In the listening lesson ‘The Licence Plate,’ I said…
Strange government rules and regulations are not something new to me. Unfortunately, they are a fact of life! They are something I experience regularly.
= something that is familiar to you; it’s not new or unusual
= something that is easy for you to do because you’ve done it so many times or for so long
Jane is used to her teenage son’s strange behaviour.
I just moved to London. I‘m not used to driving on the left-hand side of the road.
Important!
*be used to CANNOT be followed by a verb in the base form:
X: I am used to live alone.
*used in this expression is an adjective, not a verb
- to is a preposition, not part of the infinitive form of the verb (‘to live’)
- When to is a preposition and part of a combination, it’s OK to use a gerund after it
Example Sentences:
A: How can you stand that all that noise from the construction site next door?
B: I’m used to it. They’ve been working on that building for 6 months!
He’s really nervous about making a speech in front of so many people. He‘s not used to speaking to such a large audience!
A: Aren’t you lonely living in that big house by yourself?
B: Not really. I‘m used to living alone. I’ve lived alone for the past 4 years!
Karen is really struggling! She has to get up at 5:30am for her new job and she‘s not used to getting up so early!
How do you like living in Australia? Are you used to the hot weather?
I went to the gym last night for the first time in months. My whole body is sore now! I’m not used to working out.
*NOTE: Be used to is NOT the same as used to!
Melanie is a TESL-certified English teacher. She lives near Toronto, Canada. Through her blog, videos, podcasts, and social media, she helps thousands of people around the world improve their English. She makes English a little less confusing and a little more fun! She also helps people understand Canadian and American culture. She believes that natural interaction with a native speaker helps people practice what they have learned and builds their confidence with English!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello, Melanie! Now I'm going to make an attempt to be correct in uses of set expressions with “used to”
I used to doubt what set expression with “used to” to choose. Now I understand well the difference in “used to / be used to / get used to”. Your lesson and several pod casts on YouTube have given me a final push to complete understanding the issue. Thank you!
I’ve join to your subscribers recently. Also we’re in connection on YouTube, my nick there is TheBestSea. Now I want to get used to reading your blog regularly
Hello Kate!
It's great to hear from you again = ) Thanks for taking the time to subscribe and leave a comment on my blog. I'm happy to hear these grammar lessons were useful to you!
Best of luck with your English studies!
Melanie
PS. Are you on Twitter or Facebook?