Be Used To Doing — The Difference Between Used To, Be Used To and Usually Explained Naturally
Welcome to Episode 23 of No Pressure English — a podcast for intermediate and advanced English learners.
In this episode, we tackle one of the most commonly confused grammar structures in English — be used to doing. Why is “to” a preposition here and not an infinitive? Why do we use the -ing form after it? And what is the difference between “I used to,” “I’m used to”, and “I usually”? Through natural real-life examples and the concept of collocations — words that are married to each other in English — this episode will help you finally understand this essential grammar structure with confidence.
What we’ll focus on today:
- Why we say “I’m used to doing” (NOT “to do”)
- The difference between past habits, normal situations, and daily routines
- How collocations (fixed combinations) work in English
- Why some words are “married” to each other—and how to recognise them
***Here is the free transcript for this week’s episode:
Episode 23: Used To vs Be Used To vs Usually (Advanced English Grammar Made Simple)
Hello, and welcome to this week’s episode of the podcast, No Pressure English with Kevin. This is episode number 23, and today we’re going to talk about a pet peeve of mine.
First of all, what is a pet peeve? Well, if you tuned in last week, you may remember, but I’m just going to give another definition here. A pet peeve is something small that annoys you, frustrates you, or just drives you nuts. The one I’ll focus on today is not a big one, but when I hear this mistake made by advanced students, I’m like, “Ugh, no. No… No.”
This is a very mild pet peeve. I don’t mind when beginner or intermediate students make this mistake, but as I said, when advanced students make it, it stands out. So it’s one of those small things that just bugs me a little bit. So today we’re going to look at it.
And before we get into it, a quick note. If you find the content of today’s episode confusing, that’s completely okay. You can always listen to another episode of this podcast, or any podcast in English, and come back to this one later if you’d like. The main goal here is to improve your listening and comprehension skills. If grammar stresses you out, which it can sometimes, give this one a miss. But if you think you might be making this mistake, then stick around.
And guys, just because we are focusing on a grammar structure here, I’m going to share the transcript of this episode in the description. So, I hotly recommend downloading it, or just accessing it, to see the structure itself. So, today we’re going to focus on the structure to be used to doing something. But before we get there, we need a bit of foundation.
In English, we have a lot of fixed combinations, or collocations. These are words that are kind of married to each other — you know, they always go together. And the truth is, native speakers don’t learn these by studying grammar rules. As a child, you absorb them naturally through repetition, just by hearing them again and again. And that idea is at the core of this podcast — listening to content without stressing yourself out, but trying to notice patterns and combinations.
So let’s look at some of these fixed combinations together.
I’m interested in football. I’m also interested in music. So our fixed combination is interested in here.
I’m tired of watching football — which seems counterintuitive. I’m tired of listening to the radio. They just play the same crap again and again. So I’m tired of it. So here, in this one, our fixed combination is tired of.
These are fixed combinations, as I said, and here’s the key rule. After a preposition — so we have in and of here — we use the -ing form. So, for example, I’m interested in going to the Oasis concert next year. And: I’m tired of watching football.
Okay, I think I’m just tired of staring at screens all day, or maybe I am tired of football. I don’t know, guys. But anyway — tired of watching.
Now, here’s where the confusion starts. When learners see to, they usually think of the infinitive — you know, to go, to eat, to travel. For example: I went to the shop to get some milk. Okay, I went to the shop in order to get some milk, to buy some milk. That’s correct. But sometimes to is not part of an infinitive. Sometimes to is a preposition. And when to is a preposition, we use the -ing form, not the infinitive.
For example: I was addicted to smoking cigarettes for years. Okay, so I was addicted to smoking. I was addicted to cigarettes — the noun — or I was addicted to smoking — the gerund. So, not addicted to smoke — that just sounds wrong. So: I was addicted to smoking.
Another one: I’m accustomed to working long hours. So it is normal for me to work long hours. I feel okay with it. It is familiar ground. Again, we have the preposition to and the -ing, or the gerund, working.
Now we come to the main structure: to be used to doing something. This follows the same pattern.
I am used to working long hours. She is used to speaking in English. They are used to living in a big city. They’re used to big city life.
Here, in this structure, used to behaves like a fixed combination — like those words are married to each other. And to is a preposition. So we use the -ing form.
So let’s be very clear, because this is where many students get confused. There are three very similar structures, but they’re used for different things. So let’s look at them.
The first one: I used to smoke. Okay, this is a past habit. It’s far, far away — it’s in a remote past. I used to smoke. It’s not true now.
Number two: I am used to working long hours. So it’s normal for me now. Maybe it wasn’t normal in the past, but it became normal for me.
The third structure: I usually eat three meals a day. This is just routine. Okay, this is my routine — these are* facts; this is a habit.
So these structures are different, and mixing them up can cause confusion. So we have the remote past: I used to smoke. I used to play video games — I don’t now. Then we have I am used to + -ing form. Okay, so this could be something that’s normal for me but maybe not normal for you, or something that I have adapted to.
For example: I’m used to living in a cold climate, but maybe you are not. So maybe you live somewhere nicer and warmer.
Or: I was used to working long hours. Now I have fewer hours. Okay, I don’t work such long days. So here I am contrasting my past situation with my present situation. I was used to working long hours, but now I have a normal day. It’s not too stressful.
