'used to' for past habits
Talking about past habits and states that are no longer true.
We use 'used to' + the base form of a verb to talk about a habit, a repeated action, or a state in the past that is now finished and no longer true. It tells us that something happened regularly before but does not happen any more (I used to play football every day, but now I don't) or that a situation was different in the past (There used to be a cinema here). The form is always the same for every subject: used to + verb, with no -s and no past ending on the main verb. To make a negative we use 'didn't use to' (note the spelling 'use', without the final d), and to make a question we use 'Did … use to …?'. Be careful not to confuse this with the unrelated phrase 'be used to (doing) something', which means 'be accustomed to' — at grade-9 level we focus only on 'used to' for past habits. For example: 'My grandmother used to live in a village, and she didn't use to have a phone, but now she lives in the city and uses one every day.'
Key terms
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | used to + base verb | I used to live in a village. |
| Negative | didn't use to + base verb | He didn't use to like coffee. |
| Question | Did + subject + use to + base verb? | Did you use to walk to school? |
| Use | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Past habit | A repeated action that happened regularly before but not now | We used to play in this park every day. |
| Past state that changed | A situation that was true in the past but is different now | There used to be a cinema near our house. |
- 1Goal: Say that 'He liked vegetables' was NOT true in the past, but is true now.
- 2Add the auxiliary: Start the negative with 'didn't': He didn't ...
- 3Drop the 'd': After 'didn't' the phrase becomes 'use to' (not 'used to'): He didn't use to ...
- 4Add the base verb: Use the base form 'like', not 'liked': He didn't use to like vegetables, but now he eats them.
- 1Goal: Ask whether walking to school was a past habit.
- 2Start with 'Did': Past-habit questions use the auxiliary 'Did', not 'Do' or 'Were': Did ...
- 3Add subject + 'use to' + base verb: After 'Did' the form is 'use to' (no -d) + base verb: Did you use to walk to school?
- 4Short answer: Answer with the auxiliary only, not the whole verb: Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.
In negatives and questions, drop the final 'd': it is 'didn't use to' and 'Did ... use to', NOT 'didn't used to' or 'Did ... used to'.
After 'used to' / 'use to', always keep the base form. Do not add -s, -ed or -ing: say 'used to play' and 'used to be', never 'used to plays', 'used to played' or 'used to being'.
'used to' describes only the past and usually a situation that has now changed; for a present habit use the present simple instead (I usually walk to school now).
Do not confuse past-habit 'used to + base verb' with 'be used to (doing) something', which means 'be accustomed to'; at this level focus only on 'used to' for past habits.
Rules
- 1Use 'used to + base verb' for past habits, repeated actions or states that are no longer true (I used to walk to school).
- 2The form never changes for person or number: used to play (for I, you, he, she, we, they).
- 3Negative: didn't use to + base verb (He didn't use to like coffee) — drop the final 'd' to make 'use'.
- 4Question: Did + subject + use to + base verb? (Did you use to live here?).
- 5'used to' refers to the past only; for present habits use the present simple (I usually walk to school now).
Practice
15 easy · 15 medium · 15 hard
10 random questions per test