BE/GET USED TO USED TO/ WOULD

USED TO

When we talk about things that happened in the past but don’t happen anymore we can do it in different ways.

• We used to live in New

York when I was a kid.

• There didn’t use to be a petrol station there. When was it built?

We can use ‘used to’ to talk about past states and wecan use ‘used to’ to talk about repeated past actions.

• I used to go swimming every Thursday when I was atschool.

• I used to smoke but I gave up a few years ago.

Remember that ‘used to’ is only for past states/actionsthat don’t happen now – we can’t use it for things thatstill happen now.

Also, ‘used to + infinitive’ should not be confused with‘be/get used to + ‘ing’ form’

WOULD We can use ‘would’ to talk about repeated

past actions.

• Every Saturday I would go on a long bike ride.

• My teachers would always say “Sit down and shut up!”

Often either ‘would’ or ‘used to’ is possible. Both of these sentences are possible.

• Every Saturday, I would go on a long bike ride.

• Every Saturday I used to go on a long bike ride.

However, only ‘used to’ is possible when we talk about past states.

• We used to live in New York when I was a kid.

• We would live in New York when I was a kid.

CAREFUL!

In the negative you cannot use would without a change in meaning.

• I didn't use to play with my dolls.

If I said I wouldn't play with my dolls. It would mean I refused to play with my dolls.

• We didn't use to go out much in the winter months.

If I said we wouldn't go out much. It would mean we refused to go out much.

BY ALEJANDRA SCHLESINGER

2014