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How To Use USED TO
How To Use USED TO
In the English language, we use the phrase used to to describe something that we did in
the past but that we do not do anymore. We can use this phrase to talk about past
hobbies, jobs or even just habits that we have since left behind or replaced with new ones.
For example, a former police officer might say, "I used to be a police officer before I
retired." Someone who took regular nightly walks might say, "I used to walk down by the
river as the sun was setting."
We can also use it to talk about realities that used to be relevant but have since ceased to
be realities. For example, imagine someone is returning home to their old neighborhood,
which has changed a lot since they have been there. They might say, "There used to be a
building there" or "That’s where the old bridge used to be."
In this situation, the speaker is conveying that, in the past, their mom was a competitive dancer for
a time, but has since stopped dancing competitively.
Examples:
• My grandparents used to go on a date to the movies every Friday night when they were young.
• I used to read more books for leisure back when I was in high school.
In this situation, the speaker is conveying that, in the past, they (the speaker plus whoever they
include within the group implied by the plural subject pronoun we) did not rise at such an early
time in the morning and would in fact sleep later into the day than they do now.
Examples:
• They didn’t use to enjoy one another’s company like they do now.
Examples:
Note: In negative and interrogative sentences, the -d is removed from used to to make just use
to. The reason for this is simply because it makes pronouncing the words easier.