Used To: Talking About Past Habits

Quick Answer: Use used to + base verb for habits and states that were true in the past but are not true now: "I used to live in Bursa." "She used to have long hair." Negative: "I didn't use to like coffee." Question: "Did you use to play football?" It is different from be used to + -ing, which means "be familiar with."

Key takeaways

• Used to + base verb describes past habits and past states that are no longer true: "I used to live in Bursa."
• After did, drop the d: "Did you use to ...?" and "I didn't use to ..." are the standard forms.
• Used to has no present form; for present habits use usually: "I usually drink tea."
• Would can replace used to for repeated past actions, but never for states: "I used to have a bike", not "I would have a bike".
• Be used to + -ing means "be familiar with"; get used to + -ing means "become familiar with".
• Do not use used to with a specific date or a number of times; use the past simple instead.

How do you form used to?

Type	Structure	Example
Positive	subject + used to + base verb	I used to play the violin.
Negative	subject + didn't use to + base verb	I didn't use to like vegetables.
Question	Did + subject + use to + base verb?	Did you use to live here?
Short answer	Yes, I did. No, I didn't.

Used to is the same for all subjects: I, you, he, she, we, they used to.

Spelling: used or use?

In the positive, write used to. After did (in negatives and questions), write use to, because did already carries the past.

• I used to swim every day.
• Did you use to swim? I didn't use to swim.

You will see "didn't used to" in informal writing, but "didn't use to" is the standard form for exams.

Pronunciation

Used to is pronounced "yoost-tuh" ⁄ˈjuːstə⁄, with an s sound, not a z sound. Both "used to" and "use to" sound the same in speech.

When do you use used to?

1. Past habits (repeated actions) that stopped.

• I used to walk to school every day.
• We used to go camping every summer.
• My dad used to smoke, but he quit ten years ago.

2. Past states that are no longer true.

• She used to be very shy.
• There used to be a cinema on this street.
• I used to have a dog called Pamuk.

Used to always suggests a contrast with now. "I used to live in Ankara" means I don't live there anymore.

What is the difference between used to and the past simple?

Used to	Past simple
repeated habit or long state	any finished action, including single events
I used to visit my grandma every Sunday.	I visited my grandma last Sunday.
Not possible for one action at a specific time	Wrong: "I used to visit her last Sunday."

You can always use the past simple for past habits: "I visited my grandma every Sunday." Used to just makes the "not anymore" meaning clearer.

Used to does not work with a specific number of times or exact duration:

• Wrong: I used to go there three times.
• Right: I went there three times.

Would for Past Habits

Would can also describe repeated past actions, especially in stories and memories.

• When we were kids, we would play outside until dark.
• Every evening, my grandfather would tell us a story.

But would cannot describe past states.

• Right: I used to have a bike.
• Wrong: I would have a bike.
• Right: She used to be a teacher.
• Wrong: She would be a teacher.

A common pattern is to start with used to and then continue with would: "When I was young, we used to spend summers at the coast. We would swim all day and we would eat ice cream every night."

What is the difference between used to, be used to and get used to?

These three look similar but mean different things.

Structure	Meaning	Example
used to + base verb	past habit, not now	I used to work at night.
be used to + -ing or noun	be familiar, comfortable with	I'm used to working at night.
get used to + -ing or noun	become familiar, slowly	I'm getting used to working at night.

• I used to drive on the left. (In the past, I drove on the left.)
• I am used to driving on the left. (It's normal for me now; it's not strange.)
• I got used to driving on the left after a month in London. (It became normal.)

In be used to and get used to, the word "to" is a preposition, so it is followed by a gerund or noun. See gerunds vs infinitives for more.

• Wrong: I'm used to wake up early.
• Right: I'm used to waking up early.
• Right: I'm used to the cold.

Talking About How Things Have Changed

Used to is ideal for comparing past and present.

• I used to hate vegetables, but now I love them.
• This town used to be quiet. Now it's full of tourists.
• People used to write letters. Now they send messages.

Try writing five sentences about how your life has changed in the last ten years. Combine used to with the present perfect for even richer answers: "I used to live with my parents, but I have lived alone since 2022."

What are the most common mistakes with used to?

Mistake	Wrong	Right
Used to for the present	I use to drink tea every morning.	I usually drink tea every morning.
Used after did	Did you used to live here?	Did you use to live here?
Mixing used to and be used to	I used to living here.	I used to live here. I'm used to living here.
Would for states	I would have long hair.	I used to have long hair.
Used to with a date or count	I used to visit Paris in 2019.	I visited Paris in 2019.

A note for Turkish speakers

Turkish expresses past habits with -erdi, -ardı ("Eskiden Bursa'da yaşardım"). That maps neatly to used to: "I used to live in Bursa." Be careful with "alışkınım" (I am accustomed): that is be used to + -ing, as in "Erken kalkmaya alışkınım", "I'm used to getting up early."

Practice Quiz

Complete with used to, didn't use to, did ... use to, or be used to.

1. I ___ play tennis, but I stopped when I hurt my knee.
2. ___ you ___ have long hair?
3. She ___ like coffee, but now she drinks three cups a day.
4. There ___ be a bakery here.
5. I live in Norway, so I ___ cold weather.
6. He's a nurse, so he ___ working at night.

Answers: 1. used to 2. Did, use to 3. didn't use to 4. used to 5. am used to 6. is used to

Talking about your past is a key A2 skill. Practice it with Sage the Turtle in the LearnLingo A2 course.

People Also Ask

What does used to mean?

Used to describes habits or states that were true in the past but are not true now. For example, I used to smoke means I smoked in the past, but I don't smoke now.

Is it didn't used to or didn't use to?

The standard written form is didn't use to, because did already shows the past. Didn't used to is common in informal writing, but use didn't use to in exams.

What is the difference between used to and be used to?

Used to plus base verb talks about past habits. Be used to plus -ing means to be familiar with something, as in I am used to waking up early.

Related Reading

• Past Simple Tense: Rules, Irregular Verbs and Examples
• Gerunds vs Infinitives
• The Present Perfect Tense, Explained Simply
• English Mistakes Turkish Speakers Make