A sentence with the word used to. Grammatical construction used to in English
They say habit is second nature. AT English language, to express the habit of performing any repetitive actions in the past, there is a grammatical construction used to.
Unlike English, in Russian it is sometimes impossible to give a concise translation of some expressions. You have to use a variety of descriptions. This is exactly the situation with the phrase used to. She has a relationship to actions that happened in the past and no longer have a place to be:
I used to buy an ice-cream on my way to school almost every day. - When I went to school, I used to buy ice cream almost every day on the way there.
I used to be a model. - I used to be a model.
You can pick up a fairly large number of synonyms for the translation of this phrase. They all store a value:
- be used to something
- often do something before, in the past
- have a habit of doing something in the past
This phrase is only used to describe actions that can be expressed time Past Simple:
I used to work with him. = I worked with him. I don't now.
I used to work with him. Now there is no.
The use of the structure used to
as a grammatical construction used to has nothing to do with the verb to use - use, use. We offer you the main situations for the correct use of this construction.
Equivalents of the grammatical construction used to
There are varieties of this grammatical turnover that are able to express action taking place in the present. With the help of structures be used to do and get used to we can describe such actions and states.
Grammatical phrase be used to
Be used to translated into English as "have a habit". hallmark of this construction is that after itself it does not require a verb in the initial form. Correct use of nouns, pronouns or verbs with the ending - ing:
I am used to living alone. - I'm used to living alone.
He is used to it. - He's used to it.
Grammar get used to
We can translate this construction as “get used to, get used to, acquire a habit”. After it, you should also put a noun, pronoun or verb with the ending - ing:
I cannot get used to his smoking. - I just can’t get used to (reconcile) with the fact that he smokes.
Iceland has a colder climate, we've got used to iut. - In Iceland, the climate is colder, but we are used to it.
Design get used to can also express the future tense:
I will get used to big city life. - I'll get used to life in a big city.
So, we examined the main meanings and cases of the use of turnover used to and its equivalents. It is worth saying that he is a regular not only in colloquial speech, but also in literary English.
We wish you to learn how to talk about the actions that used to be in your life, and get used to new convenient grammatical constructions!
Victoria Tetkina
All people have some kind of habit: someone is used to getting up early, someone is jogging in the morning, and someone is walking before going to bed. Some habits appeared a long time ago, and some people, on the contrary, are only going to develop.
Just to talk about the habits that you have, the English language uses the construction to be used to.
From this article you will learn: cases of using the construction be used to, features of use, examples and rules for constructing all types of sentences.
The use of the construction be used to in English
The be used to construction is used to describe something that is common to us, some kind of behavior that has become permanent. This construction is translated as "to be habitual".
We use to be used to in the following situations:
1. When a person speaks about any actions that are habitual and for him. That is, these actions do not seem surprising, difficult or strange to him.
For example: My friend is used to running in the morning.
We are used to living in a big city.
We are used to living in a big city.
He is used to getting up early.
He is used to getting up early.
2. When a person speaks about any things that are considered normal and ordinary
For example: He is used to a humid climate.
He is used to hard work.
He is accustomed to difficult work.
They are used to expensive gifts.
They are used to expensive gifts.
Formation of affirmative sentences with the construction be used to in English
We can use the construction be used to in the present, past, future tenses.
To do this, we need to put our verb to be in the correct form. The scheme for the formation of affirmative sentences will be as follows:
- when we speak about action, then we put the verb to be at the right time and add the ending -ing to the word denoting the action. The curriculum will be like this:
The one in question + be at the right time + used to + action ending -ing
- When we talk about something we are used to, that is about the subject/thing, then we also put to be at the right time, but we don’t add any endings to the subject.
The one in question + be at the right time + used to + item
Let's look at how we change the verb to be depending on the tenses.
sed to present tense
When it comes to the fact that a person at the moment, currently has any habits, then we put to be at the present time: am / are / is.
| I | am | ||
| You | |||
| We | are | cooking breakfast | |
| They | used to | cold shower | |
| She | dancing alone | ||
| He | is | ||
| It |
She is used to speaking in public.
She is used to public speaking.
We are used to travelling.
We are used to traveling.
Affirmative sentences with be used to in past tense
When we talk about the habits that we had in the past, we put to be in the past tense: was, were.
| I | was | ||
| You | |||
| We | were | cooking breakfast | |
| They | used to | cold shower | |
| She | dancing alone | ||
| He | was | ||
| It |
For example:
I was used to reading before bedtime when I was a child.
I used to read before bed when I was a child.
They were used to speaking English when they lived in New York.
They used to speak English when they lived in New York.
