How often do you reminisce? Do you remember your childhood, pleasant moments, your lifestyle, old habits? Of course yes.
But if you talk about the past in English, what grammatical devices do you use? You don’t have to answer, this is probably it.
There are other ways, it's time to diversify your grammatical arsenal. In this article, we will talk about the used to construction and the verb would so that you can use them successfully in your speech.
Let's look at the reverse first. used to. The peculiarity of this construction is that its form is often associated with the verb use. Many people, encountering the construction for the first time, do not pay attention to it, and some try to translate it using the meaning of the verb use. Such translations, of course, are incorrect, since the turnover used to has nothing to do with the verb use.
How to distinguish the form past tense of the verb use from the turn used to? Let's look at examples:
When I was writing my essay, I used information from the Internet. - When I wrote the essay, I used materials from the Internet.
I used to go to the library when I did not have Internet at home. - I used to go to the library when I didn’t have Internet at home.
Somebody used my toothbrush, it was wet. - Someone used my toothbrush, it was wet.
He used to brush his teeth three times a day. - He used to brush his teeth three times a day.
In sentences with the verb use, the verb requires the object expressed by the noun:
used
information
used
my
toothbrush
The phrase used to agrees not with the noun, but with the verb:
used
to
go
used
to
brush
Particular attention should be paid to pronunciation. The verb use is pronounced like , if it is a past tense form (and use is a regular verb), then . Used to is pronounced like . As you can see, the sound [z] not here.
Let's consider in what cases we need a design used to and what is its difference from .
Used to is used to denote habitual actions and states in the past (including the distant past), as well as actions that were regular in the past, but at the moment are no longer repeated:
I used to live with my parents. Now I live alone. - I used to live with my parents. Now I live alone.
I used to watch cartoons. At present I don’t. - I used to watch cartoons. I'm not watching now.
I used to have a dog. Now I have a cat. - I used to have a dog. Now I have a cat.
The phrase used to can be translated: "I used to...", "I had a habit...", "I used to".
Used to can be replaced with without changing the meaning when talking about habitual actions in the past or states:
I used to live with my parents. - I lived with my parents.
I used to watch cartoons. - I watched cartoons.
I used to have a dog. - I had a dog.
Main difference used to from Past Simple is that used to always indicates that the action has been terminated. Compare two examples:
| PAST SIMPE | USED TO |
| My grandmother worked as a teacher. (She may either continue working or not) |
My grandmother used to work as a teacher. (At the moment she is retired) |
| My grandmother worked as a teacher in the past. It can either continue to work or stop working. Without context we don't know this. If used Past Simple, then we only know that the action took place in the past and cannot draw any conclusions about the present. |
My grandmother used to work as a teacher. From this sentence we understand that she is no longer doing this now: she has moved to another position, retired, or your own version. Used to shows that the action is no longer happening in the present, it has stopped. |
Although most often there is no difference between these two ways of expressing the past, there are a number of situations when we can use Past Simple only, but not used to:
1.
If you indicate the time when the action occurred (yesterday, last month, a week ago).
2.
If you say how many times an action happened at a certain point in the past:
I called her three times yesterday. - I called her three times yesterday.
With used to it is acceptable to use time specifiers because they describe only a period, not a specific time:
In my childhood
When I was young
When I was a student
In 1950s etc.
We have decided on the use of used to, now let's look at the different types of statements. The construction used to does not change depending on the person and number and has no abbreviations.
In the statement, after used to there is a verb:
I used to go to the theatre. - I used to go to the theater.
He used to live in a country house. - He used to live in a country house.
The used to construction has three negation options:
| didn't use to(in form as negation in Past Simple) |
I didn't use to go to the theatre. He didn't use to live in a country house. Notice that in this type of negation we are saying use to, but not used to . |
| never used to |
We never used to have lunch in this restaurant. They never used to play chess |
|
used not to |
You used not to go on holiday in spring. She used not to eat fish. |
An interrogative sentence with the used to construction is constructed in the same way as in Past Simple. In interrogative sentences we use the auxiliary verb did:
Did you use to read adventure books? -Have you read books about adventures before?
