Zorg Spaceused to: how things were before
The rule
used to + the base verb says that something was true or happened repeatedly in the past and is not true now. I used to smoke means I do not smoke any more. The form never changes for the person, and in questions and negatives the d disappears: Did you use to live here?, I did not use to like it. For repeated past ACTIONS you can also say would, but not for past STATES: I would walk to school is fine, I would have a car is not.
used to + base verb · Did you use to …? · I did not use to …
Examples
I used to live in a small village.
She used to work nights, but she stopped last year.
Did you use to play any sport at school?
We would walk to the market every Saturday.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong: I used to went there.
Right: I used to go there.
After used to the verb has no ending at all.
-
Wrong: Did you used to smoke?
Right: Did you use to smoke?
did already carries the past, so used loses its d in a question.
-
Wrong: I would have long hair.
Right: I used to have long hair.
would works for repeated actions, not for how things simply were.
Practice questions
Try each one yourself first, then open “Show answer” for the solution and the reason.
-
1Choose the correct sentence.
- He used to drive a taxi.
- He use to drive a taxi.
- He used driving a taxi.
- He used to drove a taxi.
Show answer
Answer: A He used to drive a taxi.
After used to comes the base verb with no ending.
-
2Choose the correct sentence.
- Used she to live upstairs?
- Did she use to live upstairs?
- Did she use to lived upstairs?
- Did she used to live upstairs?
Show answer
Answer: B Did she use to live upstairs?
did carries the past tense, so use has no d.
-
3Fill in the gap.
There _____ be a post office on this corner.
- is used to
- used
- use to
- used to
Show answer
Answer: D There used to be a post office on this corner.
The statement form keeps the d: used to.
-
4Fill in the gap.
I did not _____ enjoy cooking, but now I love it.
- using to
- use to
- used
- used to
Show answer
Answer: B I did not use to enjoy cooking, but now I love it.
After did not the d disappears.
-
5Fill in the gap.
Every summer we _____ swim in the river.
- used
- would to
- would
- did use
Show answer
Answer: C Every summer we would swim in the river.
would works here because swimming every summer is a repeated action.
-
6Fill in the gap.
She _____ be afraid of dogs when she was little.
- used to
- was used
- would
- uses to
Show answer
Answer: A She used to be afraid of dogs when she was little.
Being afraid is a state, so would is not possible.
-
7Put the words in the right order.
We used to go there every summer
Show answer
Answer: We used to go there every summer.
used to sits directly in front of the base verb.
-
8Put the words in the right order.
Did you use to work in a hospital
Show answer
Answer: Did you use to work in a hospital?
The question opens with did, and use then loses its d.
-
9This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.
Which sentence is wrong?
- I did not use to study French.
- I used to study French.
- I used to studying French.
- I studied French for two years.
Show answer
Answer: C I used to studying French.
used to is followed by the base verb, never by -ing.
-
10This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.
Which sentence is wrong?
- She would cry at every goodbye.
- She used to be very shy as a child.
- She would be very shy as a child.
- She used to cry at every goodbye.
Show answer
Answer: C She would be very shy as a child.
Being shy is a state; would only covers repeated actions.
Practise this lesson in Zorg Space
In the app every rule becomes interactive practice: instant correction, reviews at the moment you are about to forget, and progress you can see from level to level — free.
Start for free