Lesson 75 · Stage 6: Verb patterns
“Be used to” + -ing
IntermediateForm & use
be/get used to + -ing or noun — being familiar with something
1.Meaning and form
Be used to + noun / pronoun / -ing means you are familiar with something: it is no longer new or strange for you. Get used to means becoming familiar — the change from strange to normal.
| Form | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Familiar | be used to + noun / -ing | I'm used to the noise. / She's used to working late. |
| Not familiar | be not used to + noun / -ing | I'm not used to spicy food. |
| Becoming familiar | get used to + noun / -ing | You'll get used to it. / I'm getting used to driving on the right. |
| Question | Are you used to…? / Have you got used to…? | Are you used to the heat yet? |
The to here is a preposition, not the to of the infinitive. So it is always followed by a noun or -ing: I'm used to getting up early (not: used to get up).
2.Be used to — already familiar
Be changes for tense as usual: am/is/are used to (now), was/were used to (at that time), will be used to (later).
I've lived in Hanoi for years, so I'm used to the traffic.
My brother is a chef, so he's used to standing all day.
When I first came to Saigon, I wasn't used to the heat.
Are you used to working from home yet?
Teachers are used to being asked the same question again and again.
passive: being + past participle
3.Get used to — becoming familiar
Get used to works in every tense and often goes with soon, slowly, still, it took me a while… to show how long the change takes. In the present perfect, British English says have got used to, American English usually have gotten used to. Become used to is also correct but more formal.
Don't worry — you'll soon get used to the food here.
I'm slowly getting used to my new keyboard.
It took me a month to get used to working nights.
Have you got used to your new glasses yet?
My uncle lived in Germany for ten years, but he never got used to the dark winters.
4.Compared with “used to” + verb
These three look alike but mean very different things. Check whether there is be/get in front, and whether a base form or -ing follows. See also the lesson “Used to”.
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| used to + verb | a past habit or state that has stopped | I used to live alone. |
| be used to + noun / -ing | familiar with it (now, or at the time you mean) | I'm used to living alone. |
| get used to + noun / -ing | becoming familiar with it | I'm getting used to living alone. |
I used to drink coffee with sugar, but now I don't.
a past habit
I'm used to drinking coffee without sugar now.
familiar now
Learners often drop be and say “I used to the noise” — that is wrong. Familiar now = I'm used to the noise. Only a past habit (“I did this before”) is I used to + verb.
Watch out for a fourth meaning: be used to + base form can also be the passive of the verb use (used for a purpose): Wood is used to make paper. Here used is pronounced /juːzd/; in used to (past habit) and be used to (familiar) it is /juːst/.
5.Common mistakes
I'm used to work late at night.I'm used to working late at night.
Be used to + -ing, not the base form.
He isn't use to the heat yet.He isn't used to the heat yet.
It is always used, with -d.
I've lived in Sydney for two years, so I used to driving on the left.…so I'm used to driving on the left.
For now, you need be: I'm used to.
I'm using to the traffic now.I'm used to the traffic now.
This structure never uses using.
It took me a while to get used with the new software.It took me a while to get used to the new software.
The preposition is always to.
She's getting used to live alone.She's getting used to living alone.
Get used to also takes -ing.
Examples
- I'm not used to getting up so early.
- My brother is a chef, so he is used to standing all day.
- I've lived in Hanoi for years, so I'm used to driving in heavy traffic.
- Don't worry, you'll soon get used to the food here.