Affirmative sentences with be used to in future tense
When we talk about the habits we are trying to develop, we put will before our verb be.
| I | |||
| You | |||
| We | cooking breakfast | ||
| They | will be | used to | cold shower |
| She | dancing alone | ||
| He | |||
| It |
You will be used to rural life soon.
You will soon get used to rural life.
She will be used to driving a car.
She will get used to driving.
Formation of negative sentences with the construction used to in English
When we say that we are not used to doing something, that is, we consider something unusual, difficult or surprising, we use denial. It is formed using the particle not, which we put after the verb to be in the right tense. The educational scheme will be as follows:
The one in question + be at the right time + not + used to + action ending -ing or object
Let's look at the formation of negation in detail for each tense.
sed to present tense
In the present tense, we say that we are not used to doing something at the present moment, or that we do not consider something habitual at the present moment.
| I | am | |||
| You | ||||
| We | are | cooking breakfast | ||
| They | not | used to | cold shower | |
| She | dancing alone | |||
| He | is | |||
| It |
I am not used to drinking coffee without sugar.
I'm not used to drinking coffee without sugar.
We are not used to going to bed very late.
We are not used to staying up late.
Negative sentences with be used to in past tense
We use negation with be used to in the past form when we say that some time ago we did not have the habit of doing something or did not consider something habitual for ourselves.
| I | was | |||
| You | ||||
| We | were | cooking breakfast | ||
| They | not | used to | cold shower | |
| She | dancing alone | |||
| He | was | |||
| It |
He wasnotused to getting up at 6 a.m. two years ago.
He was not accustomed to getting up at six in the morning two years ago.
They werenotusedto doing homework.
They were not used to doing housework.
Negative sentences with be used to in future tense
When it comes to the fact that in the future you will not get used to something, then we put not after will.
| I | ||||
| You | ||||
| We | cooking breakfast | |||
| They | will | not | be used to | cold shower |
| She | dancing alone | |||
| He | ||||
| It |
She will not be used to living alone.
She's not used to living alone.
We will not be used to working at the weekends.
We're not used to working weekends.
Formation of interrogative sentences with the construction used to in English
To ask if someone has a habit, you need to put the verb to be in the correct tense first. The educational scheme will be as follows:
To be at the right time + the one in question + used to + action ending -ing or object
Let's see how it will play out in each of the times.
sed to present tense
If we ask if a person currently has a habit, we put our am/are/is in first place.
| Am | I | ||
| you | |||
| Are | we | cooking breakfast? | |
| they | used to | cold shower? | |
| he | dancing alone? | ||
| Is | she | ||
| it |
Are you used to cold weather?
Are you used to cold weather?
Is she used to going to clubs?
Is she used to going to clubs?
Interrogative sentences with be used to in past tense
If you want to know if a person had a habit of doing something some time ago, then you need to put was/were at the beginning of the sentence.
| was | I | ||
| you | |||
| Were | we | cooking breakfast? | |
| they | used to | cold shower? | |
| he | dancing alone? | ||
| was | she | ||
| it |
Weretheyusedto running every day a year ago?
Were you used to running every day a year ago?
washeusedto driving a truck last month?
Was he used to (was used to) driving a truck last month?
Interrogative sentences with be used to in future tense
If you are asking if a person will get used to something in the future tense, then you need to put will first.
| I | |||
| you | |||
| we | cooking breakfast? | ||
| Will | they | watching horrors?
People used to send each other letters, but now everyone uses mobile phones. It is precisely in order to tell us about the actions that took place sometime in the past that we need construction used to.
Today we will analyze what it means, how it is translated, when it is used and how to use it correctly.
Rules for using the used to construct
This construction is used to describe actions and situations that took place in the past. For example, in the past you went with a short haircut, and now you have long hair, or you used to dance, but don't do it now.
Please note that in English there is a verb use, which translates as "use". And there is our construction used to, which translates as “it happened / before” and is a form of the past tense.
The used to construction is used in the following cases:
1. When we talk about actions that used to happen quite often, but now they don’t go away at all.
(he used to take the subway to work, but now he has bought a car and doesn't take the subway anymore)
2. When we talk about facts or situations that used to be, but now they are not.
(we used to be friends, but now we don't communicate)
Construction construction used to
This construction is formed very simply. The verb in the initial form is added to used to. Please note that the verb is not put in the past, but in the initial form. Education scheme:
the one in question + used to + verb in the initial form
| I | ||
| You | ||
| We | work | |
| They | used to | smoke |
| She | buy | |
| He | ||
| It |
Let's look at examples:
Negation with the construction used to
This construction is used in negation when we say that some habit or situation did not exist before.