What kind of books did you use to read? - What books have you read before?
Did they use to have pets? - Did they have pets before?
What pets did you use to have? - What pets did you have before?
Verb would: use and difference from used to.
Another way of referring to habitual actions in the past is as a verb would. The difficulty is that sometimes it is difficult to understand what time a sentence refers to would, and therefore it is mistakenly translated into the future tense. In fact, these sentences are translated in the same way as sentences with used to: “I used to...”, “I used to...”, “I had a habit...”, etc.
In the evening my mother would cook dinner for all the family. - In the evenings, my mother prepared dinner for the whole family.
I would spend a lot of time in the library. - I spent a lot of time in the library.
However would And used to have one big difference.
At the beginning of the article it was mentioned that USED TO is used for state designations, that is, used with verbs of state: think, have, see, feel, smell, taste, know, understand, imagine, doubt, remember, want, forget, need, love, like, be and others.
We used to think that whale is a kind of fish. (NOT I would think)
My brother used to have a motorbike. (NOT My brother would have)
Did you use to believe in Santa Claus? (NOT Would you believe)
I used to know all the irregular verbs when I was a schoolgirl. (NOT I would know)
So let's summarize:
To express a habitual action in the past we can use:
1. Past Simple- if we name a specific time or number of repetitions. The action can be repeated in the present time.
2. Used to- if an action that was familiar in the past does not continue in the present.
3. Would- habit in the past, only with action verbs.
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We use used to when we refer to things in the past which are no longer true. It can refer to repeated actions or to a state or situation:
He used to play football for the local team, but he’s too old now.
That white house over there used to belong to my family.(It belonged to my family in the past, but not any more.)
Warning:
In statements, the form used to does not change. We don't use the verb be before it. It always refers to past time:
We used to go to the seaside every summer when I was a kid.
Not: We are used to go … or We use to go … or We were used to go …
Negative: didn't use to
The negative of used to is most commonly didn't use(d) to. Sometimes we write it with a final -d, sometimes not. Both forms are common, but many people consider the form with the final -d
It didn't use to be so crowded in the shops as it is nowadays.
I didn't used to like broccoli when I was younger, but I love it now.(Don’t use this form in exams.)
In very formal styles, we can use the negative form used not to:
She used not to live as bad as she does now.
Questions
The most common form of question is auxiliary did + use(d) to. Many people consider the form with a final -d to be incorrect, and you should not use it in exams:
I think we met once, a couple of years ago. Did you use to work with Kevin Harris?
Didn't she used to live in the same street as us?
Emphatic did
We can use the emphatic auxiliary did with used to:
We never used to mix very much with the neighbors, but we did used to say hello to them in the street.(Don’t use this form in written exams.)
We normally make tags after used to with auxiliary did:
He used to be your boss, did he?
We used to love going to the museum, didn't we?
Used to or would?
We can use used to or would to talk about people’s habits in the past. When we use them both together, used to most commonly comes first, as it sets the scene for the actions being reported:
When we were kids, we used to invent amazing games. We would imagine we were the government and we would make crazy laws that everyone had to obey.
Used to, but not would, can describe a state or situation which is no longer true:
We used to live in Manchester.
Not: We would live in Manchester.
'The Townhouse' used to be a Greek restaurant. It's Italian now.
Not: ‘The Townhouse’ would be a Greek restaurant…
Used to or be used to?
Used to refers to actions and situations in the past which no longer happen or are no longer true. It always refers to the past:
She used to sing in a choir, but she gave it up.(She sang, but she doesn’t sing any more)
Be used to means ‘be accustomed to’ or ‘be familiar with’. It can refer to the past, present or future. We follow be used to with a noun phrase, a pronoun or the -ing form of a verb:
I work in a hospital, so I 'm used to long hours.(I am accustomed to/familiar with long hours.)
