Lesson 42 used to live / be used to living
Choose the correct answers:
- Almer and Angie __________ (used to live, used to living) in a warm country, but now they are going to spend their first winter in Chicago.
- Paula has been living in Chicago for six years. Now she has become __________ (used to drive, used to driving) in snow.
- How long does it usually take most people to grow __________ (used to live, used to living) in a totally different climate?
Explain:
used to + base verb:
It means a regular activity or situation in the past and is no longer true in the present. It is used only in the past tense.
be/get/become/grow + used to + verb-ing:
It means “adapt to”. It can be used in different tenses. In this sense, “used to ” can be replaced by “accustomed to”.
Besides the difference in meaning, another way to tell them apart is to check the other parts surrounding “used”. In the first case, “used” is the only verb followed by “to + base verb”. In the second case, there is a verb before “used” and “to + verb-ing” follows it.
- In Sentence #1, Alma and Angie lived in a warm country in the past, but they no longer live there.
- In Sentence #2, Paula has adapted herself to driving in snow. Now it is not a problem for her to drive in snow.
- In Sentence #3, How long does it take people to adapt to living in a different climate? How long does it take people to feel comfortable living in a different climate?
Review:
- I never __________ (used to eat, used to eating) cheese in my country, so I will never get __________ (used to eat, used to eating) it even though I am now living in the United States.
- My brother is a fast learner. In short six months, he has become __________ (used to communicate, used to communicating) naturally in English.
- I __________ (used to take, used to taking) the bus to school. After I got my driver’s license, I began to drive myself. I felt a bit nervous in the beginning, but now I am __________ (used, to drive, used to driving).
Answers:
used to live; used to driving; used to living
used to eat; used to eating; used to communicating; used to take; used to driving
