Used to vs. Be/Get used to – English Grammar Exercises for B2
Read the following excerpts from a university professor’s opening lecture on academic research methodology. The professor is comparing how students conduct research today with how it was done in the past. Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence. Pay close attention to whether the sentence describes an obsolete past reality, a current ingrained habit, or the process of adapting.
1 “Twenty years ago, my undergraduate students ______ hours in the physical library, searching through dusty archives for a single relevant journal article.”
(A) were used to spending
(B) got used to spend
(C) used to spend
(D) use to spend
2 “Today’s generation of university students ______ instant access to millions of peer-reviewed papers with just a few keystrokes on their laptops.”
(A) used to have
(B) are used to having
(C) are used to have
(D) get used to having
3 “When I was completing my PhD in the 1990s, we ______ digital search engines to instantly scan a 500-page book for specific keywords.”
(A) didn’t use to have
(B) didn’t used to have
(C) weren’t used to having
(D) don’t use to have
4 “As first-year students, you currently rely heavily on Wikipedia. However, by your senior year, I guarantee you ______ proper academic databases like JSTOR and PubMed.”
(A) will get used to navigating
(B) will used to navigate
(C) will be used to navigate
(D) get used to navigate
5 “I often ask my retired colleagues: ______ physical index cards to manually organize all your citations before software like EndNote was invented?”
(A) Did you used to write
(B) Were you used to write
(C) Do you use to write
(D) Did you use to write
6 “It is quite frustrating to grade some modern essays because many students clearly ______ reading entire books; they prefer to just skim digital summaries.”
(A) are not used to
(B) didn’t use to
(C) don’t get used to
(D) aren’t used for
7 “Before our department transitioned to digital grading, I ______ carry heavy stacks of printed dissertations home every weekend.”
(A) was used to
(B) used to
(C) got used to
(D) use to
8 “Even as an older, traditional academic, I must admit that I ______ electronic submissions. They are infinitely easier to organize than loose paper copies.”
(A) used to receive
(B) have used to receive
(C) have got used to receiving
(D) got used to receive
9 “This new cohort of freshmen ______ AI tools to brainstorm preliminary research topics, a practice that was completely unheard of just five years ago.”
(A) used to utilize
(B) is used to utilizing
(C) is used to utilize
(D) uses to utilize
10 “The university has just introduced a much stricter, AI-driven plagiarism detection system. To be honest, both the faculty and the students ______ its incredibly high sensitivity.”
(A) are still getting used to
(B) are still used to
(C) still used to
(D) are still get used to
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) used to spend
Explanation:
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Used to + base verb” describes a past habit or situation (spending hours in the physical library) that is no longer true today. It perfectly establishes the contrast with modern digital research.
- Error Analysis: (A) were used to spending is a Meaning Trap. It means “they were accustomed to it,” which weakens the professor’s point about a broken, extinct era of research. (B) got used to spend is a Structural Error (missing the -ing form). (D) use to spend is a Spelling Error (missing the ‘d’).
2 (B) are used to having
Explanation:
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Are used to + V-ing” describes a current state of being completely accustomed to something. For modern students, having instant digital access is their normal, everyday reality.
- Error Analysis: (A) used to have is the Common Mistake, which would mean they had instant access in the past but do not have it anymore. (C) are used to have is a Structural Error (requires a gerund/V-ing). (D) get used to having focuses on the process of adapting, but the professor is stating this as an already established fact for this generation.
3 (A) didn’t use to have
Explanation:
- Why it’s correct (The Key): To express a negative past reality (something that did not exist or was not a habit), we use “didn’t use to + base verb”.
- Error Analysis: (B) didn’t used to have is the Common Mistake (double past tense; ‘did’ already indicates the past, so ‘use’ must drop the ‘d’). (C) weren’t used to having is a Meaning Trap (implies the engines existed, but the professors just weren’t comfortable using them yet, which is historically false). (D) don’t use to have is a Tense Error.
4 (A) will get used to navigating
Explanation:
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Get used to + V-ing” describes the process of adapting. The professor is predicting that the students will successfully undergo the transition of learning complex databases by their senior year.
