eng8-1.3· Unit 1: Talking About the Past· ~13 min

used to

Past habits and states that are no longer true.

We use 'used to + base verb' to talk about past habits or states that happened regularly or were true in the past but are no longer true now. For example, 'I used to play football every Saturday' means I played it regularly in the past but I don't any more. The form never changes for different subjects — we always say 'he used to', 'they used to', 'she used to' (NOT 'he uses to'). For negatives, we use 'didn't use to + base verb': 'She didn't use to like vegetables.' Notice that 'use to' (without the 'd') appears in questions and negatives because 'did' already carries the past meaning. For questions, we say 'Did you use to live here?' (NOT 'Did you used to'). 'Used to' can only describe the past — it has no present form; to describe present habits we say 'usually' or 'normally'. For example: 'He used to ride his bike to school, but now he takes the bus.'

Key terms

used to — A structure ('used to + base verb') for talking about past habits or states that were true in the past but are no longer true now.
past habit — An action that happened regularly or repeatedly in the past but has now stopped, for example 'I used to play football every Saturday'.
past state — A situation or condition that was true for a period in the past but has since changed, for example 'She used to be very shy as a child'.
no longer true — The key idea behind 'used to' — it signals a contrast with the present, showing that the past habit or state has now ended.
didn't use to — The negative form. After 'didn't' the verb returns to its base form, so we write 'use to' without the 'd': 'She didn't use to like vegetables'.
Did + subject + use to — The question form. 'Did' carries the past meaning, so the verb stays as 'use to' without the 'd': 'Did you use to live here?'
FormStructureExample
Affirmativesubject + used to + base verbI used to play football.
Negativesubject + didn't use to + base verbShe didn't use to like vegetables.
QuestionDid + subject + use to + base verbDid you use to live here?
MeaningExample
Past repeated habit (an action that happened regularly but has stopped)He used to walk to school.
Past state that has changed (a condition that was true but is not now)She used to be very shy as a child.
✎Forming the affirmative and negative for a past habit
  1. 1Affirmative: Take the subject, add 'used to' (with the 'd'), then the base verb: 'My brother used to eat a lot of sweets.' This describes a regular past habit that has now stopped.
  2. 2Negative: Use 'didn't use to' (drop the 'd' from 'use', because 'did' already shows the past), then the base verb: 'My brother didn't use to eat vegetables, but now he loves them.'
✎Building a question and short answers
  1. 1Question: Start with 'Did', add the subject, then 'use to' (no 'd') and the base verb: 'Did you use to have a pet when you were a child?'
  2. 2Answers: Affirmative: 'Yes, I used to have one.' Negative: 'No, I didn't use to have one.' Note 'used to' returns in the affirmative answer but stays 'use to' after 'didn't'.
🚫Common mistake

In negatives and questions, write 'use to' WITHOUT the 'd'. Because 'did/didn't' already carries the past meaning, the correct forms are 'didn't use to' and 'Did you use to', never 'didn't used to' or 'Did you used to'.

🚫Common mistake

Always put the base verb after 'used to' — never a past form or -ing form. Say 'used to play', 'used to go', 'used to be' (NOT 'used to played', 'used to went', or 'used to being').

⚠️Caution

The form never changes for different subjects. Always say 'he used to', 'she used to', 'they used to' — never add -s. 'He uses to' is never correct in any tense.

💡Note

Use 'used to' only for past habits or states that are now changed and no longer true — not for a single past action ('He used to call me yesterday' is wrong) and not for present habits, where you use 'usually' or 'normally' instead.

Rules

  1. 1Use 'used to + base verb' for past habits or states that no longer exist: 'I used to wake up early.'
  2. 2The form is the same for all subjects — never add -s or change it: 'She used to sing' (NOT 'she uses to sing').
  3. 3In negatives, use 'didn't use to' (no 'd' on use): 'They didn't use to have a car.'
  4. 4In questions, use 'Did + subject + use to': 'Did he use to work here?' (NOT 'Did he used to').
  5. 5'Used to' has no present tense form — use 'usually' or 'normally' for current habits.

Practice

10 easy · 10 medium · 10 hard

10 random questions per test

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