[Grammar] Used to Vs Was used to?

[Christin93]

I cannot tell the difference between was used to and used to?
For e.x. Before she started cycling, she used to/was used to going to work by bus.

Thanks in advance,
Christin.

 

[Barb_D]

Hi,

"Used to" means it was a repeated habit or condition of the past. That is what you want in your sentence.

"Was used to" means that you were comfortable with/familiar with/accustomed to something. You "get used to something" in the process of achieving this comfort/familiarity.

It is hard to have a roommate because I was used to living alone.
I love having a roommate. I used to live alone but I never could get used to how quiet it was all the time.

 

[Christin93]

So in this case it would have been

Before she started cycling, she was used to going to work by bus.

 

[birdeen's call]

"Used to" is used with bare infinitives:

I used to ride horses.

This sentence means that I rode horses in the past I don't ride them anymore.

"To be used to something" means to be accustomed to it or familiar with it. We use nouns or gerunds after this phrase:

I am used to horses.

This sentence means that you are familiar with horses now.

I am used to riding horses.

This sentence means that you accustomed to riding horses now.

I was used to riding horses.

This sentence means that you were accustomed to riding horses in the past.

PS: I was writing this post so long that two new replies have been added since I started! I'll remove the first part.

 

[birdeen's call]

So in this case it would have been

Before she started cycling, she was used to going to work by bus.

This sentence is correct grammatically, but what do you think it means?

 

[Christin93]

Does it mean that she was familiar with going to work by bus?

 

[engee30]

Does it mean that she was familiar with going to work by bus?

:up: