Used To vs Be Used To vs Get Used To ESL Lesson Plan (B2, 60 Minutes)

Who it is for. Upper-intermediate students who use used to and would accurately for past habits. They confuse used to + infinitive with be / get used to + -ing (I'm used to drive on the left, I used to living alone), and don't use get used to to talk about the process of adapting.

Everything the lesson needs is on this page: the language analysis, the timed stages with the teacher's own words and instruction-checking questions, the differentiation, the printable handouts and the answer key.

Main aim. To clarify and practise the form and meaning of used to + infinitive (past habit), be used to + noun / -ing (familiar, not strange) and get used to + noun / -ing (the process of becoming familiar), in a range of tenses.

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can describe adapting to a new situation, e.g. In Sri Lanka I used to eat rice every day. In Canada, I'm not used to the cold. I'm slowly getting used to it, and I'll soon get used to cooking for myself.

• Subsidiary aim. To practise get used to in different tenses (I'm getting / I got / I'll get / I've got used to).
• Subsidiary aim. To develop speaking about adapting to change.

What to know before the lesson: the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language, and the problems learners usually have with it.

• In be / get used to, to is a preposition, so it is followed by a noun or -ing (like look forward to).
• be used to and get used to can be in any tense: I was used to ..., I've got used to ..., I'll never get used to ...
• used to (past habit) only exists in the past.

• All three use /ˈjuːstə/ (before consonants) or /ˈjuːstu/ (before vowels): I'm used to it /aɪm ˈjuːstu ɪt/.

• I'm used to working at night. Is working at night strange for me? (No, it's normal.) Is it past or present? (Present.)
• I'm getting used to the food. Was the food strange at first? (Yes.) Is it still a bit strange? (A bit, but it's becoming normal.)
• I used to work at night. Do I work at night now? (No.)

10 out of 12 or better on Handout 3. In the role-play, students use noun / -ing after be / get used to. Students use get used to for the process of adapting.

Did the comparison with look forward to help? Did students use different tenses of get used to?

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Six months in Canada

When I lived in Colombo, I used to wear shorts and sandals all year. Now I'm wearing three layers and boots! I'm still not used to the cold. Minus 15 °C is a shock for someone who used to complain when it was 25 °C.

At first, the food was a problem. I'm used to eating rice and curry every day, and here everything tastes bland. But I'm getting used to it, and I've found a Sri Lankan shop that sells curry leaves.

I used to take a tuk-tuk everywhere. Now I take the subway, and I've already got used to it; it's fast and clean. The hardest thing is being away from my family. I don't think I'll ever get used to that.

Answer the questions.

• What is Dilshan still not used to? ______________________________
• What is he getting used to? ______________________________
• What has he already got used to? ______________________________
• What does he think he will never get used to? ______________________________

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Find the sentences with used to and complete the table.

Answer the questions.

• What form of the verb follows I'm used to? ______________________________
• What form follows I used to (past habit)? ______________________________
• Find get used to in three different tenses. ______________________________

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Choose the correct form.

B. Complete with the correct form of be used to or get used to.

C. Correct the mistakes.

• I used to play / am used to playing the piano, but I stopped when I was 12.
• Nurses are used to work / are used to working at night.
• It took me months to get used to / be used to the noise.
• She didn't use to / isn't used to like coffee, but now she drinks three cups a day.
• Don't worry about the new software. You ______________ it quickly.
• My grandmother ______________ (not) using a smartphone. She finds it difficult.
• I ______________ living alone now. At first it was hard, but now I love it.
• He's from Nuwara Eliya, so he ______________ cold weather.
• I'm used to get up early. ______________________________
• I used to living in a big city. (meaning: it's normal for me) ______________________________
• She is getting used to drive on the right. ______________________________
• We used to the heat. ______________________________

Role cards

Friend's questions: How are you finding it? · Are you used to ... yet? · Is it difficult to get used to ...? · What did you use to do before?

Discussion: easy or difficult to get used to?

• living in a different climate
• a new language
• working night shifts
• having a baby
• living without a phone for a month
• retirement

Handout 1

Handout 2

Handout 3, Exercise A

Handout 3, Exercise B

Handout 3, Exercise C

Common errors to watch for

• The cold. · 2. The food. · 3. The subway. · 4. Being away from his family.
• -ing (or a noun). · 2. The infinitive (base form). · 3. present continuous (I'm getting used to), present perfect (I've got used to), future (I'll get used to).
• used to play · 2. are used to working · 3. get used to · 4. didn't use to
• 'll get used to / will get used to · 2. isn't used to · 3. 'm used to / 've got used to · 4. 's used to / is used to
• I'm used to getting up early. · 2. I'm used to living in a big city. · 3. She is getting used to driving on the right. · 4. We're used to the heat. / We've got used to the heat.