Used to / Be used to / Get used to – English Grammar Exercises for B2
An experienced expat is reassuring a colleague who is preparing to move to Japan and feeling anxious about the upcoming cultural and language barriers.
Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence in the conversation.
1 “Please don’t panic. I ______ feel exactly as overwhelmed as you do right now before my first posting in Tokyo.”
(A) use to
(B) was used to
(C) used to
(D) get use to
2 “I know the language barrier seems impossible right now, but trust me, you ______ it much faster than you think.”
(A) will be used to
(B) will get used to
(C) will used to
(D) will get use to
3 “Nowadays, I ______ bowing instead of shaking hands when I greet clients. It feels completely natural to me.”
(A) used to
(B) am use to
(C) am used to
(D) am used for
4 “Before I moved here, I ______ eat raw fish at all, but now sushi is my absolute favorite lunch!”
(A) didn’t used to
(B) wasn’t used to
(C) haven’t used to
(D) didn’t use to
5 “Did you ______ worry this much about making cultural faux pas when you first moved to Osaka?”
(A) used to
(B) use to
(C) get used to
(D) are used to
6 “It might take a few weeks to ______ navigating the complex Tokyo subway system, but it will soon become second nature.”
(A) get used to
(B) be used to
(C) get use to
(D) used to
7 “Since Japanese locals ______ living in relatively compact apartments, you won’t find many massive houses for rent.”
(A) used to
(B) are use to
(C) are used to
(D) got used to
8 “It feels weird at first, but I promise you ______ taking your shoes off before entering a house.”
(A) will have used to
(B) will be used for
(C) will get use to
(D) will get used to
9 “Right now, you simply ______ the intense corporate work culture, which is why it sounds so intimidating to you.”
(A) aren’t used to
(B) didn’t use to
(C) don’t get used to
(D) aren’t use to
10 “There ______ be many English-speaking expats in my specific neighborhood, so I had to learn conversational Japanese quickly.”
(A) didn’t used to
(B) didn’t use to
(C) wasn’t used to
(D) haven’t used to
11 “I was terrified of driving on the left side of the road, but surprisingly, I ______ it after just three days.”
(A) was used to
(B) used to
(C) got used to
(D) got use to
12 “Make sure you pack plenty of warm layers if you ______ freezing winters, as Hokkaido gets incredibly cold.”
(A) are not used to
(B) didn’t use to
(C) don’t use to
(D) not getting used to
13 “The business card exchange etiquette seems overly complicated now, but you ______ it eventually.”
(A) will completely be used to
(B) completely used to
(C) will completely get use to
(D) will completely get used to
14 “Honestly, the hardest part for me was ______ the incredibly strict trash sorting rules in my district.”
(A) get used to
(B) getting used to
(C) being used to
(D) getting use to
15 “Don’t forget that specific honorifics ______ show respect to your superiors in the workplace, so learning them is mandatory.”
(A) used to
(B) are use to
(C) are used to
(D) get used to
16 “I ______ the high cost of fresh fruit here for months, and I still flinch when I see a ten-dollar melon.”
(A) have been getting used to
(B) am used to
(C) have used to
(D) had used to
17 “The absolute silence on the commuter trains is deafening at first, but I promise you will ______.”
(A) get used to
(B) use to it
(C) be used for it
(D) get used to it
18 “I ______ appreciate the bitter taste of matcha green tea, but now I cannot start my morning without it.”
(A) never use to
(B) was never used to
(C) never used to
(D) haven’t used to
19 “When you start the new role, you will quickly have to get used to ______ long hours, as staying late is a sign of dedication.”
(A) work
(B) working
(C) have worked
(D) be working
20 “I ______ think I would never ______ living so far away from my family, but Japan truly feels like home now.”
(A) used to / get used to
(B) use to / am used to
(C) used to / used to
(D) was used to / get use to
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) used to
- Why it is correct: Describes a past state or habit (feeling overwhelmed) that is no longer true for the speaker. Followed by the base verb “feel”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”. (B) Meaning Trap: “was used to” implies the speaker was accustomed to feeling overwhelmed, which doesn’t fit the context of a past phase they outgrew. (D) Structural Error.
2 (B) will get used to
- Why it is correct: “Will get used to” acts as a strong reassurance about the future. It promises that the process of adapting to the language barrier will happen successfully.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: “will be used to” describes a static future state, whereas “faster than you think” highlights the speed of the process of getting there. (C) Structural Error: Cannot use a past tense verb after “will”. (D) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”.
3 (C) am used to
- Why it is correct: “Be used to + V-ing” (bowing) describes a current, comfortable state of familiarity.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: “used to” implies a past habit that stopped, contradicting “Nowadays”. (B) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”. (D) Structural Error: “used for” means “utilized for”.
4 (D) 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”. Followed by the base verb “eat”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Common Mistake: Keeping the “d” after “didn’t”. (B) Structural Error: “wasn’t used to” requires a V-ing form (“eating”). (C) Structural Error: “haven’t” is not the correct auxiliary.
5 (B) use to
- Why it is correct: The interrogative (question) form of a past habit. The auxiliary “Did” requires the base verb “use” (without ‘d’).
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Common Mistake: Keeping the “d” in a question with “Did”. (C) Meaning Trap: Asks about the process of adapting, rather than asking if they had a habit of worrying in the past. (D) Structural Error: Requires a V-ing form.
6 (A) get used to
- Why it is correct: The phrase “take a few weeks to” indicates a dynamic process of adaptation. “Get used to” is followed by the V-ing form “navigating”.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) Meaning Trap: “be used to” describes a static state, which clashes with the active transition implied by “take a few weeks to”. (C) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”. (D) Structural Error: Requires a base verb.