Since this is a past tense construction, negation is formed using the auxiliary verb did and the negative particle not. Please note that we do not put use in the past tense. That is, our used to becomes use to.
the one in question + did + not + use to + verb in the initial form
| I | ||||
| You | ||||
| We | work | |||
| They | did | not | use to | smoke |
| She | buy | |||
| He | ||||
| It |
We did not use to work together
We haven't worked together before.
She did not use to meet him.
She hadn't met him before.
Note! In official British English, the following variant of constructing a negative form is possible.
the one in question + used + not + to + verb in the initial form
For example:
Interrogative form with the construction used to
The question is built using the auxiliary verb did, which comes first. As in negation, use is used in its initial form.
Did + the person in question + use to + verb in the initial form
| I | |||
| you | |||
| we | work? | ||
| Did | they | use to | smoke? |
| she | buy? | ||
| he | |||
| it |
Did he use to fight with his brother?
Has he fought his brother before?
Did they use to buy in this shop?
Have they shopped at this store before?
Special questions c used to
With the used to construction, you can ask questions with the following question words
- what - what
- where - where
- when - when
- who - who
- how (often/long/much) - how (often/long/many)
- which - which
- why - why
| I | ||||
| you | ||||
| Where | we | work? | ||
| why | did | they | use to | smoke? |
| When | she | buy? | ||
| he | ||||
| it |
So, today we have analyzed the construction of the past tense used to. If you have any questions ask them in the comments.
Reinforcement task
Translate the following sentences into English. Write your answers in the comments below the article.
1. My girlfriend used to be overweight.
2. He has not studied English before.
3. Where did they work before?
4. She didn't love him before.
5. Has your father traveled before?
6. We used to be neighbors.
7. Were you best friends before?
8. How much did you weigh before?
For those who study English, it can be difficult to master the “used to, be / get used to” rule. Many people simply confuse similar-sounding constructions. To use these phrases correctly, you need to understand what they mean.
past habits
Expression usedto denotes actions that often happened in the past, but no longer occur now. Usually the construction is translated as "before", "once".
I used to go for a walk every morning. unfortunately,Ihavenotimenow. - I used to go for a walk every morning. Unfortunately, I don't have time for that right now.
He used to be a shop assistant. Nowisamillionaire. - Once he was a salesman, and now he is a millionaire.
In this case, we are only talking about past habits, so the verb cannot be used in the present tense. In other words, you can't say "use to". The usage rules require the verb to be placed in past simple. If you need to talk about the habits that exist at the moment, use the Present Simple.
I used to eat bananas for breakfast. - BeforeIateon thebreakfastbananas.
Iusuallyeatbananasforbreakfast. I usually eat bananas for breakfast.
Please note: after the particle to is always infinitive. Other forms of the verb are not allowed here.
My sister used to be a naughty child. - Mysisterwasnaughtychild.
Let's continue with the rule. usedto used not only in affirmative proposals. We can safely construct a negative or interrogative sentence.
In the question, the first place is given did, followed by the subject and use to. The past tense is taken over by the auxiliary verb, so the initial form should be used useto.
Didsheusetowakeupearlywhenshewenttoschool? Did she have a habit of getting up early when she went to school?
Did they use to spend vacation together? - Beforetheycarried outtogethervacation?
AT negative sentences a particle is added to the auxiliary verb not, a useto also put in the initial form.
I didn't use to smoke when I was a schoolboy. - Inotsmoked, whenwentinschool.
Shedidn'ttusetoplaygolf. She hasn't played golf before.
Used to or would?
When it comes to past habits, sometimes another expression is used - would.
Kate would go to a swimming pool once a week. - BeforeKatewentinswimming poolonceinweek.
Remember the important rule: usedto can indicate both an action and a state.
Action: Myparentsdidn'ttusetogotoagym. - My parents never went to the gym before.
State: John didn'tusetoloveRockmusic. - Once upon a time, John did not like rock music.
Would indicates only a repeated action in the past. It is not used to describe a state.
My friend used to go shopping every weekend. Myfriendwouldgoshoppingeveryweekend. My friend used to go shopping every weekend.
But you can't say: John would love rock music. This proposal should use usedto.
Would can also describe actions that happened from time to time (often with an element of nostalgia). good translation in this case is the word "used to".
InmychildhoodIwouldgoforapicnicalmosteveryweekend. - As a child, I used to go to a picnic almost every weekend.
If you don't specify the regularity of the action, use usedto, not would.
Whenhewasachildheusedtowakeuplate. - He woke up late when he was a child ( general position, regularity not specified).
