Grammar › Verb Tenses › Used to / Would (past habits)
Used to / Would (past habits)
Use ‘used to’ and ‘would’ for finished past habits and states. Use:
- Used to — past habits and past states — I used to smoke; there used to be a cinema here.
- Would — repeated past actions, often in stories — Every summer we would go to the coast.
’Used to’ works for both habits and states; ‘would’ only works for repeated actions, not states. The negative is ‘didn’t use to’.
How to form it
| Structure | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| used to (affirmative) | subject + used to + base verb | I used to play tennis. |
| used to (negative) | subject + didn’t use to + base verb | I didn’t use to like it. |
| used to (question) | Did + subject + use to + base verb? | Did you use to live here? |
| would | subject + would + base verb | We would visit every summer. |
After did, it’s use to (no -d): Did you use to…? / I didn’t use to…
Used to — habits and states
- I used to go to the gym. (a habit)
- There used to be a bakery here. (a state)
Would — repeated actions
For repeated past actions, often when telling a story.
- On Sundays, my dad would cook a big lunch.
- We would spend every summer by the sea.
⚠️ Typical error:
There would be a bakery here.→ ‘Would’ can’t describe a past state. Use used to: There used to be a bakery here.
Common mistakes
1. Using ‘would’ for a past state. I would have long hair → I used to have long hair.
2. Keeping the -d after ‘did’. Did you used to…? → Did you use to…?
3. Confusing ‘used to’ with ‘be used to’. I’m used to smoke (a past habit) → I used to smoke.
✏️ Practice: Used to / Would
1. I ___ smoke, but I quit years ago.
2. There ___ a castle on that hill.
3. I ___ like vegetables when I was young.
4. Every winter, we ___ go skiing in the Pyrenees.
5. ___ you ___ live in Madrid?
6. I ___ getting up early now — it feels normal.
7. Choose the correct version of: ‘My grandmother would have a big garden.’
8. We ___ play in the street as kids.
9. Choose the sentence with the same meaning as: ‘In the past I played the piano, but not anymore.’
10. He ___ cycle to work, but now he drives.
11. Fill in the gap
We ___ in a flat near the sea. (past state)
Type three words.
12. Correct the mistake
I would have long hair when I was a child.
Type the whole corrected sentence.
13. Correct the mistake
Did you used to live here?
Type the whole corrected sentence.
✏️ Practice: Fill in the gap
Type the whole verb phrase — ‘used to’ or ‘would’ plus the verb in brackets, whichever the context allows. Remember: ‘would’ can’t describe a past state. Twenty original sentences.
✏️ Practice: Put the words in order
Tap the words below to build each sentence in the right order. Twenty original sentences.
✏️ Practice: Match the context to the form
Tap a context, then tap the form it can take. A past state only takes ‘used to’; a repeated past action can take ‘used to’ or ‘would’.
✏️ Practice: Beat the clock
15 seconds per question. Watch out: ‘would’ can’t describe a past state.
20 questions, 15 seconds each. The clock starts when you press Start.
✏️ Practice: Find the mistake
Each sentence has exactly one mistake. Tap the word you think is wrong. Twenty original sentences.
✏️ Level check: How well do you know it?
20 mixed questions — typing, word order, choices, multiple choice, and spot-the-mistake. One pass, then a breakdown of where you’re strong and where to go back and practise.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ‘used to’ and ‘would’?
Both describe repeated past actions. But ‘used to’ also covers past states (I used to have a dog), while ‘would’ does not.
How do I make it negative?
Use ‘didn’t use to’ (drop the -d after did): I didn’t use to like coffee.
What about ‘be used to’?
That’s different: ‘be used to + -ing’ means ‘be accustomed to’ (I’m used to getting up early). ‘Used to + base verb’ is a past habit.
Can I always use the past simple instead?
Often yes: I smoked for years = I used to smoke. But ‘used to’ stresses that it’s no longer true.
👩🏫 For teachers
CEFR objectives for “Used to / Would (past habits)”:
- Can use ‘used to’ for past habits and states, and ‘would’ for repeated past actions (CEFR B1).
- Can form the negative and question with ‘use to’ (no -d).
- Can distinguish ‘used to + base’ from ‘be used to + -ing’.
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