Used to / Be used to / Get used to – English Grammar Exercises for B2
A conversation between partners/roommates about growing up in a loud, chaotic, and crowded family. Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence in the conversation.
1 “I grew up with five siblings, so I ______ the constant noise in the house. It honestly doesn’t bother me.”
(A) used to
(B) am use to
(C) am used to
(D) use to
2 “Before I moved out, my brothers and I ______ share a single bathroom every morning.”
(A) used to
(B) was used to
(C) are used to
(D) use to
3 “You think this apartment building is loud? Please, I ______ sleeping through people shouting in the hallway!”
(A) get used
(B) am used for
(C) used to
(D) am used to
4 “We ______ have much privacy when we were kids, so I genuinely don’t mind sharing a small room with you.”
(A) didn’t used to
(B) didn’t use to
(C) wasn’t used to
(D) haven’t used to
5 “Did you ______ fight with your sisters over the TV remote, or was it just my family?”
(A) used to
(B) get used to
(C) use to
(D) are used to
6 “Living alone was so weird for me at first, but I ______ the quietness eventually.”
(A) used to
(B) got use to
(C) was used to
(D) got used to
7 “My old roommate was an only child, so she ______ the chaos whenever my massive family came to visit.”
(A) doesn’t use to
(B) wasn’t used to
(C) didn’t used to
(D) wasn’t used for
8 “When I first moved in with you, I actually had to ______ having my very own closet.”
(A) be used to
(B) get used to
(C) got used to
(D) used to
9 “Our mom ______ cook massive meals every Sunday, which is probably why I always make too much food for just the two of us.”
(A) was used to
(B) used to
(C) use to
(D) got used to
10 “Don’t worry about playing your music loud. I ______ studying while the TV is blasting.”
(A) get used to
(B) used to
(C) am use to
(D) am used to
11 “It took my ex-boyfriend months to ______ eating dinner with ten people talking at once.”
(A) be used to
(B) get use to
(C) get used to
(D) used to
12 “Back in my childhood home, there ______ be a strict time limit for the shower every morning.”
(A) got used to
(B) was used to
(C) used to
(D) use to
13 “I ______ hand-me-down clothes, so buying brand new furniture for this apartment feels incredibly special to me.”
(A) used to
(B) was used
(C) am used for
(D) am used to
14 “My youngest brother ______ sleeping in the bottom bunk, so he currently hates his new separate bed.”
(A) uses to
(B) used to
(C) is used to
(D) got use to
15 “Having a completely silent morning coffee is something I don’t think I will ever ______.”
(A) be used to
(B) used to
(C) get used to
(D) get use to
16 “These heavy earmuffs ______ protect my dad’s ears when we were screaming as kids.”
(A) used to
(B) were used to
(C) got used to
(D) were use to
17 “What I find strangest about living with you is ______ having someone eat my leftovers without asking!”
(A) not used to
(B) didn’t use to
(C) not getting use to
(D) not being used to
18 “I ______ the mindset that if you don’t grab food fast, you go hungry. Old habits die hard!”
(A) so used to
(B) used to
(C) am so used for
(D) am so used to
19 “Growing up in a crowded house of eight, one quickly ______ ignoring a certain level of background chaos.”
(A) uses to
(B) gets used to
(C) is used for
(D) get use to
20 “I never ______ value absolute silence until I moved into this peaceful apartment with you.”
(A) was used to
(B) use to
(C) used to
(D) had used to
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) am used to
- Why it is correct: Describes a present state of being accustomed to something (the noise). It is followed by a noun phrase.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: “used to” implies a past habit, which doesn’t fit the present state of “it doesn’t bother me.” (B) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”. (D) Structural Error: Incorrect verb form entirely.
2 (A) used to
- Why it is correct: Describes a past habit (sharing a bathroom) that is no longer happening. It is followed by the base verb “share.”
- Distractor Analysis: (B) Structural Error: “was used to” must be followed by a V-ing form. (C) Meaning Trap: Wrong tense and requires a V-ing form. (D) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”.
3 (D) am used to
- Why it is correct: Indicates the current state of being familiar with a situation. It is followed by the V-ing form “sleeping.”
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Common Mistake: Missing the preposition “to”. (B) Meaning Trap: “used for” implies an object’s purpose, not personal familiarity. (C) Structural Error: “used to” requires a base verb.
4 (B) didn’t use to
- Why it is correct: The negative form of a past habit. Because the auxiliary “didn’t” is used, “use” drops the “d”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Common Mistake: Keeping the “d” after “didn’t”. (C) Structural Error: “wasn’t used to” requires a V-ing form, but the sentence has the base verb “have”. (D) Structural Error: Incorrect auxiliary verb.
5 (C) use to
- Why it is correct: The interrogative form of a past habit. The auxiliary “Did” requires the base verb “use”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Common Mistake: Keeping the “d” in a question with “Did”. (B) Meaning Trap: “get used to” means “become accustomed to,” which changes the meaning. (D) Structural Error: “are used to” requires a V-ing form.
