Grammar
Be used to and get used to
Rosa is used to working late on Thursdays. Her new colleague is still getting used to the same schedule. The work is familiar for Rosa, while her colleague is in the process of adapting.
Choose be used to or get used to for a familiar situation or a process of becoming familiar, and use the correct form after to.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
I am getting used to the early train. /aɪ əm ˈɡetɪŋ juːst tə ðiː ˈɜːli treɪn/
The short answer
Be used to describes a present or past state of familiarity: I am used to the early bus. Get used to describes the change toward that state: I am getting used to the early bus. After both forms, use a noun or an -ing form.
Rosa is used to working late on Thursdays.
Why it works: Working late is already a familiar part of Rosa's Thursday routine.
4 more examples
-
We got used to the quieter neighborhood after a month.
Got used to describes a completed adjustment in the past.
Not this:We
were used tothe quieter neighborhood after a month. What changes: Were used to describes the familiar state at that time, without focusing on the change. -
Are you used to sharing the kitchen?
Sharing is an activity, so it uses the -ing form after to.
Not this:You will
get used to sharingthe kitchen soon. What changes: The speaker expects the listener's adjustment to happen in the future. -
Dae was not used to speaking in meetings at first.
The sentence describes a lack of familiarity at an earlier time.
Not this:Dae
got used to speakingin meetings after several weeks. What changes: Got used to names the change from an unfamiliar situation to a familiar one. -
I used to work in a small bookshop.
Used to plus a base verb describes a past habit or situation that has changed.
Not this:I
am used to workingin a small bookshop. What changes: Am used to describes present familiarity, and working is an -ing form after the preposition to.
Read the full guide
First, ask whether the situation already feels normal or is becoming normal. Choose be used to for the familiar state. Choose get used to for the adjustment. Then check the word after to: use a noun, pronoun, or -ing form, because to has the job of a preposition in these patterns.
Choose familiarity or adjustment
The problem: I know both expressions, but I do not know which one fits my situation.
Use be used to when the thing or activity already feels ordinary. Use get used to when the person is moving toward that feeling. The difference is about the stage of the experience, not about whether the thing itself is good or bad.
Be used to names a state of familiarity.
I am used to the early bus.
Get used to names the adjustment.
I am getting used to the early bus.
Use a noun or an -ing form after to
The problem: I add a base verb after to because I see the word to.
In these expressions, to is a preposition. A preposition can be followed by a noun, a pronoun, or an -ing form. Say used to the weather, used to it, and used to waking early. Do not use a base verb directly after to in this pattern.
-
Mina is used to the noise from the market.
Why it works: The noise is a noun phrase after to.
-
Mina is getting used to waking early.
Why it works: Waking is an -ing form after to.
-
Not this:
He is used to wake up early.Say: He is used to waking up early.
To is a preposition here, so the activity uses an -ing form.
Put be used to in the right tense
The problem: I use used to without a form of be when I mean familiarity.
Be used to needs a form of be. Choose am, is, are, was, were, or have been to show when the familiarity is true. The word used stays the same while be changes with the subject and time.
| Time | Pattern | Original example |
|---|---|---|
| now | am or is used to | I am used to the late shift. |
| past | was or were used to | They were used to driving on narrow roads. |
| from the past to now | have been used to | We have been used to online meetings for years. |
Choose the missing words: 'By then, I ___ used to the new timetable.'
Use was. The sentence describes a familiar state at a time in the past.
Show the process with get used to
The problem: I want to describe change, but I choose a form that only describes the final state.
Get used to follows the process of adapting. Use getting used to when it is happening now, got used to when it happened in the past, and will get used to when you expect it later. The activity after to still takes an -ing form.
Getting used to shows an adjustment in progress.
I am getting used to working from home.
Got used to shows that the adjustment happened.
I got used to working from home.
Keep past habits separate
The problem: I confuse be used to with used to plus a base verb.
Used to plus a base verb has another meaning. It describes something that happened regularly in the past or a past situation that changed. It does not need be, and its next verb is a base form: I used to cycle to work.
Used to plus a base verb refers to an earlier routine.
I used to cycle to work.
Be used to plus an -ing form refers to what feels normal.
I am used to cycling to work.
Make the choice in a full sentence
The problem: I can remember the rule, but I choose the wrong expression while speaking.
Use a two-step check. First, decide whether the situation is already familiar or still changing. Next, check what comes after to. This helps you choose both the right expression and the right verb form.
Complete the sentence: 'After a few days, Noor ___ used to ___ by train.'
Use got and traveling. The sentence describes a past adjustment, and the activity after to needs an -ing form.
Before you go
Remember this
Choose be used to for a familiar state and get used to for the process of adapting. After both expressions, use a noun, pronoun, or -ing form. Keep used to plus a base verb separate: it describes a past habit rather than familiarity.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Be used to and get used to"
What is the difference between be used to and get used to?
Be used to describes a situation that already feels familiar or normal. Get used to describes the process of becoming familiar with it. Compare Rosa is used to working late with Rosa is getting used to working late. The first sentence describes the result, and the second describes the adjustment.
Rosa is used to working late on Thursdays.
What form comes after be used to and get used to?
Use a noun, pronoun, or -ing form after these expressions because to is a preposition. You can say used to the noise, used to it, or getting used to waking early. For an activity, use the -ing form: Are you used to sharing the kitchen?
Rosa is getting used to working late on Thursdays.
Can I use get used to in the past?
Yes. Use got used to when the adjustment happened in the past. We got used to the quieter neighborhood after a month describes a completed change. You can also use getting used to for a process happening now and will get used to for an expected future adjustment.
We got used to the quieter neighborhood after a month.
How is be used to different from used to?
Be used to describes familiarity and needs a form of be: I am used to working in a bookshop. Used to plus a base verb describes a past habit or situation that changed: I used to work in a bookshop. The word after to helps you identify the pattern.
We were used to the quieter neighborhood after a month.
Can be used to describe a past situation?
Yes. Change be to match the time you mean. Dae was not used to speaking in meetings at first describes a lack of familiarity in the past. Later, Dae got used to speaking in meetings describes the adjustment that followed.
Are you used to sharing the kitchen?