'Used to' or 'use to' vs would

I was asked on Pal Talk recently how to use used to and would.
If we say something used to happen we are talking about repeated events and
actions in the past, usually things that happened a long time ago and are now
finished.
To express this we can use either used to or would.
When I was young I used to play with my dolls. = When I was young I would play
with my dolls.
Of course I no longer play with dolls!
We used to go out a lot in the summer.
Implies that we no longer go out much.
If you want to talk about repeated states or habits in the past, you must use used to,
you cannot use would : :
My dog used to bark at cats.
I used to smoke.
I used to be an administrative assistant.
I used to live in England.
You should use 'use to' without a d in sentences when it follows 'did' or 'didn't'
(don't worry too much about this because lots of people get it wrong).
The question form is Did you use to?'. When asking a closed question you put
did/didn't in front of the subject followed by use to, you cannot use would.
Did you use to go out with my sister?
Did they use to own the company?
Didn't we use to go to the same school?

Also when asking questions about states in the past you cannot use would.
What sort of things did you use to like when you were young?
. In the negative you cannot use would without a change in meaning.
I didn't use to play with my dolls.
If I said I wouldn't play with my dolls. It would mean I refused to play with my dolls.
We didn't use to go out much in the winter months.
If I said we wouldn't go out much. It would mean we refused to go out much.
! Note - The general rule is when there is did or didn't in the sentence, we say use to
(without d) when there is no did or didn't in the sentence, we say used to (with d).

EXERCISES
1) Used to or get/be used to?
Complete the following sentences with the correct form of used and the verb in brackets.
(Correction at the end of the page.)

Example :
Tom______________ (take) the bus to go to work, now he walks.
take the bus to go to work...

=>

Tom used to

Sending emails to my grandmother is difficult. She isn't ___________a computer.

She isn't used to using a computer.

1.

Caroline _______________ (have) a walkman, now she has an ipod.

2.
We haven't seen Bob very often since he got a promotion. He's very busy. He
_____________________(not be) so busy.

=>

3.
I've just got my first job. It's exciting but I'll have _______________________(work)
regular hours.

4.
It is difficult for Tom to drive in England. He ____________________ (drive) on the
left-hand side of the road.

5.

When Peter was young, he ________________ (ride) a bicycle to school.

6.
People from India usually find our food tasteless. They ________________________
(eat) spicy food.

7.
Computers ________________ (be) very expensive. Now the prices are more
reasonable.

8.
English has become international. Businessmen ________________________
(speak) English at international meetings.

9.

During my childhood, I ________________ (spend) a lot of time with my grandparents.

10.
Maria _________________ (think) that she would never
________________________ (live) in New York.

Correction
1.

Caroline used to have a walkman, now she had an ipod.

2.
We haven't seen Bob very often since he got a promotion. He's very
busy. He didn't use to be so busy.
3.
I've just got my first job. It's exciting but I'll have to get used to
working regular hours.
4.
It is difficult for Tom to drive in England. He isn't used to driving on
the left-hand side of the road.
5.

When Peter was young, he used to ride a bicycle to school.

6.
People from India usually find our food tasteless. They are used to
eating spicy food.
7.

Computers used to be very expensive. Now the prices are more

reasonable.
8.

English has become international.

Businessmen are used to speaking / have got used to speaking
English at international meetings.
9.
During my childhood, I used to spend a lot of time with my
grandparents.
10.

Maria used to think that she would never get used to living in New

York

2)

Used to? Would?

On Sunday, after his football match, Bob

often come home

used to

exhausted.
2. You
w ould

On Sunday, after

like him... Yes, but now

used to

I hate him !
3. She
used to

You * like him... Y

live in London before

w ould

the war, then she moved to New York.

4. I remember we
used to

She * live in Lond

go fishing
used to

every morning when I was a child. It was great. Now, I am an accountant and I
don't have any free time.
5. The children
used to

I remember w e *

often help me
w ould

make a cake. They still do sometimes.

6. He
w ould

The children * oft

be a very good
w ould

tennisman, until he broke his ankle.

7. My grandfather
used to

He * be a very go

swim in this
w ould

river. Unfortunately, now it's forbidden.

Rponses: http://www.tolearnenglish.com/cgi2/myexam/voir2r.php?id=26509

3) Past Repetition
Some of the sentences below contain common verb form mistakes. Find
the sentences with errors and correct them using either "Simple Past,"
"Used to" or "Would Always.
EXAMPLE:
used to
A) I would always be unhealthy as a child.
1. When I was a child, I rode my bike every day.
2. She would always be beautiful when she was young.
3. I used to go to the beach yesterday.
4. Margie loves horses because she used to have one as a child.
5. James would always have a very important test last week.
6. Jerry always used to cook dinner for himself, but now his wife prepares
dinner.
7. Jamie would always have a dog when she was a child, but now she has a cat.
8. Laura would always bake cookies for us when we were kids.
9. I used to graduate from Georgetown University in 1992.
10. He would constantly embarrass himself by asking stupid questions in class.
11. They would spend Easter with us every year until we moved.
12. They used to spend Easter with us every year until we moved.
13. They spent Easter with us every year until we moved.
14. I used to be fat, but I lost a lot of weight in high school.
15. I would always be fat, but I lost a lot of weight in high school.

ANSWERS

1. When I was a child, I rode my bike every day. Correct

used to be / was
2. She would always be beautiful when she was young.

went
3. I used to go to the beach yesterday.

4. Margie loves horses because she used to have one as a child. Correct

had
5. James would always have a very important test last week.

6. Jerry always used to cook dinner for himself, but now his wife prepares
dinner. Correct
used to have / had
7. Jamie would always have a dog when she was a child, but now she has
a cat.

8. Laura would always bake cookies for us when we were kids. Correct
graduated
9. I used to graduate from Georgetown University in 1992.

10. He would constantly embarrass himself by asking stupid questions in

class. Correct

11. They would spend Easter with us every year until we moved. Correct

12. They used to spend Easter with us every year until we moved.
Correct

13. They spent Easter with us every year until we moved. Correct

14. I used to be fat, but I lost a lot of weight in high school. Correct
used to / was
15. I would always be fat, but I lost a lot of weight in high school.

Would : theory
We use would with the same meaning to talk about the past.

e.g. When I was a child my father would sometimes take me fishing.

My grandmother was very absent-minded. She would often buy something and
then leave the shop without it.
Used to and Would

When we talk about past habits, we can use used to or would.

e.g. When we were children, we used to/would play Cowboys and Indians
together.

When we talk about past states, we can use used to, but NOT would. Would is
used only for regularly repeated actions. Used to is used to express a situation
existed in the past.

e.g. My grandfather used to be a policeman. (NOT: My grandfather would be)

My husband used to have a moustache, but he shaved it off. (NOT: My husband
would have)
I used to live in California. I used to have a Volkswagen. (Would cannot be used in these
sentences.)