Used to
- I used to do something
- I am used to doing something
- I am getting used to doing something
First a bit of history
John Milton,The History of Britain, 1670
George Lillo, London Merchant, 1731
Coming back up to date
- Past simple + to-infinitive to talk about habits, repeated actions, situations and states in the past which are no longer true.
- I used to smoke, but I don't now. (+)
- She didn't use to have red hair, did she? (-)
- Where did you use to live before you came here? (?)
- Past participle used as an adjective after the verbs be and get, and followed by the preposition to.
- At that time I wasn't used to getting up so early.
- But I had to get used to it because of my job.
- Getting used to it wasn't particularly easy.
- But gradually I got used to it.
- In fact, you could probably say I'm used to it now.
Main points to note.
- used to do something
- here used is a past simple verb form, so drops the final d in negatives and questions, as with other verbs:
I used to ... (+)
I didn't use to ... (-)
Did you use to ...? (?) - the word to here is part of the following infinitive
- here used is a past simple verb form, so drops the final d in negatives and questions, as with other verbs:
- be / get used to something
- here used is an adjective, so never changes
- the word to here is a preposition, and is always followed by a noun phrase, pronoun or gerund (-ing form)
- be used to describes the state of being accustomed to or familiar with something.
- get used to describes the process of becoming accustomed to or familiar with something
Practice
Exercise 1 | Complete the second sentences with suitable forms of used to, be used to, get used to or usually to mean more or less the same as the first ones. Use the number of words given in brackets. |
1. | Before coming here, Maria lived in a small village in the country. Before coming here, Maria in a small village in the country. (3) | |
2. | It took her some time to adapt to living in a big city. It took her some time to in a big city. (4) | |
3. | In her village for example, they weren't accustomed to so much traffic as in the city. In her village for example, they so much traffic as in the city. (3) | |
4. | And she found adapting to the pace of life in the city quite difficult at first. And she found the pace of life in the city quite difficult at first. (3) | |
5. | In the beginning she didn't go out much in the evenings. In the beginning she much in the evenings. (5) | |
6. | But nowadays she is in the habit of going out three or four evenings a week. But nowadays she three or four evenings a week. )(3) | |
7. | I asked her: Didn't you get bored in the village? I asked her: Didn't in the village? (5) | |
8. | But she replied: It wasn't really a problem for me, I suppose. But she replied: I , I suppose. (4) | |
9. | But now she has adapted to the pace of city life. But now she the pace of city life. (4) | |
10. | And says: City life is so normal for me now, I don't think I could ever go back. And says: I'm so now, I don't think I could ever go back. (4) |
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Using will and would to talk about habits and typical behaviour.
- He'll get hot and bothered about the smallest thing. (OR He gets ... )
He'd get hot and bothered about the smallest thing. (OR He got / used to get ... ) - If there's a problem, she'll usually ask for help. (OR she usually asks ... )
If there was a problem, she'd usually ask for help. (OR she asked / used to ask ... )
- He will keep turning up late for work.
- If you will criticise everything he says, what do you expect?
- He would go on all the time about how clever he was.
- She would say that, wouldn't she?
Would and used to
- She would always bring us presents. (OR She always used to bring ... )
- Every day, he would take the number 27 bus to work. (OR he used to take ... )
- He used to live in Liverpool. NOT He would live in Liverpool.
- She used to have darker hair. NOT She would have darker hair.
Practice
Exercise 2 | Use the verbs from the box in the correct form. Where it's possible, use would. If would is not possible but used to is, use used to. Otherwise use Past simple. |
http://random-idea-english.blogspot.com
Using used to and would in reported speech.
- Patricia: "I used to think he was rather nice."
Patricia said that she used to think he was rather nice. - Matthew: "She would often write to me."
Matthew said that she would often write to him.
Using used to and would with narrative tenses.
Narrative tenses - a quick reminder
- Past simple
- Describes the main events of the story
- Describes sequences of events
- Is the 'standard' narrative tense. If in doubt, go for past simple.
- Past continuous
- Is often used to set the scene and for describing background actions
- Describes unfinished actions, especially around a certain time
- Describes longer actions interrupted by shorter ones
- Is sometimes used to make the actions in a story seem more immediate, especially with the word now
- Past perfect
- Describes events which took place before the main events in the story
- Past perfect continuous
- Describes longer continuous actions which took place before the main events in the story
- Is sometimes used to explain the condition of people or things at the time of the main events in the story.
