“Used to”

Used to + base verb describes something that happened regularly or was true in the past but is not true any more. It is the same for every subject and exists only in the past.

After did / didn't, drop the -d: use to (did already shows the past, just like did you go, not did you went). Another common negative is never used to: I never used to eat vegetables. In formal British English you may also see used not to.

💡Used to and use to sound the same: /ˈjuːs tə/ — with /s/, not the /z/ of the verb use, and the d is almost silent. Because they sound the same, they are easy to misspell: write used in affirmative sentences and use after did / didn't.

1. Past habits — things you did again and again, but don't do now

• I used to play badminton every evening after school.

• My grandma used to walk to the market every morning.

2. Past states — things that were true for a long time but have changed (be, have, live, like, think, believe…)

• This café used to be a bookshop.

• Lan used to have very short hair.

• I used to think English grammar was boring.

3. There used to be — something existed somewhere, but it's gone now

• There used to be a big banyan tree in front of our school.

• There didn't use to be so much traffic in Da Nang.

💡Don't use used to for present habits (“I use to drink coffee every morning” is wrong). Used to exists only in the past. For a habit now, use the present simple, often with usually: I usually drink coffee in the morning.

The past simple can describe any finished past action, including habits (When I was a kid, I played outside every day). Used to stresses that it was a long-lasting habit or state and that things are different now. Don't use used to for:

• Something that happened once: I went to Sa Pa last year (not: used to go).
• Saying how many times: I visited her three times (not: used to visit her three times).
• Saying exactly how long: I lived in Hue for five years (we don't usually say used to live there for five years).
• An action in progress at a moment: I was watching TV when you called (not used to watch).

• We used to go to Vung Tau every summer, but last year we went to Phu Quoc.

  used to = many times; went = once

Be / get used to has be or get in front and is followed by -ing or a noun, with a completely different meaning — see the lesson “Be used to” + -ing. Would can replace used to for repeated actions, but not for states: We used to have a dog (not: would have a dog) — see the lesson “Would”.

• ✗I use to play football when I was young.

  ✓I used to play football when I was young.

  Affirmative → used (with -d).

• ✗I didn't used to like spicy food.

  ✓I didn't use to like spicy food.

  After didn't, drop the -d: use to (didn't used to is often seen but is considered incorrect).

• ✗My father used to worked in a factory.

  ✓My father used to work in a factory.

  After used to, use the base verb.

• ✗I was used to play tennis, but I stopped.

  ✓I used to play tennis, but I stopped.

  A past habit has no be; be used to + -ing means “be familiar with”.

• ✗I use to get up at six every day.

  ✓I usually get up at six every day.

  A present habit → present simple.

• ✗I used to go to Japan three times.

  ✓I went to Japan three times.

  A number of times → past simple.