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I am wondering how to correctly express following situation in English.

I am used to the fact that people are trustworthy.

... this sentence is surely correct, but I want to omit "the fact that" and following crosses my mind:

  • I am used to meeting trustworthy people.
  • I am used to that people are trustworthy.
  • I am used to people being trustworthy.
  • I am used to trustworthy people.

What possibilities are here, pls, and what is (in)correct?

I am asking because "the fact that" is in my eyes just a helper for us, who cannot use English on higher level. It allows to use a noun instead of some more complex grammatical structure.

Radin Černý
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2 Answers2

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First, changes to English grammar in the 19th Century made "the fact that" a ubiquitous, if somewhat ugly, phrase that we need to use in certain grammatical situations. See Ngram. Don't worry about using it; it doesn't grate on native English speakers (although I suppose it might have in the early 19th century).

Fortunately, this isn't one of these situations. Your third suggestion,

I am used to people being trustworthy,

means nearly the same thing and is less ugly. The first and fourth are also grammatical, but the meaning isn't as close to your original.

Peter Shor
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Of the example sentences in your question, all but the second one would sound correct to a native speaker, I believe.

The second sentence needs a "something" -- a noun or gerund -- before the word "that."

I am used to ... that people are trustworthy.

For example: "I am used to the concept that people are trustworthy" or "I am used to believing that people are trustworthy."

By the way, "used to" is mostly a reference to common behavior or practices. "I am used to eating lunch at noon" for example. This phrasing can be used to express a preference, in an oblique way, such as if someone says to you, "Do you want to eat lunch at 2 p.m.?"

user8356
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