Be used to doing something Practice Tests with B2 Grammar Rules & Examples

Be Used to Doing Something

When you move to a new country, start a new job, or change your daily routine, some things feel strange at first. But after a while, they feel normal. In English, we use the phrase be used to doing something to describe this feeling — when something no longer feels strange or difficult because you have experienced it many times.

Look at these examples:

• She is used to working night shifts. (It feels normal for her now.)
• They weren't used to driving on the left. (It felt strange for them.)
• I am used to waking up early. (Early mornings feel normal to me.)

This lesson will explain exactly how to form and use be used to doing something, how it differs from similar phrases, and how to avoid the most common mistakes.

What Does "Be Used to Doing Something" Mean?

Imagine a nurse called Layla. She has worked night shifts for ten years. Staying awake all night used to be hard, but now it feels completely normal.

Layla is used to working at night.

This sentence tells us that working at night is familiar and comfortable for Layla. It is part of her normal life. She is accustomed to it.

The key idea is: something that was once new or strange has now become normal through experience or habit.

How to Form "Be Used to Doing Something"

The structure has three parts:

Subject + be (am/is/are/was/were) + used to + verb-ing (or noun/pronoun)

Notice the following:

• be changes depending on the subject and the tense (present, past, etc.).
• used to stays the same — it never changes.
• After used to, we use a verb with -ing (a gerund), a noun, or a pronoun.

Positive Sentences

Subject + am/is/are/was/were + used to + verb-ing / noun

• I am used to living alone.
• He is used to the cold weather.
• We were used to waiting for long periods.
• She was used to the noise from the street.

Negative Sentences

Subject + am/is/are/was/were + not + used to + verb-ing / noun

• I am not used to eating spicy food.
• He isn't used to working in a team.
• They weren't used to such cold winters.
• She wasn't used to being criticised.

Questions

Am/Is/Are/Was/Were + subject + used to + verb-ing / noun?

• Are you used to the new schedule?
• Is she used to travelling by herself?
• Were they used to working under pressure?
• Was he used to the long commute?

Full Conjugation Table

Subject	Positive (Present)	Negative (Present)	Question (Present)
I	I am used to working late.	I am not used to working late.	Am I used to working late?
You	You are used to the noise.	You aren't used to the noise.	Are you used to the noise?
He / She / It	She is used to cooking for many people.	She isn't used to cooking for many people.	Is she used to cooking for many people?
We	We are used to long meetings.	We aren't used to long meetings.	Are we used to long meetings?
They	They are used to travelling abroad.	They aren't used to travelling abroad.	Are they used to travelling abroad?

 

Subject	Positive (Past)	Negative (Past)	Question (Past)
I	I was used to the routine.	I wasn't used to the routine.	Was I used to the routine?
You	You were used to waking up early.	You weren't used to waking up early.	Were you used to waking up early?
He / She / It	He was used to the pressure.	He wasn't used to the pressure.	Was he used to the pressure?
We	We were used to sharing an office.	We weren't used to sharing an office.	Were we used to sharing an office?
They	They were used to the cold climate.	They weren't used to the cold climate.	Were they used to the cold climate?

What Can Come After "Used to"?

After be used to, we can use:

1. A verb with -ing (a gerund)

• I am used to getting up at six.
• She is used to dealing with difficult clients.
• They were used to living in a busy city.

2. A noun

• He is used to the heat.
• We are used to long journeys.
• She wasn't used to criticism.

3. A pronoun

• Don't worry — I'm used to it.
• They had a strict manager, but they got used to him.

Using "Get Used to Doing Something"

There is an important variation: get used to doing something. While be used to describes a state (something already feels normal), get used to describes the process of becoming accustomed to something.

Think of it this way:

• Be used to = already familiar and comfortable
• Get used to = in the process of becoming familiar and comfortable

Examples:

• She is used to the commute. (It already feels completely normal.)
• She is getting used to the commute. (It is starting to feel more normal, but it is still a process.)
• I finally got used to the noise. (After some time, it became normal — past tense.)
• It took a while, but we got used to the new system.

"Get used to" in different tenses:

Tense	Example
Present Simple	I get used to new things quickly.
Present Continuous	I am getting used to the new office.
Past Simple	She got used to living abroad.
Future	You will get used to it eventually.
Perfect	He has never got used to cold weather.

