When and how is ‘to be/get used to …’ employed? (Explanation)

In English, using to be used to or to get used to can express that something is not new or unfamiliar. There is one pitfall that an English learner may encounter in terms of grammar: if a verb follows this expression, note that it must be in the ing-form (gerund) instead of the infinitive, i.e., the base form of the verb being employed. Compare the specific ways of utilization in detail:

• Use of ‘to be/get used to’ with pronouns and nouns:
  • Pronoun: “The weather is very hot, but I am used to it.”
    • In this sentence, the speaker expresses that the heat is nothing new to him.
  • Noun: “That’s good, but I still have to get used to the climate.”
    • Here, the person shows that he is not familiar with the climate.
• Usage of ‘to be/get used to’ with verbs. Remember to use the ing-form or gerund in this case:
  • “Tim and Peter work very hard. They are used to working very hard.”
  • “When I moved to England, I got used to drinking tea.”
• Be careful: The two phrases ‘to be/get used to’ and ‘used to do’ are similar but have different meanings. To find out the particularities, see the explanation of ‘used to’. Compare: