1. What is 'used to' for past habits in English Grammar?
Form: (used + to + verb)
e.g. used to live, used to like, used to have, etc.
2. Why 'used to' vs Past Simple? - What's the difference?
i. We use both 'used to' & Past Simple to talk about the past but there's a slight difference between these 2 forms.
ii. Difference 'used to' vs Past Simple:
Important Note!
- We don't say 'used to' just to talk about any event in the past or when it happened and the period of time it took.
We use Past Simple for these situations - Example Sentence
1. Sam went fishing three times last week.
2. I visited my grandma a couple of times last year.
3. Edith worked in Tokyo for 5 years.
Note!
We don't say "used to"....
X Sam used to go fishing 3 times last week.
X I used to visit my grandma a couple of times last year.
X Edith used to work in Tokyo for 5 years.
3. When to use 'used to' vs Past Simple for past actions - Example Situation
i. 'used to'
- past habits,
- repeated past actions
- a change from past situation and now
ii. Past Simple
- past & completed actions
- telling stories
4. How to use 'used to' for past habits / situations - Example Sentence
1. Gregory used to be a police officer, but now he's a rugby player.
2. Tom used to take his children to the nearby park every day when they were a lot younger.
3. I didn't use to be very active at school.
4. My mum used to wait for me everyday at the bus stop.
5. I used to bake muffins every week. Now I hardly do any baking.
5. How to Form 'used to' to talk about Past Habits / Past Repeat Actions
Form - (Subject + used to + verb)
e.g. study
i. (positive)
- I / you / we / they used to study
- he / she / it used to study
ii. (negative) + short form
- I / you / we / they did not (didn't) use to study
- he / she / it did not (didn't) use to study
ii. (negative) with 'never'
- I / you / we / they never used to study
- he / she / it never used to study
Note!
- did not *use to (didn't *use to) - (no "d" )
iii. Yes/No Questions
Did I / you / we / they use to + study...?
Did he / she / it use to + study....?
iv. Short Answers - (positive)
Yes, I /you /we /they did.
Yes, he /she /it did.
v. Short Answers - negative + (short form)
No, I /you / we /they did not (didn't).
No, he /she /it did not (didn't).
Tip! Better English Speaking Skills
Practise speaking using the short form for your conversations.
You'll speak faster. And sound more natural.
6. Quick Recap!
We use 'used to' to talk about:
- something we did regularly in the past but don’t do anymore.
- a change from a past state / situation and now e.g. habits, jobs, hobbies, life situation etc.
a. Form - (used to + verb)
- (positive)
- (yes/no Q)
- short answer
Example Sentence:
1. I used to hate learning art at school but now I love it.
2. Chelsea used to love bold & bright colours but now she doesn't.
3. I used to work really long hours at the office but now I enjoy working from home.
4. Did your husband use to be a farmer?
-Yeah, he did. His family used to own a sheep farm.
5. George used to live in London but now he lives in Singapore.
Tip! Better English Speaking Skills
- Say the sentences out loud. Repeat a few times. Try without looking at the text.
b. Used to (Negative)
Form - (did not use to + verb ), (never used to + verb)
Example Sentence (negative)
1. My mum never used to like gardening but now she simply loves it.
2. Sheila and her friends did not use to walk home together from yoga class.
3. I didn't use to work really long hours at the office when I was younger. (But now I do.)
4. It didn't use to be so quiet in the evenings.
5. I never used to shop at that supermarket. (Now I do.)
Grammar Point!
We say 'used to' for:
- something we did regularly in the past but don’t do anymore.
- a change from a past state / situation and now e.g. habits, jobs, hobbies, life situation, etc.
7. Let's look at more 'used to' Example Sentences.
a. Positive/Negative, Yes/No Questions, Short Answers - Example Sentence
Q. Did you use to live in Thailand as a teenager?
A: No, I didn't. My sister used to live there with my parents. My dad was working in a large manufacturing company in Bangkok at that time.
I *was already attending university here when dad got the overseas posting.
Before the move we didn't use to like spicy food.
Now we have them almost every other day.
Grammar Point!
(Past Continuous with the Past Simple)
- I *was already attending university here when dad got the overseas posting.
(Past Simple and Present Simple Tense)
-My family lived in Bangkok for 5 years.
b. 'used to'- Yes/No Questions, Short Answers
Q. Did your mum use to help out with the housework when your kids were younger?
A. Yeah, she did. She used to live a few doors away. We all enjoyed her cooking so much, especially the kids.
They used to enjoy helping out at the kitchen.
Vocabulary Check!
Common Expressions:
-door (away, down, up) from : door = refer to house / building
e.g. There's a supermarket just 3 doors down the street.
9. Let's recap!
We learnt about 'used to' for past habits / situations with example sentences.
i. We use "used to" to talk about habitual and repeated actions in the past over a period of time (which is now finished)
Example Sentence
I used to hate art lessons as a student but now I am a full-time artist.
*Past Simple Tense - I hated art lessons as a student.
ii. 'Used to' for something we did regularly in the past but don’t do anymore e.g. habits, hobbies etc.
Example Sentence - (used to + verb)
- My sister Freda and I used to yell at each other a lot in our *teens.
- She used to spend *ages in the bathroom to wash her long hair.
Vocabulary Check!
- *ages (phrase) = a very long time
- *teens (noun) = 13 to 19 yrs old
Grammar Point!
Time Expressions:
- these days (Present)
- back then (Past)
9. Time to see what you know!
For a change from past situation and now.
- used to,
- did not use to,
- didn't use to,
- never used to
Change the following sentences using 'used to':
e.g. (Now) I like spicy snacks.
- I didn't use to like it.
- I never used to like it.
- I used to like sweet ones.
Life used to be different...
i. These days, I wake up early.
ii. I make breakfast for the kids every morning.
iii. I don't wear much makeup.
iv. I dressed in T-shirt and jeans most days .
v. I shop at a local supermarket.
vi. Life is busier.
vii. The weather is hot all the time.
10. Over to You! Practice Time.
Make sentences using 'used to' in their different forms.
1. I used to .................
2. When I was a child I didn't use to .................
3. Talk about how you have changed:
a. your hairstyle .................
b. your interests .................
c. sports .................
4. Write 5 more sentences about yourself or loved one / life /your neighbourhood/anything with 'used to':
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Grammar Point!
Note: Different ways to talk about the past in English grammar.
1. I baked some muffins yesterday. (Past completed action)
- Past Simple
2. I was baking muffins yesterday when Jill called me. (for past action in progress) - Past Continuous
3. I've already baked some muffins. (past action, but we don't know exactly when) - Present Perfect Simple
4.I've been baking muffins all afternoon. (for past action that's still going on)
- Present Perfect Continuous
Hope you find this post useful & interesting. Thanks for for reading.
Questions? Talk to us on the form below.
Check out the following posts:
>>The English Imperative form - 3 Ways to use
>>Past Simple tense - How to use + Example
>>Present Perfect Simple - When to use + Example
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