"Used to"
In general, when it comes to daily conversation it is not an exception that we sometimes have to talk about what we habitually did in the past and stop doing in the present or some other times to talk about the activities that we never did Ii n the past but we are doing it now. It is fine to use the first language or mother tongue to talk about this but it can be a big challenge for the second language learners to do this. This article will discuss in detail how to express the past habits that we no longer do in the present using ' used to'.
Use
In positive sentence " used to" is basically used to talk about the activities or routines or the thing we did regularly in the past and we no longer do it in the present. Fore example, I used to play games a lot when I was 10 years old. This literally means that in the past I played games regularly but now this routine is no longer true meaning I stop playing it.
In negative sentence " didn't use to" is, on the contrary, used to talk about the thing we did not do in the past but we do it in the present. For example, I didn't use to teach students using online platforms. This simply means that in the past I never used ok online teaching platforms to teacher the students but now I am using it.
Positive
Use: to talk about what we habitually did in the past and we no longer do in the present.
Sub + used to + base verb.
Examples
In the ancient time, people used to live in caves.
People used to travel using animals such as horses, camels and elephants in the past 300 years ago.
Teachers used to be very strict in the past.
People used to walk black and white movies.
Cambodian territory used to be large.
Negative
Use: to talk about what we did not do
Sub + didn't use to + base verb.
500 years ago, people didn't use to live in a flat.
People didn't use to travel by planes.
Food didn't use to contain chemicals.
Teachers didn't use to be nice.
I didn't use to use social medias when I was in high school in 2000.
Yes/ No question
Did + sub + base verb....?
Example
Did people use to travel in a plane 300 years ago?
Did she use to study with you at elementary school?
Did people use to live in caves during hurting and gathering society?
Did people use to use phones 100 years ago?
Did you use to cry a lot when you were a child?
Wh-question
Wh-word + did + sub + base verb .........?
Examples
What did people use to eat during hunting gathering society?
How did people use to travel 300 years ago?
What food did people use to eat for meals in the past 300 years?
Who did you use to play with when you were young?
Where did people use to live during the hunting gathering society?
Get used to
Use "get used to" is used to talk the process of getting familiar with, comfortable with or accustomed to something so that it is no longer unusual or surprising to us.
Positive
Sub + get used to /got used + sth /doing something.
Negative
Sub + don't / doesn't/didn't + get used to + something/doing something.
Example
It's always hard for us to get used to the food and cultures when we move to a new country.
Participial adjective can be a confusing lesson but if you get used to it, it is just a piece of cake.
Cambodian people don't get used to driving on the left.
Be used to
" Be used to" is used to talk about being comfortable familiar with, comfortable with or accustomed to something.
Positive : Sub + be + used to + something/doing something.
- I am not used to the cold temperature here in the USA.
- They are used to the food in our country now.
