USED TO

Se trata de la forma de pasado regular del verbo to use y hace referencia a hbitos
pasados, que no continan en el presente:
When I was at school, I used to wear a uniform.
i!aros que esta e"presi#n se utili$a acompa%ada por un segundo verbo en infinitivo
&wear' y que indica la acci#n que constitu(a el hbito.
)omo se trata de un verbo, en las preguntas y las frases negativas se utili$a la forma de
infinitivo:
*id you use to wear a uniform at school+
,o, I didn-t use to wear a uniform.
Importante:
Used to solamente se utili$a para hablar de hbitos en el pasado. .or lo tanto, no es
correcto decir Im used to wake up early. .ara hablar de hbitos presentes, normalmente
utili$amos el present simple:
I usually wa/e up early.
BE USED TO
0n este caso, se trata del ad!etivo used &acostumbrado'. 1a e"presi#n hace referencia a
hbitos presentes, situaciones a las que estamos acostumbrados:
I-m a teacher. I-m used to wor/ing with young people.
i!aros que el ad!etivo used tiene una preposici#n obligatoria &to' y el verbo que le sigue
tiene la forma de gerundio &working'.
)omo se trata de un ad!etivo, su forma no cambia en las frases interrogativas o
negativas:
2re you used to wor/ing with young people+
,o, I-m not used to wor/ing with young people.
GET USED TO
0sta e"presi#n contiene tambi3n el ad!etivo used &acostumbrado', pero su significado es
ligeramente diferente del de be used to. Se trata de emfati$ar un cambio de hbitos que
requiere un cierto esfuer$o.
When I arrived in Spain, I had to get used to having lunch late.
I haven-t got used to not having a car anymore.
i!aros que en este caso tambi3n tenemos una preposici#n obligatoria &to' y un segundo
verbo en la forma de gerundio.
Used To
FORM
4used to 5 60789
0"ample:
I used to go to the beach every day.
It is better not to use :used to: in questions or negative forms; however, this is
sometimes done in informal spo/en 0nglish. It is better to as/ questions and create
negative sentences using Simple .ast.
USE 1 Habit in the Past
:<sed to: e"presses the idea that something was an old habit that stopped in the past. It
indicates that something was often repeated in the past, but it is not usually done now.
0"amples:
=erry used to study 0nglish.
Sam and >ary used to go to >e"ico in the summer.
I used to start wor/ at ? o@cloc/.
)hristine used to eat meat, but now she is a vegetarian.
USE 2 Past Facts and Generai!ations
:<sed to: can also be used to tal/ about past facts or generali$ations which are no
longer true.
0"amples:
I used to i"e in .aris.
Sarah used to be #at, but now she is thin.
Aeorge used to be the best student in class, but now 1ena is the best.
Branges used to cost very little in lorida, but now they are quite e"pensive.
$Used to$ "s% Si&'e Past
8oth Simple .ast and :<sed to: can be used to describe past habits, past facts and past
generali$ations; however, :used to: is preferred when emphasi$ing these forms of past
repetition in positive sentences. Bn the other hand, when as/ing questions or ma/ing
negative sentences, Simple .ast is preferred.
0"amples:
Cou used to 'ay the piano.
Did you 'ay the piano when you were young+
Cou did not 'ay the piano when you were young.
()T*+E , P(SS*+E
0"amples:
=erry used to 'ay the bills. Active
Dhe bills used to be 'aid by =erry. Passive