Level 5 Unit 6 - Used to. You will meet all the uses of "used to" in this exercise. 1 Passive of the verb "to use": Mini-buses are used to transport children to school. 2 Used to + an infinitive for a discontinued habit or situation in the past: I used to work for IBM. (I don't work there any more) I used to go jogging every day. (now I don't) John used to go out with Mary but now they hate each other. The negative and the question form is probably best as follows: We didn't use to have a car when we lived in Paris. Public transport there is excellent. Did you use to collect stamps when you were a boy? NB Don't confuse a habit in the present with a habit in the past: A habit in the present is indicated by the simple present tense: John smokes a pipe. (his present habit) He used to smoke cigarettes. (He stopped) Mary always wears green. (her current preference) She used to wear yellow. (now she doesn't because her boyfriend doesn't like it) 3 To be + used to + noun for an habituation, an adaptation to something, to be accustomed. Inuits are used to the cold. (They have had generations to adapt to the cold.) I couldn't sleep when I first moved into this flat but now I'm used to the noise. Hospital workers are used to the sight of blood. A verb can be used if you use the gerund (which is a sort of noun) Mary is used to driving in the city but Peter isn't. He always avoids it. Peter lived in Japan for a year so he's probably used to eating raw fish. One can talk about this kind of adaptation in any tense: We travelled allover the world and we were used to eating whatever was put before us. Mary is spoiled: she has always been used to getting whatever she wants! Do you still not like my perfume? I thought you would have been used to it by now! I hate the smell of cigarettes now. I suppose we were all used to it before when nearly everyone smoked everywhere. Negatives and questions are as you would expect: What sort of sleeping pills are you used to taking? Mary was sick at the party. She's not used to drinking so much. NB Don't confuse a habit with an habituation. It is quite possible to do something regularly but never to adapt: I used to get up at 5 o'clock every morning in my first job but early rising was never easy for me. It's just not in my nature. We used to eat rice pudding a lot but I always hated it. 4 To get used to something (once again with a noun or a gerund): To acquire an habituation, to become adapted, to grow accustomed: . A printing plant is terribly noisy: you have to get used to the noise if you work in one. Pierre thought he spoke English quite well until he went to Scotland. It took him months to get used to the Scottish accent. Our new teacher does things quite differently from the last but we are getting used to him now. Don't worry about the smell: You'll get used to it in no time. Close or reduce this window to continue the activity.