The phrase “used to” is a very common and useful expression in English. We primarily use it to talk about past habits, states, or routines that are no longer true today. It essentially bridges the past and the present by showing a contrast: I did it before, but I don’t do it now.
Basic Meaning: Past Habits and States
A. Past Habits (Actions)
Use “used to” for actions that happened repeatedly in the past, but have stopped.
Example: I used to play tennis every weekend. (Implies: I don’t play tennis anymore.)
Example: She used to smoke, but she quit last year.
B. Past States (Conditions/Situations)
Use “used to” with state verbs (like be, live, like, have, own) for long-term situations that were true in the past, but are not true anymore.
Example: We used to live in London. (Implies: We live somewhere else now.)
Example: He used to be very shy as a child.
Example: I didn’t use to like coffee, but now I drink it every morning.
- Sentence Structure
Notice what happens to the spelling in negative sentences and questions!
| Sentence Type | Structure | Example |
| Positive | Subject + used to + base verb | I used to walk to school. |
| Negative | Subject + didn’t use to + base verb | She didn’t use to eat vegetables. |
| Question | Did + subject + use to + base verb? | Did you use to have long hair? |
- “Used to” vs. “Would”
Both used to and would can describe past habits, but there is one major difference:
- Used to works for both past actions and past states.
- Would only works for repeated past actions, not states.
- Correct (Action): When I was young, I used to go / would go fishing with my dad.
- Correct (State): I used to have a dog.
- Incorrect (State): (This sounds like a conditional, not a past state).
- Watch Out! Don’t confuse “Used to” with these two forms:
English has two other structures that look similar but mean completely different things.
“To be used to” = To be accustomed to (A situation feels normal)
- Structure: Subject + be (am/is/are/was/were) + used to + noun / -ing verb
- Meaning: Something is familiar; it isn’t strange or difficult anymore.
- Example: I am a night owl, so I am used to staying up late. (It feels normal to me.)
- Example: She lives in Canada now, so she is used to the cold weather.
“To get used to” = The process of becoming accustomed
- Structure: Subject + get (get/getting/got) + used to + noun / -ing verb
- Meaning: The process of adapting to something new.
- Example: It took me a few months to get used to living on my own.
- Example: Don’t worry, you’ll get used to the new software soon.
