USED TO

It refers to a habit or state in the past. 1. The question form: Did you use to? NOT Used you to..? (very old-fashioned) 2. The negative form: didnt use to Did he use to work with you? No, he didnt. Used to is rarely used with an adverbial time phrase beginning with for; here, we use the simple past. I used to work in Algeria. I worked in Algeria for three years. Would can only be used as a synonym of used to when we are talking about a repeated action, not when it is a state, in the past. I would smoke fifty cigarettes a day; BUT NOT: * I would work in Algeria before I came here. Common mistakes:

a. Be/get used to is tricky. Be used to is very often used in the present tense with the same sense as the
Hungarian past tense of hozzszokik. Dont you find Hungarian coffee very strong? No, Im used to it now. We can say get used to as well, but be careful of the tense there is a tendency in Hunglish to use the simple past when the present perfect is needed. Compare: Did you get used to Hungarian coffee when you were in Hungary? Have you got used to our strange customs here? Get used to is also used in the present continuous tense quite often. Hes slowly getting used to his new role as a father.

b. Be/get used to cannot be followed by an infinitive; a following verb must always be in the ing form.
Im not used to drinking plinka. An implication which is often present in be/get used to is that the action or object referred to is seen as possibly unpleasant or difficult. Doesnt driving all day tire you out? Oh, no, Im used to it.

c. There is no verb in English *use to. Very often, the simple present contains the idea of habitual action
sufficiently, and no extra verb or adverb is needed. I visit my parents every week now. d. Avoid get accustomed to. It is not wrong, but, like get acquainted with, it is rarely used by English people. However, you can use it if you are offended and trying to sound posh: I am not accustomed to being spoken to in that way. Exercise 1 Fill in the gaps. Tom ______________________ (wear) blue jeans and a T-shirt in high school. In the Middle Ages people ______________________ (eat neg.) much meat or fish. In the 1950's people in small towns ___________________ (lock neg.) their front door very often. When I was a kid, I _________________________(believe) there were monsters under my bed. __________________________ (eat) crayons when he was in elementary school? Exercise 2 What is the difference? Chinese people are used to eating spicy food. vs. Chinese people used to eat spicy food. He usually goes to Balaton for his holidays. vs. Hes used to going to Balaton for his holidays. Im used to his laziness. vs. Ive got used to his laziness. She isn't used to using a computer. vs. She didnt use to use a computer.