Used to, be used to and get used to look almost the same, but they mean different things. Used to talks about the past. Be used to and get used to talk about how familiar something is to you. Check the table, then do the exercises below. If you get one wrong, the explanation tells you which rule applies.
| Meaning | Form | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| used to | a past habit or state that isn’t true now | used to + verb | I used to smoke, but I stopped. |
| be used to | something is normal or familiar for you | be used to + noun / -ing | I’m used to getting up early. |
| get used to | the process of becoming familiar with something new | get used to + noun / -ing | I’m getting used to my new job. |
| would | repeated past actions (not states) | would + verb | Every summer we would go to the lake. |
Used to, be used to, get used to exercises
Four sets of 20 questions: start with Basics (A2) and move up to Advanced (B2), or try the At work set with office situations. Choose an option or type the missing words. Prefer to check everything at the end? Switch to Exam mode.
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I play football every day when I was a child.
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She have long hair, but now it’s short.
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We (live) in a small flat, but now we have a house.
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you use to walk to school?
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I (not / like) vegetables when I was young.
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There be a cinema here, but they closed it.
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My grandfather smoke, but he stopped ten years ago.
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(your dad / use to / work) in a factory?
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I didn’t go to the gym, but now I go three times a week.
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When I was a student, I get up late every day.
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This town (be) very quiet, but now it’s full of tourists.
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He to work by bus, but now he cycles.
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Did they have a dog?
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I (play) the guitar, but I stopped when I started university.
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My sister be afraid of the dark.
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We go on holiday to the seaside every summer.
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People (not / have) mobile phones in the 1980s.
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Where you use to live before you came here?
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I like coffee, but now I love it.
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Life be much simpler before the internet.
Teachers: download these questions as a printable worksheet with an answer key. It’s free to use in class.
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I’ve lived in Norway for years, so I the cold.
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When I first moved to London, I couldn’t driving on the left.
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Don’t worry about the new job. You’ll soon it.
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She’s a nurse, so she working at night.
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I work in a bank, but now I’m a teacher.
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It took me months to get used to (wake) up at 5 am.
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Are you used to in such a big city?
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We eat out a lot, but now we cook at home.
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I’m not used to (speak) English on the phone.
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He’s his new glasses. He doesn’t notice them any more.
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I getting up early. I’ve done it all my life.
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At first my parents (not / be) used to living alone.
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Is it difficult to the food in Japan?
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I have lots of free time before I had children.
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I’m slowly (get) used to my new laptop.
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Tom hard work. He grew up on a farm.
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I used to a lot, but I don’t any more.
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Have you (get) used to the new timetable yet?
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She isn’t used to so many people around her.
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I can’t this noise! How do you sleep here?
Teachers: download these questions as a printable worksheet with an answer key. It’s free to use in class.
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Every summer, my grandmother make jam from the berries in her garden.
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We have a cat called Felix.
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When we were kids, we (spend) hours playing in the forest.
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I be very shy, but I’m much more confident now.
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It took her a while, but she to working from home.
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I don’t think I’ll ever get used to (eat) dinner at 10 pm.
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By the end of the first month, I to the new routine.
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He to being the boss. He finds it hard to take orders.
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Back in the 90s, people (not / work) from home very much.
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My dad tell us stories every night before bed.
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I’m still used to my new colleagues.
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Before he moved to Spain, he (never / be) used to such hot weather.
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There be a lot more trees in this area.
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You’ll have to to sharing an office.
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She to taking orders from someone younger than her.
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As children, we (go) to the beach every weekend.
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I’ve never to the cold winters here.
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Did you like school?
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Once you (get) used to it, driving an automatic is easy.
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Being used to under pressure, she stayed calm.
Teachers: download these questions as a printable worksheet with an answer key. It’s free to use in class.
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I work in sales, but now I’m in marketing.
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After ten years as a manager, I’m making difficult decisions.
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It took me a few weeks to get used to (use) the new software.
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Our company have an office in London, but we closed it in 2020.
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New employees usually to our system within a week.
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I’m not used to (give) presentations in English.
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In my old job, I start work at 7 am every day.
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She’s to working with international clients. She’s done it for years.
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(you / use to / work) from home before the pandemic?
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I still haven’t to the open-plan office. It’s so noisy!
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Our team meet every Friday, but now we have meetings on Mondays.
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The new manager (not / be) used to such long meetings.
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Are you used to with tight deadlines?
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I like public speaking, but now I enjoy it.
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You’ll (get) used to the new schedule in no time.
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Before the merger, we to make decisions much faster.
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I’m slowly getting used to the team.
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When I started this job, I (not / be) used to working with numbers.
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Clients to waiting a week for a reply, but now they expect an answer the same day.
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My boss check every email I sent, but now she trusts me.
Teachers: download these questions as a printable worksheet with an answer key. It’s free to use in class.
The key difference: verb or -ing?
In used to, to is part of the verb, so a base verb follows: I used to live in Rome. In be used to and get used to, to is a preposition, so a noun or an -ing form follows: I’m used to living alone. She’s getting used to the noise.
Used to or would?
Both describe repeated past actions: When I was a child, we used to / would play outside every day. But only used to works with states, such as be, have, live, like, know: We used to have a dog (not would have).
Common mistakes
- ❌ I am used to get up early. → ✅ I am used to getting up early.
- ❌ I didn’t used to like it. → ✅ I didn’t use to like it.
- ❌ I use to play tennis every Sunday. (for a present habit) → ✅ I usually play tennis every Sunday. (used to has no present form)
- ❌ We would live in Paris. → ✅ We used to live in Paris. (a state)
FAQ
Can “get used to” be in any tense?
Yes, both be used to and get used to work in all tenses: I’ll get used to it, I’ve got used to it, I was getting used to it, I had never been used to such heat. Used to (past habits) exists only in the past.
What level are these exercises?
There are four sets: Basics (A2) with used to only, Intermediate (B1) with all three forms, Advanced (B2) with would and different tenses, and At work (B1–B2).