Are you unsure about when to use used to do vs used to doing?
These phrases are commonly confused in English because of uncertainty over the different ways we use ‘used to’, so let’s take a look at what they mean and how to use them correctly.
Used to do vs Used to doing: What’s the difference?
We use the phrase ‘used to’ in several ways in English:
| Phrase | Use/meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Used to do | Describes an action that happened in the past but not anymore | I used to love watching movies in the theater, but now I prefer streaming them at home. |
| Be used to (doing) | Be accustomed to; be familiar with | I am used to seeing my favorite team lose the game. |
| Be used to do | Describes the purpose or function of something in the passive voice | This detergent is used to remove tough stains. |
The first two uses are more common than the third, which is very specific in nature and often excluded from explanations about used to do and used to doing. Still, they are all worth understanding.
Now, let’s take a closer look at used to do vs used to doing, including some common mistakes that people make with these expressions.
Used to do
When you say you used to do something, it means you did that thing over a period of time in the past, but you don’t do it anymore.
Used to can also be used with stative verbs (like ‘be’) to talk about a state or condition that applied for a period of time in the past. For example:
- I used to eat fast food every day but then I decided to get in shape.
- She used to play tennis professionally but she had to stop when she broke her wrist.
- I used to be very hardworking but I’ve become lazier as I’ve gotten older.
In these examples, we have added some extra information to contrast the past with the present. However, this isn’t always necessary because by using ‘used to’ you are implying that something has changed. So, the following sentences are also correct:
- I used to have a large collection of soft toys. (Implication: you don’t have the collection anymore)
- They used to be really good friends. (Implication: they aren’t good friends anymore)
See also: Any more vs anymore
Remember that ‘used to do’ is used for things that happened or were true for a period of time or on a recurring basis in the past, not for one-off events.
For example, if you say “My aunt used to take me to the beach,” it suggests that you went to the beach with her on a regular basis over a period of time – not just once.
Related: What’s the difference between recurring and reoccurring?
Be used to doing something
To be used to doing something means to be accustomed to doing something; to consider it normal. For example:
- I am used to working in a fast-paced environment.
- We’re used to sitting in traffic on the way to work every day.
- He’s used to getting up at 6am on Saturdays for basketball practice.
- They are not used to having people over for dinner.
We can use be used to followed by a noun in the same way:
- I am used to the noise from the road outside my office; it hardly bothers me.
- She is not used to spicy food.
If talking about the past or future, we can use get used to doing:
- After about 2 years of living in Malaysia, I got used to being hot all the time.
- When do you think you will get used to living in your new house?
See also: What is the difference between will and going to?
Forming sentences with ‘used to’ (and avoiding mistakes)
Let’s just recap these two common ways to form a sentence with ‘used to’:
SUBJECT + USED TO + BASE VERB
E.g. I used to live in Paris.
SUBJECT + ‘BE’ + USED TO + GERUND [-ING] VERB
E.g. I am used to living in a big city.
English learners often mix these up, resulting in incorrect sentences such as:
- I am used to live in Paris. (INCORRECT)
- I used to living in Paris. (INCORRECT)
In these examples, without any context, it is impossible to know whether the speaker is telling us that a) they lived in Paris in the past but now live elsewhere, or; b) they currently live in Paris and have become accustomed to living there.
It can be the TO + ING structure that causes confusion, because we are taught that an infinitive (‘to’ verb) takes the base form, not the gerund (ing) form. In other words, we say “I like to swim” not “I like to swimming”.
In ‘used to’, the word ‘to’ acts as a preposition and not part of an infinitive, so it does not contracdict this rule.
Another mistake is to try changing the tense of ‘used to do’. This is a specific construction only used in the simple past tense.
- I used to go to the beach every day. (CORRECT)
- I was used to go to the beach every day. (INCORRECT – the sentence above already uses the past tense)
- I use to go to the beach every day. (INCORRECT – say “I go to the beach every day” to talk about the present.)
Common phrases with used to do or used to doing
Let’s take a look at some example sentences with ‘used to’ in common constructions:
Be used to doing or used to do?
There is one context where we could use ‘be used to do’, and this is when using the passive voice to describe the purpose or function of something, usually in the third person. For example:
- The mop is used to clean the floor.
- This computer is used to enter data.
These use cases can be identified by switching ‘used to do’ to ‘used for doing’, e.g. “The mop is used for cleaning the floor.”
Otherwise, it’s ‘be used to doing’ to describe being familiar with something. For example: “I am used to spotting other people’s grammatical errors; it’s part of my job.”
Get used to do or doing?
There is one specific use of ‘get used to do’, which is to describe what something is used for.
- That cloth gets used to clean the car.
- Those old curtains get used to make play forts.
Again, you could change this to ‘get used for doing’ and it’s unlikely you’ll come across this construction very often.
It’s more common to use ‘get used to doing’, to describe the process of becoming accustomed to or familiar with something. E.g. “Have you got used to walking up all those stairs to your new apartment?”
I am used to do or used to doing?
Although ‘I am used to do’ could theoretically be correct in certain sentences, suggesting someone is using you for something, it’s far more likely that ‘I am used to doing’ is the correct construction. This means you are accustomed to doing something, as in “I am used to driving in heavy traffic.”
Conclusion
There is quite a lot to unpack in the matter of used to do vs used to doing, but we hope this article has helped clear things up.
Next, you might want to explore some other word pairs that suffer from a similar problem:
We have plenty of articles about other easily confused words, too, so keep browsing to improve your English!