She lives in a very small village and hates traffic. She 's not used to it.
He was a salesman, so he was used to traveling up and down the country.(He was accustomed to/was familiar with traveling.)
We can also say get used to or (more formally) become used to:
University is very different from school, but don’t worry. You'll soon get used to it.(or, more formally, You'll soon become used to it.)
In English, especially in colloquial speech, the phrase is often used used to. You can hear it in a conversation, in a film, on the radio, in a newspaper or in a work of art. In fact, these are three similar, but having different meanings: . And none of these options have the meaning “to use something”, like the verb to use. Let's look at these turns in more detail.
Table: used to \ be used to \ get used to – rules and examples
This table shows patterns, meanings, examples of the use of three types of sentences with used to. Read more detailed analysis below.
| Used to | Be used to | Get used to | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Scheme |
Only in the past tense. |
In past and present tense. |
In the past, present, future. |
| Meaning |
|
|
|
| Example |
I read more as a child. |
I'm used to life in New York.
I'm used to New York. |
I'm used to playing sports.
You'll get used to this place. |
Version used to – action in the past
Offers with used to are built according to the following scheme: I used to do something.
Where instead I there can be any other subject: he, she, they, Boris, my friend, etc., but instead to do– any action expressed in the initial form, including instead of to do verb can be used to be(be). The turnover is used only in the past tense.
Turnover used to used in two cases.
1. The action took place some time in the past, but is no longer happening now.
Please note that the time period is not precisely outlined (earlier, when I was young, years ago, etc.)
Examples:
I used to smoke a lot but now I don’t. - I do a lot smoked, but now I don’t smoke.
Martin used to gamble when he was younger. – Martin played into gambling when I was younger.
Smoking a lot is an action that occurred a long time in the past, and the period of time is not specifically delineated. Now this action no longer occurs (“now I don’t smoke”).
Gambling is also an action belonging to the past. The time period has blurred boundaries (“when he was younger”). In this example, it is not directly stated that Martin no longer plays, but this is clear to the interlocutor without further clarification, because this implies the turnover itself used to.
A very often used pattern is like I used to be, that is, the verb “to be” is used as a verb in this scheme.
You used to be smarter. -You were smarter.
There used to be a farm here but now there is a mall. “There used to be a farm here, and now there’s a shopping center here.”
I used to be an adventurer like you then I took an arrow in the knee. “I was also an adventurer like you, but then I was wounded in the knee by an arrow.”
2. The action in the past was ordinary, repeated
In my childhood I used to read fairy tales. – As a child, I read fairy tales.
This means: I used to, had the habit of reading fairy tales, read them from time to time.
When Elvis sang, he used to take off his scarf and give it to girls in the audience. – When Elvis sang, he took off his scarf and gave it to the girls in the audience.
Meaning that Elvis had this habit, he did this often.
Please note that in this case you can use not only used to, but also a verb. The form is also sometimes used in this meaning, but this option is less common.
In my childhood I used to read fairy tales = In my childhood I would read fairy tales.
When Elvis sang, he used to take off his scarf and give it to girls in the audience = When Elvis sang, he would take off his scarf and give it to girls in the audience.
Turnover be used to – have a habit
Sentences with this turnover are constructed according to the following schemes: I am used to do something or I am used to something.
Instead of I any other subject can be used. Instead of doing– verb with ending -ing. Not only a verb can act as a verb, but also or.
Turnover be used to Means have a habit of something. Unlike used to do something, this phrase can be used in the past and present tense.
Examples with verb object:
I am used to reading only the English Wikipedia, although my native language is Russian. - I used to it read only English-language Wikipedia, although my native language is Russian.
My friend was used to living in a small town. - My friend used to it live in a small town.
Examples with a noun and pronoun object:
That job is ok for me, I 'm used to hard work. - This job will suit me, I used to it to hard work.
I don't want to move, I 'm used to my apartment. - I don’t want to move, I used to it to your apartment.
I 'm used to it. - I used to it to that.
