ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Modal verb Used to, understood?

Cool Breeze — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 21:23:21 GMT

Hi Eladio

You have a mathematical mind! Congratulations! In addition to what CalifJim and MrP have said, I would like to add a couple of comments. In one of your sentences not is in the wrong place:

"Shall not we ever get used to this house?"

Not can't be after a defective/modal auxiliary (shall) in a negative question unless it is contracted (shan't). Say:

Shall/will we not ever get used to this house? Or, better still:

Shan't/won't we ever get used to this house? / Shall/will we never get used to this house?

Secondly, used to need not indicate habitual action in the past. It is frequently used with verbs such as live and like:

He used to live here when he was a teenager.

The meaning is the same as: He lived here when he was a teenager.

Another example: I used to like the way she dressed in those days.

Cheers

Re: Modal verb Used to, understood?

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:43:11 GMT

Please, I need more explanations about the defferent uses of " used to "

Re: Modal verb Used to, understood?

CalifJim — Sat, 13 Nov 2004 02:58:02 GMT

Excellent!

"to got used to" is not correct, however. It's "to get used to" in the infinitive form.

Americans also say "have gotten".

By the way, sentences like "Jane had to get used to ..." are also, in Spanish, "Jane tenía que habituarse a ..."

Good work. I think it helps to write out patterns like that.

Re: Modal verb Used to, understood?

MrPedantic — Sat, 13 Nov 2004 02:33:00 GMT

Hello Eladio

I would distinguish between only 3 forms. Your extra forms relate to different
tenses, rather than changes in the structure. There are some tenses you've
omitted, too: 'I'm getting used to', for instance.

Here's how I'd divide them:

1. Your first form: [used to + infinitive/implied infinitive]

Auxiliary transitive verb for a habitual action in the past that has not
continued into the present.

'I used to play chess every Friday night.'

2. Your second and third forms [to be used to + gerund/noun/pronoun]

Adjectival use, meaning 'to be accustomed to'.

'He isn't used to hard work.'

3. Your fourth and fifth forms [to get used to + gerund/noun/pronoun]

Adjectival use, meaning 'to become accustomed to'.

'I'm getting used to working late.'

I would say that only the first form is modal; the others are adjectival. Other
readers may have other views though.

MrP

Modal verb Used to, understood?

Eladio — Fri, 12 Nov 2004 16:46:58 GMT

Dear users of EnglishForums, I believe I’ve finally understood the English uses of the modal verb “used to”. Would you be so kind to read this summary and comment it? I’ve included my Spanish translation of the English sentences in order to help Spanish students (I wish!) and also to receive your discrepancies with these translations. Thank you in advance, Eladio

Five different forms of using the modal verb “used to”:

First: Used to, as a form of the Past
(I; you; she; he; it; we; they) used to

Second: To be used to, as a form of the Present
I’m used to
(She; he; it)’s used to
(We; you; they)’re used to

Third: (Was; Were) used to, as a form of the Past
(I; She; he; it) was used to
(You; we; they) were used to

Fourth: To got used to or To have got used to, as a form of the Past
(I; you; she; he; it; we; they) got used to = (I; you; she; he; it; we; they) have got used to

Fifth: (Shall; Will) get used to, as a form of the Future
(I; we) shall get used to
(You; she; he; it; they) will get used to

Explanation:

First form: Used to, as a form of the Past
Affirmative sentence:
I used to play baseball a lot but I don’t play very often now
Negative sentence:
I didn’t use to play baseball a lot but I play it very often now.
Yo no jugaba mucho baseball.
Affirmative question:
Did you use to play baseball a lot?
Jugabas mucho baseball?
Negative question:
Didn’t you use to play baseball a lot?
No jugabas mucho baseball?

The verb (play) is written in infinitive.

Second form: To be used to, as a form of the Present
Affirmative sentence:
I’m used to getting up early.
Estoy habituado (o acostumbrado) a levantarme temprano.
Negative sentence:
I’m not used to getting up early.
No estoy habituado (o acostumbrado) a levantarme temprano.
Affirmative question:
Are you used to getting up early
¿Estás habituado (o acostumbrado) a levantarte temprano?
Negative question:
Aren’t you used to getting up early
¿No estás habituado (o acostumbrado) a levantarte temprano?

The verb get ends in ing

Third form: (Was; Were) used to, as a form of the Past
Affirmative sentence:
I was used to drinking wine.
Estaba habituado (o acostumbrado) a tomar vino.
Negative sentence:
I wasn’t used to drinking wine.
No estaba habituado (o acostumbrado) a tomar vino.
Affirmative question:
Were you used to drinking wine?
¿Estabas habituado a tomar vino?
Negative question:
Weren’t you used to drinking wine?
¿No estabas habituado a tomar vino?

The verb drink ends in ing

Fourth form: To got used to or To have got used to, as a form of the Past
Affirmative sentence:
I got used to drinking wine = I have got used to drinking wine.
Me habitué (o me acostumbré) a tomar vino.
Negative sentence:
I haven’t got used to drinking wine.
No me habitué (o no me acostumbré) a tomar vino.
Affirmative question:
Have you got used to drinking wine?
¿Te habituaste a tomar vino?
Negative question:
Haven’t you got used to drinking wine?
¿No te habituaste a tomar vino?

The verb drink ends ing

Fifth form: (Shall; Will) get used to, as a form of the Future
Affirmative sentence:
I’ll get used to driving on the left.
Me habituaré (o me acostumbraré) a manejar a la izquierda.
We’ll get used to the noise.
Negative sentence:
I won’t (shan’t) get used to drinking wine.
Me habituaré (o me acostumbraré) a tomar vino.
Affirmative question:
Will you get used to drinking wine?
¿Te habituarás a tomar vino?
Shall we get used to this house?
¿Nos habituaremos a esta casa?
Negative question:
Won’t you get used to drinking wine?
¿No te habituarás a tomar vino?
Shall not we ever get used to this house?
¿No nos habituaremos jamás a esta casa?

The verb drink ends in ing

I think maybe there are other forms of using (not included in points 1-5) the modal verb “used to”. Dear readers, members and moderators of EnglishForums, could you put other sentences different from the following ones, in order to help me?
Jane had to get used to driving on the left.
Jane tuvo que habituarse a manejar al lado izquierdo.

Needless to say that the verb “to use”, meaning “to utilize”, is not a modal verb:
“That stick is used to hit English students that don’t understand how to use the modal verb used to”