona l exercise 9 (page 307) 37

Study this example situation:

Lisa is American, but she lives in Britain. When she first

drove a car in Britain, she found it very difficult because
she had to drive on t he left, not on th e right. Driving on
t he left was strange and difficult for her because:
Sh e wasn't used to it.
She wasn't used to driving on the left.

But after a lot of practi ce, driving on t he left became less

strange. So:
She got used to driving on the left.

Now ifs no problem for Lisa:

She is used to driving on the left .

I'm used to something= it is not new or strange for me:

0 Paul lives alone. He doesn't mind this because he has lived alone for 15 years. lt is not
strange for him. He is used to it. He is used to Living alone.
0 I bought some new shoes. They felt a bit strange at first because I wasn't used to them .
0 Our new apartment is on a very busy street. I expect we' ll get used to the noise, but at the
moment it's very disturbing.
0 Helen has a new job. She has to get up much earlier now than before - at 6.30. She finds
this difficult because she isn't used to getting up so early.
C Katherine's husband is often away from home. She doesn't mind this. She is used to him
being away.

After be/get used you cannot use the infinitive (to do I to drive etc.) . We say:
0 She is used to driving on the left. (not She is used to drive)
When we say •1 am used to something', to is a preposition , not a part of the infinitive.
So we say:
=· We're not used to the noise. I We're not used to it.
0 Paul is used to Living alone. (not Pau l is used to live)
0 Lisa had to get used to driving on the left. (not get used to drive)
Do not co nfuse I am used to doing and I used to do:

I am used to (doing) something= it isn't strange or new for me:

0 I am used to the weather in t his country.
0 I am used to driving on the left beca use I've lived in Britain a long time.
I used to do something= I did it regularly in the past but no longer do it. You can use this only
for the past, not for the present. (See Unit 18.)
The structure is •1 used to do' (not I am used to do):
0 I used to drive to work every day, but these days I usually go by bike.
0 We used to Live j ust outside the town, but now we live near the centre.

(~u_s_e_d_t_o_(d_o_)_~__u_n_it__1s_____To__+_-_in_g_~__u_n_it__6_oc________________________________________)
 Unit
Exercises -=----61 '"
---

Look again at the situation in Section A on the opposite page ('Lisa is American ... ').
The following situations are similar. Complete the sentences using used to.
1 jack has to drive two hours to his work every morning. Many years ago, when he first had to do
this, it was difficult for him. But now it 's OK.
When jack started working in this job, he wasn't .......................................................................................................... driving
two hours to work every morning, but after some time he . .. ...... ........ . .. ....... . it.
Now it's no problem for him. He .. ......... .. . ................................................................... two hours every morning.

2 julia is a nurse. A year ago she started working nights. At first she found it hard and didn't like it.
She ..................... ..... .. ....... ..... .. ............ ....... . ........ . .. nights and it took her a few months
to . . ........ ... ......... . ..... . . ........ ... .... . ..... .. ...... it. Now, after a year, it's OK for her.
She ....................................................................................................... nights.

What do you say in these situations? Use I'm (not) used to ....
1 You live alone. You don't mind this. You have always lived alone.
FRIEND: Do you get lonely sometimes?
No, .. .J.. m...~.?e.4:. to ... ~Y~g oJ.p_n ?.:
1
YOU : . .... . ... .... . .. ....... .... . ....... . ................................ .
2 You sleep on the floor. You don't mind this. You have always slept on the floor.
FRIEND: Wouldn't you prefer to sleep in a bed?
You: No, I ....... .... ......... ...... ............ ...... ................
3 You have to work long hours in your job. This is not a problem for you . You have always worked
long hours.
FRIEND: You have to work very long hours in your job, don't you?
You: Yes, but I don 't mind that. I ........ ... .... .. ....... . ................ ...... . . ......... .. .. .. . ....... ... ...... .. .... .
4 You usually go to bed early. Last night you went to bed very late (for you) and as a result you are
very tired this morning.
FRIEND: You look tired this morning.
You : Yes, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ....

Read the situations and complete the sentences using get/got used to.
1 Some friend s of yours have ju st moved into an apartment on a busy street. lt is very noisy.
They'll have to .geJ-.. 0se4. ~ ....tb~... Y\9.~?..~- . . ................ .................... ...... ..................... ........................ .... ........................... ..
2 The children at school got a new teacher. She was different from the teacher before her, but this
wasn't a problem for the children. They soon .................. . ....... ........... ..................... ............................................... .......
3 Sue moved from a big house to a mu ch smaller one. She found it strange at first . She had to
........ ....... ............ ... ..... . ...... .... .. . ... .... in a much smaller house.
4 Some people you know from Britain are going to live in your country. What will they have to get
used to ?
They'll have to . ...........

Complete the sentences using only one word each time (see Section C).
1 Lisa had to get used to . ~x~viJJ.g. on the left.
2 Dan used to a lot of co ffee. Now he prefers tea.
3 I feel very full after that meal. I'm not used to ...................................... so mu ch.
4 I wouldn't like to share an office. I'm used to ................. ..... ........... my own office.
5 I used to ........ a ca r, but I sold it a few months ago.
6 When we were children, we used to ................ .. ............... swimming very often.
7 There used to .................................... a school here, but it was knocked down a few years ago.
8 I'm the boss here! I'm not used to .. .......... .. ......... told what to do.
9 We used to ............................. .. .... in a village. We moved to London a few years ago and had to get
used t o ............................................. in a big city.

-+ Additional exercises 26- 28 (pages 317- 19) 123