Verb get used to – to get used to something
Offers with turnover get used to are constructed with a verb, noun or pronoun as an object, mainly in the past and future tenses. Has the meaning: acquire a habit. Don't have a habit like be used to, namely, to acquire.
That's what we eat for dinner. Get used to it. - This is what we eat for lunch. Get used to it.
I got used to living in Canada in spite of the cold weather. - I used to it live in Canada despite the cold weather.
He doesn’t like his new job but he will get used to it. – He doesn’t like his new job, but he’s into it. will get used to it.
Interrogative and negative forms
Interrogative and negative forms of sentences with used to, be used to, get used to are built according to the following schemes:
| Used to | Be used to | Get used to | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statement | I used to sleep a lot | I'm used to working hard | I got used to my new job |
| Negation |
I didn't use to sleep a lot |
I’m not used to working hard | I didn't get used to my new job |
| Question | Did I use to sleep a lot? | Am I used to working hard? | Did I get used to my new job? |
I also note that questions with used to are rarely asked. As a rule, a question can be built, for example, in or, and the answer sounds already with used to.
Let's imagine the situation. John and Mark started talking about tennis. It turned out that Mark is well versed in the topic. Naturally, John assumed that Mark was interested in tennis.
John: Do you play tennis? - Do you play tennis?
Mark: I used to. But then I had an injury. – Played (before). But then I got injured.
It would be strange if John asked this question: Did you use to play tennis? He assumed that Mark plays tennis, but I didn’t play it once and then stopped.
How to express something that used to happen regularly, but now doesn’t? The used to (do) construction is quite easy to use. However, some of its forms of questions and denials can take even experienced linguists by surprise.
Use
Turnover used to used in two cases.
1. Firstly, when we talk about a repeated action in the past (“happened”, “before”), which no longer occurs. For example:
I used to meet my friends regularly. — I used to meet with friends regularly.
I used to travel much. — I have traveled a lot before.
Although negative and interrogative forms are used quite rarely, everything here is also natural and simple. Use this construction as a regular form of Past Simple Tense:
I did not use to take my child to a kindergarten.
Did I use to take my child to a kindergarten?
2. Secondly, the rules for using the used to phrase have little in common with the other construction: to be used to do smth very different from grammarusedto and expresses actions that have become habitual. For example:
He is used to meeting his friends regularly. – He is used to meeting friends regularly.
He is used to travel much. — He is used to traveling a lot.
It is worth noting here that the grammar get used to doing smth is in many ways similar to the construction to be used to doing smth. Only the first turn indicates that everything has already happened: whether he is used to it or not, he has been familiar with it for a long time. And the second turn shows the process of adaptation itself, with an emphasis on the fact that right now he is trying to get used to new things. For example:
He started a new job and is still getting used to travel much. – He started a new job and is still getting used to traveling a lot.
Sometimes modern English can confuse not only beginners, but also often confuse experienced professionals. It turns out that in an official speech or letter even the following rules for constructing questions and denials are acceptable:
I used not to travel much.
I usedn't to travel much.
Used she to travel much?
If you encounter similar turns in life, do not think that your interlocutor is stupid or has forgotten the rule. Try to immediately remember our article!
So, the grammar of used to and get used to is quite simple. Try to verbally describe in 5-6 sentences situations that used to happen regularly in your life, but now don’t. And also the situations to which you get used. And then these turns will become even closer and clearer to you.
Some constructions of the English language are not always understandable to Russian-speaking students, since many of them are not only unique, but also structurally similar. In particular, sometimes the complexity comes from the phrases used to, be used to, get used to. However, despite their external similarity, they differ from each other. Moreover, if such constructions as to be used to and to get used to have a similar meaning, then the phrase used to has a completely different and distinctive meaning. Therefore, the difference between these structures must be clearly defined, otherwise their correct use in speech will be impossible.
Design features used to
The modal verb used to (and it belongs specifically to modal verbs, since it conveys not an action, but an attitude to a certain situation) is a reflection of a situation in the past. Its main difference from other modals is that it is used exclusively in the past tense, in particular in Past Indefinite. After this construction, only a simple infinitive with the particle to is always used.
