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How to Use the “Used To” Form
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We use “used to do” form when we are talking about something that happened regularly in the past but doesn’t happen any more.
| Positive Sentence | I used to drink five cups of coffee every day but I stopped a year ago. |
| When I was a teenager I used to love Lily. | |
| There used to be a supermarket but now it’s a restaurant. | |
| Negative Sentence | He didn’t (did not) use to workout regularly. |
| We didn’t use to go out together. | |
| Question | Did you use to watch a lot of TV? |
| Did she use to exercise every day? |
The expression “I am used to doing” looks quite similar but has a different meaning. We use it when we talk about something we are accustomed to doing, when it has become a habit or something typical for us.
| My mother is used to the rainy weather in Vancouver because she has always lived there. |
| I’m used to playing hockey because I grew up in Canada! |
We use the form “get used to doing” when we are becoming accustomed to doing something.
| Tony is getting used to speaking Portuguese because he is practicing every day. |
| I am getting used to listening to the Grammar Kitchen radio program because I love it! |
Bonus English Tip
We also use “would” to express something habitual for us in the past but not to talk about past states.
| When she was a teenager she used to help her mom with cooking – Correct |
| When she was a teenager she would help her mom with cooking – Correct |
But!
| We used to have a cottage in the country – Correct |
| We would have a cottage in the country – Incorrect |
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Alena Khabibullina