6 (D) got used to
- Why it is correct: The Past Simple of “get used to” describes the completed process of adapting to the quietness.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: “used to” requires a base verb, but “quietness” is a noun. (B) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”. (C) Meaning Trap: “was used to” emphasizes a static state, whereas “eventually” points to the completion of a process.
7 (B) wasn’t used to
- Why it is correct: Describes a past state of being unfamiliar with the chaos. It is followed by a noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: Incorrect tense and structure. (C) Common Mistake: Using “didn’t” with a noun is grammatically incorrect for past habits. (D) Meaning Trap: Wrong meaning (“wasn’t utilized for”).
8 (B) get used to
- Why it is correct: After “had to,” you need the base verb. “Get used to” perfectly captures the required process of adapting to a new situation.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: “be used to” describes a state. “Had to” implies undergoing an active process of adaptation. (C) Structural Error: “had to” must be followed by a base verb, not “got”. (D) Structural Error: “used to” requires a base verb, not V-ing (“having”).
9 (B) used to
- Why it is correct: Describes a past habit of the mother cooking massive meals. Followed by the base verb “cook”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: “was used to” requires a V-ing form. (C) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”. (D) Structural Error: “got used to” requires a V-ing form.
10 (D) am used to
- Why it is correct: Describes the present state of being completely fine with studying in a loud environment. Followed by V-ing.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: “get used to” implies an ongoing process, but the speaker is already fully accustomed to it. (B) Structural Error: “used to” requires a base verb. (C) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”.
11 (C) get used to
- Why it is correct: “It took months to…” implies an extended process of adaptation, which calls for “get used to” in its base form following “to”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: “be used to” is static and doesn’t fit the dynamic process implied by “took months”. (B) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”. (D) Structural Error: “used to” requires a base verb, not “eating”.
12 (C) used to
- Why it is correct: Describes a past situation or state (there used to be a line).
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: Requires a V-ing form or noun. (B) Meaning Trap/Structural Error: “There was used to be” is grammatically incorrect. (D) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”.
13 (D) am used to
- Why it is correct: Describes the present state of being familiar with hand-me-down clothes (noun phrase).
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: “used to” requires a base verb. (B) Common Mistake: Missing the preposition “to”. (C) Meaning Trap: Wrong meaning (“utilized for”).
14 (C) is used to
- Why it is correct: Describes the youngest brother’s current accustomed state. Followed by the V-ing form “sleeping”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Common Mistake/Structural Error: Incorrect verb formation. (B) Structural Error: “used to” requires a base verb. (D) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”.
15 (C) get used to
- Why it is correct: The phrase “will ever” strongly pairs with “get used to” to emphasize whether the speaker will ever complete the process of adapting.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: “be used to” is less dynamic and natural than “get used to” when talking about future adaptation. (B) Structural Error: Missing the “get/be” auxiliary. (D) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”.
16 (B) were used to
- Why it is correct: STRONG DISTRACTOR. This is the Passive Voice of the verb “use”. The earmuffs WERE UTILIZED TO protect (Subject + be used + to-infinitive).
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: Earmuffs are inanimate objects and cannot have a “past habit”. (C) Meaning Trap: Earmuffs cannot “adapt” to a situation. (D) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”.
17 (D) not being used to
- Why it is correct: A Gerund phrase is needed here as the subject complement. The negative form of the gerund “being used to” is “not being used to”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: Missing the gerund “being”. (B) Meaning Trap: Wrong tense and structure; implies a past habit. (C) Common Mistake: Missing “being” and the “d”.
18 (D) am so used to
- Why it is correct: The speaker is currently very accustomed to a specific concept (“the mindset”, which is a noun).
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Common Mistake: Missing the “to be” verb (“am”). (B) Structural Error: “used to” requires a base verb. (C) Meaning Trap: “used for” is entirely wrong in meaning.
19 (B) gets used to
- Why it is correct: The indefinite pronoun “one” acts as a third-person singular subject. The sentence describes the general process of adapting (“gets used to”).
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: Incorrect formation for a habit. (C) Meaning Trap: Wrong meaning (“utilized for”). (D) Common Mistake: Subject-verb agreement error (missing ‘s’ on get) and missing ‘d’ on use.
20 (C) used to
- Why it is correct: A past habit heavily emphasized by the negative adverb “never”. Because “didn’t” is not used, “used” keeps the “d”. Followed by the base verb “value”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: “was used to” requires a V-ing form. (B) Common Mistake: Many learners mistakenly drop the “d” after “never” (thinking it acts like “didn’t”). (D) Structural Error: Past perfect is incorrect here.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
When talking about familiarity or endurance in a specific environment (like a loud, crowded family):
- Be used to + Noun / V-ing: * Function: Shows that you already have a high tolerance for something. It is normal to you.
- Example: I am used to the noise. (It doesn’t bother me; it is my normal state).
- Get used to + Noun / V-ing: * Function: Focuses on the process of building that tolerance.
- Example: It took me years to get used to the quietness. (The transition was a struggle).
- Used to + Base Verb: * Function: Refers to an old reality of your upbringing that no longer happens.
- Example: We used to share a room. (Now we don’t).
- Grammar Trap: When you say “I never used to care about noise,” remember to KEEP the “d” on “used” because “never” does not act like the auxiliary “didn’t”.