- Error Analysis: (B) will used to navigate is the Common Mistake (mixing the future ‘will’ with the past form ‘used to’). (C) will be used to navigate is a passive Structural Trap (missing the -ing). (D) get used to navigate is a Structural Error.
5 (D) Did you use to write
Explanation:
- Why it’s correct (The Key): To ask a question about an obsolete past routine (writing on physical index cards), the correct formula is “Did + subject + use to + base verb”.
- Error Analysis: (A) Did you used to write is the Common Mistake (retaining the ‘d’ after the past auxiliary ‘did’). (B) Were you used to write is a Structural Error (requires V-ing) and a Meaning Trap. (C) Do you use to write is a Tense Error.
6 (A) are not used to
Explanation:
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Are not used to + V-ing / Noun” perfectly describes the students’ current state of being unaccustomed to or uncomfortable with long-form reading.
- Error Analysis: (B) didn’t use to is the Common Mistake, misapplying the past habit structure to explain a current lack of capability. (C) don’t get used to is a Tense/Meaning Error. (D) aren’t used for uses the wrong preposition (‘for’ instead of ‘to’).
7 (B) used to
Explanation:
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Used to + base verb (carry)” contrasts the old, physical workflow with the new digital reality. It highlights a burden that the professor no longer has to deal with.
- Error Analysis: (A) was used to is a Meaning Trap and Structural Error (it must be followed by V-ing, not the base verb ‘carry’). (C) got used to focuses on the process of adapting to the heavy papers, missing the nostalgic “dead habit” context. (D) use to is a spelling error.
8 (C) have got used to receiving
Explanation:
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The Present Perfect form “have got used to + V-ing” beautifully shows that over a period of time, the older professor has successfully completed the process of adapting to a new technology and now accepts it.
- Error Analysis: (A) used to receive is the Common Mistake, which would mean the professor used to receive electronic submissions but doesn’t anymore. (B) have used to receive is a Structural Error (missing ‘got’ or ‘been’, and missing the -ing). (D) got used to receive is a Structural Error (missing the -ing).
9 (B) is used to utilizing
Explanation:
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Is used to + V-ing” shows that for the incoming freshmen, using AI is already a comfortable, established norm.
- Error Analysis: (A) used to utilize is the Common Mistake, placing the action entirely in the past, contradicting “freshmen” and “unheard of 5 years ago.” (C) is used to utilize is a Structural Error (missing the -ing). (D) uses to utilize is a severe grammatical error.
10 (A) are still getting used to
Explanation:
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Are getting used to” describes an active, ongoing process of adaptation. Because the software was “just introduced,” neither the staff nor the students have fully adapted yet; they are currently in the transition phase.
- Error Analysis: (B) are still used to is a Meaning Trap (contradicts the context; if it was just introduced, they cannot already be fully accustomed to it). (C) still used to is a Tense Error (refers to a dead past habit). (D) are still get used to is a Structural Error (needs the continuous ‘getting’).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
When discussing changes in technology, workflows, or academic methods at the B2/C1 level, mastering the nuances of “used to” is essential for accuracy:
1 The Obsolete Era: Used to + Base Verb
- Function: Use this to describe how research or work was done before modern technology existed. It emphasizes that this method is dead and completely replaced.
- Example: “We used to rely on encyclopedias.” (We don’t anymore).
- Rule Check: Remember to drop the ‘d’ in negatives and questions: We didn’t use to / Did you use to?
2 The New Normal: Be used to + V-ing / Noun
- Function: Use this to describe the current state of affairs. It indicates that a modern tool or digital habit is now completely normal, obvious, and comfortable for the user.
- Example: “Modern students are used to finding answers in seconds.” (It is their established reality).
3 The Ongoing Transition: Get used to + V-ing / Noun
- Function: Use this to highlight the process of adapting to a new tool or strict rule. It is perfect for describing the growing pains of transitioning from old methods to new ones.
- Example: “The faculty is getting used to the new grading software.” (They are currently learning and adapting to it).