TO USE…USED…USED TO

..…ACCUSTOMED TO.....

TO USE

is a regular verb that presents no problems. It acts like a normal verb in all its tenses. You should note that the sound of the ‘s’ in the verb is ‘z’,  but in the noun, ‘the use’ it has the normal ‘s’ sound.

The simple past and past participle of ‘to use’ is ‘used’. As this word does not end in –TED or –DED the ‘e’ is silent. Phonetically it is iuzd and not iuzed. See The Letter E

For example:

Simple past tense:

The butcher used a knife to cut the meat.

She used her charm to persuade us.

He used gasoline to start the fire.

People used horses before the invention of the car.

Present perfect:

We have used this method before.

She has used a new pen to write this.

He has used various tools in his work.

You have used your credit card too often.

USED

The first point of confusion may arise with the word ‘used’ (the past participle) acting as an adjective:

A used car; a used bike; a used baby carriage; meaning that the thing is second-hand.

This word is falling out of fashion because ‘used’ is not a very tempting or attractive description of a thing, especially if you’re trying to sell it. Even ‘second-hand’ can sound boring and ugly.

American sales people, especially in the automobile sales business, have produced more positive descriptions, such as ‘previously owned’ and ‘formerly owned’. They have also given us ‘previously cherished’ which is perhaps a bit too dramatic for general English.

The word ‘used’, acting in this way – as an adjective, is no different from the role of the past participle of any verb in English employed as an adjective. For example,

to write; written:    a written document.

to cook, cooked:  a cooked meal

to enrage, enraged:  an enraged elephant

to cap, capped:   a capped budget.

So it is simply a past participle working as an adjective.

USED TO

This combination in English was often described as the ‘past habitual tense’ and it is helpful to think of it as a tense, although modern experts say it isn’t.

We employ it to describe -

an activity that continued in the past for a limited

period which has ended.

Examples:

When I was a baby I used to sleep in a cradle.

When she was young she used to cry a lot.

During my army days I used to march everywhere.

In the Middle Ages they used to burn heretics.

Street lamps used to be run on gas.

The construction appears to be the word ‘used’ followed by the infinitive, and in an obvious sense, it is.

However, it is my impression that English-speaking people think of the words ‘used to’ (together) as a sort of compound verb, followed by the name of the verb (meaning, as always, the infinitive without ‘to’).

I certainly think like that and I remember learning it like that at the age of eight. This practice, or habit, can be seen in replies to questions:

Question : Did you ever go ice-skating?

Answer: Yes, I used to.

Question: Do you go dancing very often?

Answer: No, but I used to.

Question: Does he like chocolates?

Answer: No, but he used to.

This shows that we frequently say ‘used to’ without mentioning the principal verb. But in other cases the principal verb is also needed.

For example –

Question: Is he really a judge?

Answer: No, but he used to be.

Question: Is Kuala Lumpur your home town?

Answer: No, but I used to live there.

Question: Is this your car?

Answer: No, it used to be, but I sold it.

You should also remember that like most past tenses in English ‘used to’ is fixed and never changes for the person –

I used to…. through to………. they used to….

The advantage of thinking of ‘used to’ as a different verb from ‘used’ is that it helps to identify and separate its distinct meaning from ‘used’ (second hand).

It’s just easier to think of it like that.

In this role ‘used to’ functions as an auxiliary. This doesn’t matter much but, as explained in Auxiliaries, it is difficult to use some auxiliaries,  such as ‘may’, ‘might’ and ‘ought’, in the negative, in questions, or in contractions.

There is no contraction for ‘used to’ and it is very difficult to use it correctly: with a negative, or in questions.

[You will note that my example questions above don’t utilise it.]

This aspect may not repay study and can be left for a later stage.

USED TO (Accustomed to)

This is the other, distinct, meaning of ‘used to’.

For example:

I’m used to having a taxi waiting.

He’s used to being well paid.

She’s used to spending hours in the library.

They’re used to cleaning up after the parade.

We’re used to sitting in the front row.

You’re used to having servants, I think.

NOTE that in this meaning there is no direct suggestion of an action or activity in the past. In fact, ‘used to’, meaning ‘accustomed to’ is a normal verb with normal tenses:

Present tense: I’m used to getting up early in the morning.

Simple past: He was used to eating less when he lived in Bali.

Formal future: You will get used to this noise in a few days.

Informal future: She’s going to get used to this job, I’m sure.

Present perfect: I have been used to better service in this store.

Past perfect: I had been used to luxuries until I retired.

As shown in The verb to get, ‘to get’ often accompanies ‘used to’ in its ‘accustomed to’ meaning. For example:

As a sympathetic assurance:

‘Don’t worry, you’ll get used to this.’

Or, with rather less sympathy:

‘Stop complaining – get used to this!’

These different meanings of ‘use’ and ‘used to’ are not very difficult and with study and practice you should be able to employ them correctly.

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