The most popular translation of this phrase is “happened in the past,” i.e. the construction is used to show the frequency or regularity of some action performed in the past, but in the present tense is no longer relevant. In sentences with used to you cannot find Present or Past tenses, since it can only be used with Past.
Note: the situation with the use of used to allows the use of another structure – would, which is essentially its equivalent. However, there are two important nuances here. Firstly, would is typical of formal and business speech and is rarely used in colloquial English. Secondly, using would you cannot convey state, only action.
Here are some examples:
· David used to have a habit of smoking much when he was a student – Previously, when David was a student, he had the habit of smoking a lot (that is, now he does not have such a habit)
· I used to be the best swimmer of all my friends – I used to be the best swimmer of all my friends (i.e. now I’m not)
Interrogative sentences
The question with this construction is formed differently than with most other modal verbs. The fact is that the auxiliary verb did should appear here, and the rule for constructing an interrogative sentence will be standard: auxiliary verb - subject - our construction. In this case, the ending –ed in modal will naturally disappear:
· Did they use to waste much money? – Did they spend a lot of money before?
Negations
The construction used to in English can also be used in a negative sense. A negation with this structure is formed according to the typical Past tense principle: there must also be an auxiliary verb, i.e. the phrase “used not to” is grammatically incorrect. Here are examples of what such a negative construction looks like:
· I didn’t use to be here in my childhood – I had never been here before as a child
· She didn’t use to spend too much time with her parents – She didn’t spend too much time with her parents before
Design features to be used to
The structure to be used to carries a completely different meaning. It is translated as “to get used to”, and one important feature to take into account is that after it only the verb form with the ending –ing (to be used to doing) is used. A possible equivalent of this form is to be accustomed to, a form that has an identical meaning and is also used with V–ing. This design looks like this:
· Alex is used to sleeping much on weekends – Alex is used to sleeping a lot on weekends
· You will be used to working on holidays – You will get used to working on holidays
From the second example it is clear that this expression can be used not only in the past, but also in the future and in the present tense.
Questions
In interrogative sentences with this structure, the verb to be in the appropriate form is placed in first place, followed by the subject, and followed by the verb form with the ending –ing and the remaining members of the sentence:
· Is he used to spending much time playing computer games? – Is he used to spending a lot of time playing computer games?
Negative forms
The grammar also allows for the formation of negatives. The rules are standard, all structural parts remain unchanged, only the particle not appears:
· We are not used to eating eastern food – We are not used to eating eastern food.
Design Features to get used to
This is another structure that is also associated with the meaning of habituation. It must also be followed by a verb ending –ing (to get used to doing). The main difference from the previous construction is that this version demonstrates a certain completeness of the action, that is, the speaker emphasizes that he is already accustomed to a certain action or state. This construction is rather necessary in order to directly show the process of adaptation and getting used to a specific phenomenon, mastering something new. The time with this expression can be any:
· The water in that house was terrible; I had to get used to it – The water in that house was terrible, and I had to get used to it.
· I’m getting used to eating fruit or vegetables every day – I’m starting to get used to eating fruits and vegetables every day.
Questions
Since the structure of the construction includes the verb get, in questions this expression should appear as an auxiliary verb, which will be at the very beginning of the sentence:
· Did he get used to working at his new office? – Has he started to get used to working in his new office?
· Will they get used to sleeping under the sky? – Will they get used to sleeping in the open air?
Negative forms
Negations with construction are also possible. Nothing new appears here except the particle not and the corresponding auxiliary verb:
· I didn’t get used to living in my sister’s home – I couldn’t get used to living in my sister’s house
Thus, it can be noted that even such outwardly similar constructions can have different, and sometimes completely different, meanings. In order to better navigate these structures, you can try to perform various exercises to distinguish between all these structures. Such training will help you better understand their context and not make mistakes when using them.