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| Click picture for creative people's daily routines on infowetrust.com |
Usually - Present routine
I usually go to the cinema at the end of the road.
The cinema at the end of the road is the one I go to most often.
Used to - Past routine
I used to do gymnastics.
I regularly did gymnastics in the past (implying that this is not my routine now.)
Be used to - Familiarity (the consequence of routine)
I am used to exploring foreign cities without a guide.
I am familiar with exploring foreign cities without a guide because I've done it plenty of times before.
Notice that used to is followed by the verb in its basic form (the infinitive) but be used to is followed by the -ing form. This helps us to be more certain of what people are saying. Of course, that also makes it a very important 'ing'!
(Your listener won't know if you mean I used to or I am used to.)
I am used to using a PC so Macs confuse me. √
A common mistake is to think that 'use to' can be used to mean routine in the present... but it can't!
(Your listener will think you're saying 'used to', that it's a past routine, not a current one.)
I usually go swimming with my brother-in-law. √
Logically, the negative of used to is didn't use to (on the grounds that the negative of 'used' is 'didn't use') but some people think it's didn't used to. In real life, it's not easy to tell the difference when people are speaking, and most native speakers have probably never thought about it.
I didn't use to like jazz but now I'm becoming a real fan. √
Get used to is used when something starts to feel normal.
I'm getting used to the new flat now that I've been living here for two weeks. √
I don't like the new rules but I suppose I'll get used to them. √
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