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One of the functions of this expression is to talk about repeated actions in the past which we don't do in the present.
Used to
'Used to' has two meanings:
We use 'used to' to say that an action happened continuously, habitually or frequently during a period in the past, but no longer occurs.
Grammatical Functions
In negatives and questions, the correct form is 'used to.' To form questions, use 'did' and to form a negative sentence, use 'didn't use to.'
Didn't you
Didn't she
If we use 'used to' to mean; we did something regularly and frequently in the past; the rule is to use an infinitive without 'to' after used to.
I used to
She used to
2. When 'used to' is accompanied by the verb 'be,' it talks about an action that you're accustomed to doing it and it's no longer strange.
He's
He is accustomed to the noise from the traffic now.
I'm
If we use 'used to' to mean we are accustomed to doing something; in this case, we have to use gerunds (verbs+ -ing) after 'used to'. Remember the structure is subject + be + used to + gerund.
She is used to
He's used to
using 'used to' to talk about habits
Get Used to
In spoken and informal English, you can also say the expression 'get used to'. It expresses an action or situation that is gradually becoming less strange, or more familiar.
It takes time to
Here, we mean; it takes time to gradually become familiar with my new working environment.
Don't worry, you'll
In this case, it means, it'll be less strange soon.
Review
'used to' is use to express:
- an activity that you did regularly in the past
- an activity that you are accustomed to
- an activity that gets less strange over time
Each meaning has its own grammatical rule which was discussed in the article.
| used to | be + used to | get + used to |
|---|---|---|
|
They |
He is |
Humans |
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