Introduction
Understanding ‘Used To’
2. **Past habits and repeated actions**: ‘I used to play tennis every week’, ‘They used to visit us on Sundays’, ‘She used to read before bed’
The key point is that these situations are finished – they are no longer true in the present.
The Important Difference: Used To vs Would
– Past states: ‘I used to be tall for my age’
– Past actions: ‘I used to play tennis every Saturday’
**WOULD** can ONLY describe:
– Past actions: ‘I would play tennis every Saturday’ ✓
– NOT past states: ‘I would be tall for my age’ ✗
This is the most important rule to remember: **would cannot describe past states**. You cannot say ‘I would be shy’ or ‘She would have long hair’ to talk about the past.
When to Use Each One
– How things were different: ‘This area used to be farmland’
– Past possessions: ‘We used to have a cat’
– Past characteristics: ‘He used to be very quiet’
– Past beliefs or feelings: ‘I used to believe in ghosts’
– Past habits: ‘I used to swim every morning’Choose ‘would’ when describing:
– Past repeated actions only: ‘Every summer, we would go camping’
– Past routines (actions only): ‘My grandfather would tell us stories’
If you’re unsure, ‘used to’ is always safe because it works for both states and actions.
Form and Structure
– ‘I used to smoke’ (not ‘I used to smoked’)
– ‘They used to live here’**Negative form:** subject + didn’t use to + base verb
– ‘I didn’t use to like coffee’
– ‘She didn’t use to wear glasses’
Note: In negatives, we write ‘use to’ (not ‘used to’) after ‘didn’t’.
**Question form:** Did + subject + use to + base verb?
– ‘Did you use to play football?’
– ‘Did they use to work together?’
Again, we write ‘use to’ (not ‘used to’) in questions.
Examples
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Incorrect: I would be very shy when I was young.
✅ Correct: I used to be very shy when I was young.
Explanation: ‘Be shy’ is a state, not an action. ‘Would’ cannot describe states, only actions. Always use ‘used to’ for past states.
❌ Incorrect: She would have a dog.
✅ Correct: She used to have a dog.
Explanation: Having a dog (possession) is a state, not an action. Use ‘used to’ for past possessions and states.
❌ Incorrect: I used to smoked cigarettes.
✅ Correct: I used to smoke cigarettes.
Explanation: After ‘used to’, we always use the base form of the verb, never the past tense. It’s ‘used to + base verb’.
❌ Incorrect: Did you used to play tennis?
✅ Correct: Did you use to play tennis?
Explanation: In questions with ‘did’, we write ‘use to’ (without the ‘d’). The ‘did’ already shows past tense.
❌ Incorrect: I didn’t used to like coffee.
✅ Correct: I didn’t use to like coffee.
Explanation: In negatives with ‘didn’t’, we write ‘use to’ (without the ‘d’). The ‘didn’t’ already shows past tense.
❌ Incorrect: I use to live in Spain.
✅ Correct: I used to live in Spain.
Explanation: In positive sentences, we always write ‘used to’ (with the ‘d’). Only questions and negatives with ‘did/didn’t’ use ‘use to’.
Tips for Success
- If you’re describing a past state (how things were, what existed, characteristics), you MUST use ‘used to’, never ‘would’.
- If you’re describing a past action, both ‘used to’ and ‘would’ are often possible, but ‘used to’ is more common in everyday English.
- Remember the spelling changes: ‘used to’ in positive sentences, but ‘use to’ after ‘did’ and ‘didn’t’.
- A quick test: if you can say ‘I was…’ or ‘I had…’, then it’s a state and you need ‘used to’, not ‘would’.
- ‘Used to’ always indicates that something has changed – it’s not true anymore in the present.
- Don’t confuse ‘used to’ (past habits) with ‘be used to’ (be accustomed to) – they are completely different structures.
Learning Path Notes
Key Concepts in This Series:
- Used to + base verb for past states and actions
- Would + base verb for past actions only (not states)
- The critical state vs action distinction
- Question and negative forms: use to (not used to) after did/didn’t
- Past situations that are no longer true in the present