Important Differences: "Be Used to" vs "Used to Do"

This is one of the most common areas of confusion. Be used to doing and used to do look very similar but have completely different meanings.

"Used to do" — past habits or past states

Used to + infinitive (base verb) describes something that happened regularly in the past but no longer happens. It is a fixed expression and cannot change tense (there is no "use to" in the present).

• I used to live in Paris. (I lived in Paris in the past, but I don't live there now.)
• She used to work night shifts. (She worked night shifts in the past, but she no longer does.)
• They used to walk to school. (A past habit that has stopped.)

"Be used to doing" — familiarity

Be used to + verb-ing describes something that feels familiar and normal. It can be used in any tense.

• I am used to living alone. (It feels normal for me now.)
• She was used to working night shifts. (Night shifts felt normal to her.)
• They are used to walking long distances. (Walking long distances feels normal for them.)

Side-by-Side Comparison:

Structure	Meaning	Example
used to + infinitive	Past habit or state (no longer true)	I used to drink a lot of coffee.
be used to + verb-ing	Something feels familiar / normal	I am used to drinking a lot of coffee.
get used to + verb-ing	The process of becoming familiar	I am getting used to drinking less coffee.

Common Mistakes

❌ I am used to work early in the morning.
✅ I am used to working early in the morning.
After be used to, always use the -ing form, not the infinitive.

❌ She use to eat spicy food now.
✅ She is used to eating spicy food now.
Used to + infinitive describes the past, not the present. For present familiarity, use be used to + verb-ing.

❌ He is use to the noise.
✅ He is used to the noise.
Always spell it used to, never use to in this structure.

❌ They used to living in London.
✅ They used to live in London.
Used to (for past habits) is followed by the infinitive, not the -ing form.

❌ I am used to it doing.
✅ I am used to doing it.
The word order must be: used to + verb-ing. The verb comes directly after used to.

❌ Are you used to wake up early?
✅ Are you used to waking up early?
In questions, the -ing form is still required after used to.

❌ She got used to it quickly and now she is get used to everything.
✅ She got used to it quickly and now she is used to everything.
Once the process is complete, use be used to, not get used to.

More Natural Examples in Context

Reading grammar rules in context can help you remember them more easily. Study these short situations:

Situation 1: Moving abroad

Marco moved from Italy to the United Kingdom six months ago. At first, the weather was terrible for him. He hated the rain and the cold. But now it feels completely normal.

• Marco wasn't used to the cold and rainy weather when he arrived.
• He slowly got used to the British climate.
• Now he is used to it and doesn't complain anymore.

Situation 2: A new job

Priya has just started working as a teacher. Standing in front of a class of thirty students feels very stressful.

• Priya isn't used to speaking in front of large groups.
• She is getting used to managing a classroom.
• Her colleague, who has taught for fifteen years, is used to everything.

Situation 3: Childhood habits (used to vs be used to)

• When I was a child, I used to eat a lot of sweets. (past habit — I don't do this now)
• Now I am used to eating healthily. (it feels normal for me)

Quick Reference: "Be Used to Doing" vs "Used to Do" vs "Get Used to Doing"

Expression	Form after it	Key Meaning	Tenses Available
used to	infinitive (base verb)	Past habit / state no longer true	Past only
be used to	verb-ing / noun / pronoun	Something is familiar / feels normal	Any tense
get used to	verb-ing / noun / pronoun	The process of becoming familiar	Any tense

Be Used to Doing Something: Quick Summary

Here are the key points to remember about be used to doing something:

• Be used to doing something means that something feels familiar, normal, and comfortable because of experience.
• The structure is: subject + be (am/is/are/was/were) + used to + verb-ing / noun / pronoun.
• After used to, always use the -ing form of a verb, a noun, or a pronoun — never the bare infinitive.
• Get used to doing something describes the process of becoming familiar with something.
• Used to do something (without be) is a completely different structure — it describes past habits that no longer happen, and it is followed by the infinitive, not -ing.
• Be used to can be used in any tense (present, past, future, perfect, etc.) by changing the form of be.

Now practise be used to doing something in the exercises below.