Whenhewasachild,hewouldwakeuplateatweekends. - When he was a child, he woke up late on weekends (it is indicated how often the action was performed).
have a habit of doing something
Let's look at another rule. used to often confused with to be used to. However, they are absolutely different meanings. Expression tobeusedto means "to have the habit of doing something", and it can be replaced by a synonymous construction tobeaccustomedto. Formerly a man he never did, but now his way of life has changed.
Heisusedtogettingupat 9am. - He used to get up at 9 am (he didn't do that before).
Since we are talking about a habit that a person has at the moment, the verb tobe logical to put in the present tense. For past habits, use the expression we already know usedto/didn"t use to. Compare:
My brother didn't use to eat healthy food. - Mybrotherbeforenotateusefulfood.
Now he is used to eating healthy food. - Nowheused tothere isusefulfood.
Don't forget to put a particle to- there is no expression useddoing. The rule also requires the use of the gerund, not the infinitive.
Jesse is used to making his bed in the morning. - Jessieused tocoverbedonin the morning.
I am used to go to school on my foot. - Iused towalkinschoolon foot.
get used to something
Phrase togetusedto very close in value to the previous design. But there is a certain shade of meaning - “to get used to”, “to master”, “to adapt”. In this case, the synonymic construction would be tobecomeaccustomedto.
It is difficult to get used to a new climate. - TOnewclimatedifficultadapt.
Here we are talking about a habit that is just beginning to form.
He is getting used to doing the laundry twice a week. - Heaccustomsmyselfwashclothestwiceperweek.
After the particle to you should also put a gerund.
TheyaregettingusedtospeakingChinese. They are getting used to speaking Chinese.
What grammatical tense should be used getusedto? The rule allows you to use any tense that makes sense.
Ittookhersometimetogetusedtonewtraditions. - It took some time before she got used to the new traditions.
In a few weeks you will get used to the local cuisine. - Throughcoupleweeksyouget used totolocalkitchen.
Exercises
We have discussed in detail the use usedto/beusedto/getusedto. The rule separates these constructions in meaning and grammatically. Practice using them in practice. Insert the appropriate words into the text. Be sure to select the correct time.
- Jane -- smoke a lot. Then she quit it. Jen used to smoke a lot. But then she quit smoking.
- I see you -_ new rules. Keep it up! I see you are getting used to the new rules. Keep it up!
- How long did it take him to _ living in the suburbs? How long did it take him to get used to life in the suburbs?
- You_be very hardworking. You have become a lazybones! - You were so hardworking. You have become lazy!
- We _ speaking two languages. We are used to speaking two languages.
- He _ coming in time. He taught himself to be on time.
- I _ drinking tea. Coffee is bad for my health. - I've got into the habit of drinking tea. Coffee is bad for me.
- Why don't you _ putting fewer spices in your food. I can't eat it! - Why don't you train yourself to put less spices in your food! I can't eat it!
- I _ sweeping the floor every day. - I used to sweep the floor every day.
- I_his pronunciation. Does anyone understand what he says? - I can't get used to his pronunciation. Does anyone even understand what he's saying?
- Monika _ be a doctor, but she has already retired. Monika used to be a doctor. But she is already retired.
- We _ be friends. Then something went wrong. - We were friends. But then something went wrong.
Construction “ used to” is used to describe activities (habits) that happened regularly in the past, but no longer happen:
Building sentences with the "used to" construction
Statement
In affirmative sentences to the construction used to added infinitive of a semantic verb denoting the regular action in question:
She used to read a lot.
She read a lot.
Negation
Negation is formed using an auxiliary verb did and particles not:
She didn't use to read a lot.
She didn't read much.
Question
The question is formed using an auxiliary verb did, which is placed at the beginning of the sentence:
Did she use to read a lot?
Did she read a lot?
The “used to” construction is used to describe actions (habits) that happened regularly. in the past, but don't happen anymore. For example, I used to play computer games but now I don't have enough time for it. - I used to play computer games, but now I don't have enough time for this. This example assumes that a person used to regularly play computer games , and due to the fact that the action was regular in the past, it is the “used to” construction that is used. Listen to another example: Tom used to go in for football but now he goes in for tennis. plays tennis.In this example, activities (playing football) were also regular.
Let's talk about the rules for constructing affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences with the used to construction.
- In affirmative sentences, the infinitive of the semantic verb denoting the regular action in question is added to the construction used to. For example, She used to read a lot - She read a lot.
- Negation is formed using the auxiliary verb did and the particle not: She didn’t use to read a lot - She didn’t read a lot
- The question is formed using the auxiliary verb did, which is placed at the beginning of the sentence: Did she use to read a lot - Did she read a lot?