eng7-6.4· Unit 2· ~13 min

Used to (Past Habits)

Past habits and situations that are no longer true

Use used to + base verb for a repeated action, habit, or situation in the past that is no longer true: 'People used to travel on foot' and 'I used to read books about airplanes.' The affirmative form is the same for every subject. In negatives, use subject + didn't use to + base verb. In yes/no questions, use Did + subject + use to + base verb? Information questions add a question word before did: 'Where did they use to live?' When who itself is the subject, do not add did: 'Who used to keep the old toys?' Present habits use the Present Simple, so the prompt must establish a former habit or situation before used to is the intended answer.

Key terms

used to — a structure for a repeated past action, habit, or situation that is no longer true.
base verb — the unchanged verb form after used to or use to, such as travel, ride, read, or keep.
affirmative — a positive statement: 'They used to travel on foot.'
negative — a statement with didn't use to: 'I didn't use to work on the computer.'
yes/no question — a question beginning with Did: 'Did you use to ride horses?'
information question — a question beginning with a question word, such as 'Where did they use to live?' or the subject question 'Who used to keep the toys?'
Statements and yes/no questions
FormStructureExample
Affirmativesubject + used to + base verbPeople used to travel on foot.
Negativesubject + didn't use to + base verbI didn't use to work on the computer.
Yes/no questionDid + subject + use to + base verb?Did you use to ride horses?

With did or didn't, write use to; without did, write used to.

Information questions
Question typeStructureExample
Question word is not the subjectWh-word + did + subject + use to + base verb?Where did they use to live?
Who is the subjectWho + used to + base verb?Who used to keep the old toys?

Use did when another subject follows; do not add did when who is the subject.

Meaning and time
MeaningUseExample
Former repeated actionused to + action verbHe used to read every evening, but he no longer does.
Former situationused to + state verbThere used to be a cinema here, but it closed.
Habit still true nowPresent SimpleHe reads every evening now.

A present habit is expressed with the Present Simple, not a present form of used to.

✎Change an affirmative statement
  1. 1Statement: She used to play volleyball.
  2. 2Negative: Add didn't and change used to to use to: She didn't use to play volleyball.
  3. 3Question: Move did before the subject and keep use to: Did she use to play volleyball?
✎Build two information questions
  1. 1Object or detail question: A separate subject follows did: Where did your family use to live?
  2. 2Subject question: Who is the subject, so do not add did: Who used to live there?
  3. 3Check the main verb: Both patterns keep the base verb after to: live, not lived or living.
🚫Common mistake

After did or didn't, use 'use to', not 'used to': 'Did you use to...?' and 'They didn't use to...'.

⚠️Caution

Do not choose used to merely because a sentence mentions the past. The context must describe a repeated action, habit, or situation that is no longer true.

💡Note

When who is the subject, use 'Who used to + base verb?' When another subject follows, use 'Wh-word + did + subject + use to + base verb?'

Rules

  1. 1Affirmative: subject + used to + base verb for a past habit or situation that is no longer true.
  2. 2Negative: subject + didn't use to + base verb.
  3. 3Yes/no question: Did + subject + use to + base verb?
  4. 4Information question: question word + did + subject + use to + base verb?
  5. 5Subject question with who: Who + used to + base verb? Do not add did when who is the subject.
  6. 6After used to, didn't use to, or did ... use to, use the base verb: travel, ride, read, keep.

Practice

10 easy · 10 medium · 10 hard

Up to 10 random questions per test

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