Are you preparing for the IELTS exam and looking to enhance your grammar skills? One crucial structure that often appears in the test is “be accustomed to + gerund.” This article will guide you through its usage, provide examples, and offer tips to help you excel in your IELTS journey.
Understanding “Be Accustomed to + Gerund”
The phrase “be accustomed to + gerund” is used to express familiarity or habituation to an action or situation. It’s a common structure in English and frequently appears in IELTS speaking and writing tasks. Let’s break it down:
- “Be accustomed to” means to be familiar with something due to experience or habit.
- The gerund (verb + -ing) represents the action or situation one is familiar with.
Here are some examples to illustrate its use:
- “I am accustomed to waking up early for work.”
- “She is accustomed to living in a busy city.”
- “They are accustomed to eating spicy food.”
- “He isn’t accustomed to working night shifts.”
- “Are you accustomed to speaking in public?”
In each of these sentences, the gerund (waking, living, eating, working, speaking) follows “accustomed to,” indicating an action or situation that has become familiar through repetition or experience.
Grammar Formula and IELTS Application
The basic formula for this structure is:
[Subject] + [be (conjugated)] + accustomed to + [gerund]
In IELTS, using this structure correctly can demonstrate your ability to express habits and familiarity, which is particularly useful in the following sections:
Speaking Part 2 and 3
In these parts, you might be asked about your habits or experiences. For example:
- Question: “Describe a change in your life that you had to adapt to.”
- Response: “When I moved to the city for university, I had to get accustomed to living in a noisy environment. At first, it was challenging, but now I am accustomed to falling asleep with the sound of traffic outside.”
Writing Task 2
This structure can be used effectively in essay writing to discuss societal changes or personal experiences:
“In many countries, people are becoming accustomed to shopping online rather than in physical stores. While this trend offers convenience, it is important not to become too accustomed to avoiding face-to-face interactions.”
Advanced Usage for Higher Band Scores
To achieve a higher band score in IELTS, consider these advanced applications:
-
Use with negative forms:
“Many elderly people are not accustomed to using smartphones, which can lead to digital exclusion.” -
Combine with other complex structures:
“Having been accustomed to studying in a quiet environment, I found it challenging to concentrate in the bustling university library.” -
Use in conditional sentences:
“If people were more accustomed to conserving energy, we might see a significant reduction in carbon emissions.” -
Employ in passive voice:
“In some cultures, children are accustomed to being given more independence from a young age.” -
Utilize with perfect tenses:
“By the time I graduated, I had become accustomed to managing my time effectively.”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When using “be accustomed to + gerund,” be aware of these common errors:
-
Incorrect: “I am accustomed to work late.” (Using infinitive instead of gerund)
Correct: “I am accustomed to working late.” -
Incorrect: “She is accustomed for traveling.” (Using wrong preposition)
Correct: “She is accustomed to traveling.” -
Incorrect: “They accustomed to eat spicy food.” (Omitting “be”)
Correct: “They are accustomed to eating spicy food.” -
Incorrect: “He is accustomed to to speak loudly.” (Repeating “to”)
Correct: “He is accustomed to speaking loudly.” -
Incorrect: “We are accustomed walking to work.” (Omitting “to”)
Correct: “We are accustomed to walking to work.”
Conclusion
Mastering the “be accustomed to + gerund” structure can significantly enhance your IELTS performance. Remember to practice using it in various contexts and tenses. As you prepare, you might encounter questions about adapting to new technologies, cultural differences, or lifestyle changes – all perfect opportunities to showcase this grammatical structure.
For further practice, try incorporating this structure into your responses to these IELTS-style questions:
- How have people’s shopping habits changed in recent years?
- Describe a significant change in your hometown or city.
- Do you think older generations struggle with modern technology? Why or why not?
By confidently using “be accustomed to + gerund,” you’ll demonstrate a strong command of English grammar, potentially boosting your IELTS score.
For more information on similar structures, you might find it helpful to review the use of “be used to” for familiarity or explore how to express adaptation with “get used to”.