7 (C) are used to
- Why it is correct: Describes a general, current state of familiarity for the Japanese locals. Followed by the V-ing form “living”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: Implies they no longer live in compact apartments. (B) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”. (D) Meaning Trap: Focuses on a past process of adapting, rather than their current, established cultural norm.
8 (D) will get used to
- Why it is correct: A future reassurance promising that the listener will successfully adapt to the new custom (followed by V-ing “taking”).
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: Incorrect grammatical structure. (B) Structural Error: “utilized for”. (C) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”.
9 (A) aren’t used to
- Why it is correct: “Be not used to + Noun phrase” explains the colleague’s current state of unfamiliarity with the work culture.
- Distractor Analysis: (B) Meaning Trap: Refers to a past habit, missing the point about their current anxiety. (C) Structural Error: “don’t get used to” sounds like a command not to adapt. (D) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”.
10 (B) didn’t use to
- Why it is correct: Describes a negative past reality (there did not exist a habit/state of expats being there).
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Common Mistake: Keeping the “d” after “didn’t”. (C) Structural Error: “wasn’t used to” requires a V-ing form. (D) Structural Error.
11 (C) got used to
- Why it is correct: The phrase “after just three days” highlights a rapidly completed process in the past. Therefore, the past tense of “get used to” is perfect.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: “was used to” implies the state was already there, ignoring the transition mentioned (“was terrified… but then…”). (B) Structural Error: “used to” requires a base verb. (D) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”.
12 (A) are not used to
- Why it is correct: A conditional statement (“if you…”) warning about a current lack of familiarity with freezing winters (Noun phrase).
- Distractor Analysis: (B) Meaning Trap: A past habit doesn’t dictate this present condition. (C) Structural Error: “don’t use to” is grammatically invalid for present states. (D) Structural Error.
13 (D) will completely get used to
- Why it is correct: The ultimate phrase of reassurance. The adverb “eventually” points to the successful completion of an ongoing process (get used to).
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: “be used to” is static and doesn’t pair as naturally with “eventually” (which implies finishing a journey/process) as “get used to” does. (B) Structural Error: Requires a base verb. (C) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”.
14 (B) getting used to
- Why it is correct: A Gerund phrase is needed to act as the subject complement after the verb “was”. Therefore, “get” becomes “getting”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: Cannot use a base verb immediately after “was” in this structure. (C) Meaning Trap: The challenge was the active process of adapting (getting), not just the static state of being adapted (being). (D) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”.
15 (C) are used to
- Why it is correct: STRONG DISTRACTOR (The Passive Voice Trap). Honorifics are linguistic tools; they do not have habits. They ARE UTILIZED TO show respect (Subject + be used + to-infinitive).
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Meaning Trap: Words cannot have past habits. (B) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”. (D) Meaning Trap: Words cannot adapt.
16 (A) have been getting used to
- Why it is correct: The Present Perfect Continuous tense emphasizes an ongoing struggle to adapt that started in the past (“for months”) and is still continuing (“still flinch”).
- Distractor Analysis: (B) Meaning Trap: “am used to” means fully accustomed, which completely contradicts “I still flinch”. (C) Structural Error. (D) Structural Error.
17 (D) get used to it
- Why it is correct: The preposition “to” must have an object when finishing a sentence in this structure. “It” replaces “the silence”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Structural Error: Missing the object pronoun; you cannot end the sentence with a dangling preposition here. (B) Common Mistake: Missing “get/be” and the “d”. (C) Meaning Trap: “utilized for it”.
18 (C) never used to
- Why it is correct: A negative past habit emphasizing that the speaker did not appreciate matcha in the past. Since the auxiliary “didn’t” is absent, “used” keeps its “d”. Followed by the base verb “appreciate”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Common Mistake: Missing the “d”. (B) Structural Error: “was never used to” requires a V-ing form. (D) Structural Error.
19 (B) working
- Why it is correct: In the structure “get used to”, the word “to” is a preposition, not an infinitive marker. Therefore, it must be followed by a gerund (V-ing).
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Common Mistake: Treating “to” as an infinitive and using the base verb. (C) Structural Error. (D) Structural Error.
20 (A) used to / get used to
- Why it is correct: The first blank is a past habit (“I used to think”). The second blank describes a future adaptation process following the modal “would never” (“get used to living”).
- Distractor Analysis: (B) Common Mistake/Structural Error: Missing the “d” in the first blank; incorrect tense in the second. (C) Meaning Trap: The second blank describes a process, not a past habit. (D) Structural Error.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
When supporting someone moving abroad or facing a major life change, this grammar point is your best friend:
- The Promise of Adaptation: Use Will get used to + Noun / V-ing.
- Function: This structure acts as a promise. It acknowledges that things are hard now, but guarantees that the process of adapting will happen in the future.
- Example: “Don’t worry, you will get used to the food.” (It’s a process, and you will conquer it).
- Validating Current Struggles: Use Be not used to + Noun / V-ing.
- Function: Validates why someone is currently stressed—they simply lack familiarity right now.
- Example: “It’s okay to feel tired; you aren’t used to the time zone yet.”
- Showing Empathy Through Experience: Use Used to + Base Verb.
- Function: Builds rapport by showing you also had flaws or fears in the past that you have since overcome.
- Example: “I used to get lost every day!”
- Golden Rule: If you say “didn’t” or ask “did you”, always drop the “d” (e.g., didn’t use to).
- The “To” Trap: Always remember that in be used to and get used to, the word “to” is a preposition. If a verb follows it, it must wear an -ing hat (Gerund).
- Example: Get used to working (NOT work).