So let’s look at some more examples of this specific structure.
During COVID, I was used to wearing a mask everywhere. I think we all were.
These days, I’m used to receiving a hell of a lot of emails. Okay, I think this is normal for most people, too. It just seems to have got out of control. Come on, it’s crazy, guys.
Most people are used to being contactable all the time. It doesn’t feel strange for people to contact us out of hours or at the weekend, which isn’t so cool either.
And a personal example: before 2019, I wasn’t used to hearing Italian all that much. I hadn’t lived in Italy at that point, and I just didn’t hear the language regularly. Now I’m used to hearing a lot of Italian. I usually listen to one podcast in Italian every day — that’s my habit. I’m used to feeling outside of my comfort zone when I speak in Italian. Okay, but that’s an important part of learning — to adapt and get used to that feeling, you know, to be outside of your comfort zone.
So let’s quickly look at a common mistake with this structure: I am used to do it. Okay, this is a mistake. The correct structure is: I am used to doing it. I am used to living in a cold climate. I am used to working long hours. I’m used to cooking for everyone in the family. So just remember that to here is a preposition, not an infinitive.
So, quick recap. After a preposition, use the -ing form. Used to, in this structure, follows that rule: to be used to doing something. Don’t confuse the past habit — I used to smoke, or I used to watch movies every evening — with our structure from today: to be used to. When we stress something that became normal, or something that is very familiar to us, and try not to mix that up with regular habits, you know, like I usually go to the cinema on Fridays or I usually eat breakfast before I go to work.
Okay, with our structure, when we say I am used to doing something, we are highlighting the fact that either it’s normal for us, or it was normal for us and maybe it’s not normal for the other person, or we’re comparing our present situation with our past situation — in the majority of cases.
That’s it for today, guys. This is a tricky structure, so I recommend listening to this episode again, especially if you’re an upper intermediate or advanced learner and you really want to nail this structure down and ensure that you don’t make this mistake in the future. Repetition helps reinforce what you already know. Take care, guys. Have a great week. Ciao. Ciao.
Comprehensive Glossary
Grammar Structures
used to + infinitive — A past habit or state that is no longer true. I used to smoke. (I don’t now.)
to be used to + -ing (gerund) — Something that is (or was) normal, familiar, or no longer surprising. I am used to working long hours.
usually + base verb — A current routine or regular habit. I usually eat three meals a day.
Preposition + -ing (gerund) — After any preposition (in, of, to, etc.), the verb must take the -ing form. I’m interested in going. I’m tired of watching.
Infinitive of purpose (in order to) — To + base verb used to explain why someone does something. I went to the shop to get some milk.
Contrasting past & present with was used to — Using the past form to compare a former normal with the current situation. I was used to working long hours, but now I have a normal day.
pet peeve — A minor thing that personally annoys or irritates you more than it might others.
to tune in — To listen to or watch a broadcast or podcast; to pay attention.
drives you nuts — Informal. Makes you feel annoyed or frustrated.
mild — Not strong or extreme; moderate.
it stands out — It is noticeably different or more obvious than the rest.
bugs me — Informal. Slightly annoys or bothers me.
comprehension — The ability to understand something, especially a spoken or written text.
give this one a miss — To choose to skip or avoid something.
stick around — Informal. To stay and wait; not to leave.
collocation — A pair or group of words that naturally and frequently appear together in a language (e.g. make a mistake, not do a mistake).
to absorb — To take in information or language naturally, without conscious effort.
repetition — Doing or hearing something many times over, which helps with learning.
counterintuitive — The opposite of what you would naturally expect or assume.
preposition — A word that shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and other words (e.g. in, of, to, at, on).
infinitive — The base form of a verb, usually with to (e.g. to go, to eat). Used to express purpose or follow certain verbs.
gerund — The -ing form of a verb used as a noun (e.g. Swimming is fun; I enjoy reading).
addicted to — Having a strong, compulsive need for something; unable to stop. Always followed by a noun or gerund.
accustomed to — Familiar with something through habit or experience; used to it. More formal than used to.
familiar ground — A situation or topic that you know well and feel comfortable with.
remote past — A point in the past that feels distant or long ago, no longer connected to the present.
to adapt — To change or adjust to new conditions or a new environment.
contactable — Able to be reached or contacted, e.g. by phone or email.
out of hours — Outside of normal working hours (e.g. evenings or weekends).
a hell of a lot — Informal. A very large amount of something.
got out of control — Became unmanageable or excessive.
comfort zone — The range of situations in which a person feels relaxed and confident; avoiding risk.
to nail something down — Informal. To fully master or secure something; to make it certain and solid.
to reinforce — To strengthen or support something, making it more solid or effective.
recap — A short summary of what has been said or covered; short for recapitulate.
***To read the subtitles for this episode, click the CC button in the top right corner of the video:
If you liked this episode of the podcast, here are some other episodes that you might find interesting:
https://nopressureenglish.com/podcast/episode-22-pet-peeves-in-english/
Some grammar exercises and further explanations for deeper exploration of the topic:
https://test-english.com/grammar-points/b1/usually-used-to-be-used-to-get-used-to/
