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Used to

Used to: meaning and form​

We use used to when we refer to things in the past which are no longer true. It can refer to repeated actions or to a state or situation:

  • He used to play football for the local team, but he’s too old now.
  • That white house over there used to belong to my family. (It belonged to my family in the past, but not any more.)
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In statements, the form used to does not change. We do not use the verb be before it. It always refers to past time:

  • We used to go to the seaside every summer when I was a kid.
  • Not: We are used to go … or We use to go … or We were used to go …

Negative: didn’t use to​

The negative of used to is most commonly didn’t use(d) to. Sometimes we write it with a final -d, sometimes not. Both forms are common, but many people consider the form with the final -d to be incorrect, and you should not use it in exams:

  • It didn’t use to be so crowded in the shops as it is nowadays.
  • I didn’t used to like broccoli when I was younger, but I love it now. (Don’t use this form in exams.)

In very formal styles, we can use the negative form used not to:

  • She used not to live as poorly as she does now.

Questions​

The most common form of question is auxiliary did + use(d) to. Many people consider the form with a final -d to be incorrect, and you should not use it in exams:

  • I think we met once, a couple of years ago. Did you use to work with Kevin Harris?
  • Didn’t she used to live in the same street as us? (Don’t use this form in written exams.)

Emphatic did​

We can use the emphatic auxiliary did with used to:

  • We never used to mix very much with the neighbours, but we did used to say hello to them in the street. (Don’t use this form in written exams.)

Tags​

We normally make tags after used to with auxiliary did:

  • He used to be your boss, did he?
  • We used to love going to the museum, didn’t we?

Used to or would?​

We can use used to or would to talk about people’s habits in the past. When we use them both together, used to most commonly comes first, as it sets the scene for the actions being reported:

  • When we were kids, we used to invent amazing games. We would imagine we were the government and we would make crazy laws that everyone had to obey.

Used to, but not would, can describe a state or situation which is no longer true:

  • We used to live in Manchester.
  • Not: We would live in Manchester.
  • ‘The Townhouse’ used to be a Greek restaurant. It’s Italian now.
  • Not: ‘The Townhouse’ would be a Greek restaurant …

Used to or be used to?​

Used to refers to actions and situations in the past which no longer happen or are no longer true. It always refers to the past:

  • She used to sing in a choir, but she gave it up. (She sang, but she doesn’t sing any more)

Be used to means ‘be accustomed to’ or ‘be familiar with’. It can refer to the past, present or future. We follow be used to with a noun phrase, a pronoun or the -ing form of a verb:

  • I work in a hospital, so I*’m*** used to long hours. (I am accustomed to/familiar with long hours.)
  • She lives in a very small village and hates traffic. She*’s** not used to it.*
  • He was a salesman, so he was used to travelling up and down the country. (He was accustomed to/was familiar with travelling.)

We can also say get used to or (more formally) become used to:

  • University is very different from school, but don’t worry. You’ll soon get used to it. (or, more formally, You’ll soon become used to it.)
See also
  • Usually
  • Would
  • Tags