Practice with narrative tenses
Exercise 3 | Put the verbs in the correct form. Where it's possible, use would. Use used to where that is possible but would isn't. Otherwise use narrative tenses. |
Nowadays Nigel is a successful businessman, but it (1) (not be) always like that. For a long time he (2) (sell) insurance door-to-door. He (3) (knock) on the doors of complete strangers and (4) (try) to convince them how much they needed his product. | ||
Then one day he (5) (get) his big break. He (6) (visit) a particular area of the city when he (7) (notice) that there were a lot of empty shops in what (8) (be) a busy street when he was a boy. He (9) (take) a lease on one of the shops, and (10) (set) himself up as an independent financial adviser. It (11) (be) the eighties, the period of privatisations, and many ordinary people (12) (buy) shares for the first time. Share ownership (13) (be) mainly for the rich, but nowadays everybody's at it. | ||
He soon (14) (make) a reputation for himself. There (15) (be) a lot of factories in this area, but in the eighties many of them (16) (close) down. It was usual for workers to be given quite large redundancy payments and often they (17) (come) to ask him for his advice on how to invest their money wisely. Word soon (18) (get) round that he (19) (be) both reliable and good value. | ||
Then (20) (come) the nineties, a boom time for the financial sector. Nigel started to expand his business. He worked hard and (21) (often spend) as much as twelve hours at work. | ||
Then one day, he (22) (decide) that he (23) (have) enough. He (24) (spend) so much time at work that he (25) (hardly see) his family in the previous year or so. From then on he would take it easy and let his managers do the work. |
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Describing habit, customs and routines
Exercise 4 | Use the words in the box to fill the gaps. |
1. | She went for a medical check-up. | |
2. | We have a of welcoming new students with a party. | |
3. | He's a liar. He's incapable of telling the truth. | |
4. | Staff are searched when they leave work. | |
5. | It is to thank people when they do something for you. | |
6. | This is all part of our daily . | |
7. | She's late for her appointments. | |
8. | These sort of products are aimed at teenagers. | |
9. | He has a of speaking rather quietly. |
http://random-idea-english.blogspot.com
Other ways of talking about habits
Exercise 5 | Use the words in the box to fill the gaps. |
1. | I have a cup of coffee in the morning. | |
2. | I'm to having a cup of coffee in the morning. | |
3. | I've used to having a cup of coffee in the morning. | |
4. | I'm accustomed to a cup of coffee in the morning. | |
5. | I'm in the habit having a cup of coffee in the morning. | |
6. | I tend to a cup of coffee in the morning. | |
7. | I have a to feel sleepy if I don't have a cup of coffee in the morning. | |
8. | I'm wont have a cup of coffee in the morning. |
http://random-idea-english.blogspot.com
Grammatical PS - technically, the verb used to is a semi-modal
- Negative - He used not to smoke (also use(d)n't)
= He didn't use to smoke (more usual) - Question - Used your parents allow you to stay out late?
= Did your parents use to allow you to stay out late? (more usual)
Poirot loses a client
Other semi-modals
- She doesn't need to do it if she doesn't want to. (normal construction)
She needn't do it if she doesn't want to. (modal construction) - Do we really need to go now? (normal construction)
Need we really go now? (modal construction)) - He doesn't dare tell her the truth. (normal construction)
He daren't tell her the truth. (modal construction)
Some song extracts
Chris Daughtry - Used to
Used to + infinitive and would
We used to have this figured out;
We used to breathe without a doubt.
When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see.
We used to have this under control.
We never thought.
We used to know.
At least there's you, and at least there's me.
Can we get this back?
Can we get this back to how it used to be?
Madonna - This used to be my playground
Used to + infinitive
This used to be my playground (used to be)
This used to be my childhood dream
This used to be the place I ran to
Whenever I was in need
Of a friend
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
Used to + infinitive and get used to something
You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it
Depeche Mode - A Pain That I'm Used To
Be used to something
All this running around, well it's getting me down
Just give me a pain that I'm used to
I don't need to believe all the dreams you conceive
You just need to achieve something that rings true
Selena - I'm getting used to you
Get used to somebody or doing something
I'm getting used to you
Ooh and I'm loving every single thing about you
I'm getting used to you
And I could never get used to living without you
Ain't no living without loving you
Dusty Springfield - Son of a Preacher Man
Using would to talk about people's habitual actions
Billy-Ray was a preacher's son
And when his daddy would visit he'd come along
When they gathered round and started talkin'
That's when Billy would take me walkin'
A-through the backyard we'd go walkin'
Then he'd look into my eyes
Lord knows to my surprise
Johnny Cash - A girl named Sue
Using would to talk about what often happened, what typically happened.
Well, he must've thought that it's quite a joke
And it got a lot of laughs from a' lots of folks,
It seems I had to fight my whole life through.
Some gal'd giggle and I'd get red
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head,
I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named 'Sue.'
Coldplay - Viva la vida
Both used to + infinitive and would
I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own
Notes
Note 1 - Samuel Pepys Diary
Note 2 - Milton and Moustachio's
Answers
Related posts
- Different uses of would
- Ruddy Wee Hoody - a familiar story to practise narrative tenses
- A Boy Named Sue - song lesson
- Future in the past - lesson with exercises
Links
- Samuel Pepys - Wikipedia
- Annotated Pepys Diary
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage
- Songs with used to (YouTube)
- Clam chowder - Wikipedia
Songs - Google searches - lyrics, YouTube etc
- Chris Daughtry - Used to
- Madonna - This used to be my playground
- Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stono
- Slang city - Explanation of lyrics in Like a Riolling Stone
- Dusty Springfield- Son of a Preacher Man
- Johnny Cash A Girl Named Sue
- Coldplay - Viva la Vida
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