Questions tagged [used-to]
The used-to tag has no usage guidance.
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We used to live there five years ago - is it correct?
my question is actually in the title. I'm confused by the past time expression "ago"+ used to, although I don't see a proper explanation of whether it's possible or not. I usually see used ...
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Using "would" instead of "used to"
It is well-known that action verbs, such as "go" can go before "would" to refer to past habits. But a friend of mine says that it cannot be used in the following example:
When l ...
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Was used to / used to / got used
Do these constructions mean the same ?
I used to play football when I was a child.
I was used to play football when I was a child.
And
I got used to play football.
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Used to vs. Past simple
The question from Study Guide in Essential Grammar in Use was:
Dave _____________ in a factory. Now he works in a supermarket.
a. working / b. works / c. worked / d. use to work / e. used to work
I ...
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What does "had not used to be" mean? Is it the same as "didn't use to be"?
Came across some examples like this:
He had not used to be sad in the king's presence, but conformed to the
rules of the court, which would admit no sorrows...(Matthew Henry
Study Bible)
Is it ...
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can we say sentences like "used to be able to be..."
What is the problem with this sentence, grammatically:
I used to be able to be flexible.
I think the part "be flexible" isn't true grammatically because of the second "be". I don't ...
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"When I was a student, I would live in a small apartment with three friends" Is it grammatically correct?
In my English book I found this question:
Is this sentence grammatically correct?
When I was a student, I would live in a small apartment with three friends.
My answer was that is correct but turns ...
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Usage of "used to + verb" versus "would + verb"
I was trying to translate a sentence into English the other day and was wondering what is the best way to put it.
In the sentence the speaker is telling that he had been on another opinion in the the ...
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Used to vs present perfect
One of my colleague asked her students to rephrase this sentence:
We started to write to each other three years ago.
And her answer is:
We used to write to each other in two years.
I see something ...
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"When I worked" and "when I was working" after "used to be" [duplicate]
I have a question about using "when I did ..." and "when I was doing ..." in a certain sentence.
When you are talking about a currently busy store that you worked at several years ...
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Gerund or to-infinitive in the sentence
I read that after the phrase "used to" we use gerund. I read this sentence: "He does not remember how Mike used to worry him."
When I read this sentence, it gives better sense to ...
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USED TO with different forms of infinitive
Is it possible to use different forms of infinitive with "USED TO"?
1 I used to have finished my work by the time she came home.
or should it be
I used to have finished my work by the time ...
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Used to and past continuous
The first few weeks or months I ___ that I was eating chocolate or
cakes, and them I woke up in the morning and my body was crying for
sugar.
a) was dreaming b) used to dreaming c) used to dream d) ...
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'Used to' and 'Would' as 'describing habitual events and repeated actions in the past' but in Past Perfect
If I want to say that I used to something before the past I will mention further in the context, can I use past perfect in this case?
For instance:
There had been days when the game had been quite ...
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'used to' after 'when' in the dependent part of a complex sentence with the main 'used to'
Is the sentence below acceptable.
If yes, why does it sound so weird?
If not, why? And what's the correct version? If there is a correct version which is not this, it can't express exactly this.
When ...
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be used to VS get used to in Future time
I've read this one and I still haven't got the difference. Could anyone explain the difference on these two examples:
There are some things in this life that you'll never be used
to / get used to.
I ...
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"used to" vs "would"
The book "Freakonomics", Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, 2005, page 186, the link (the original is with "would"):
So how does it matter if you have a very white name or a very black name? ...
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Use to or Used to exercises , help me complete the sentence
When we were children, we ____________________ collect stamps.
Mr. Wood ______________ read at leat four hours a day when he was young.
John __________________ walk to school in the ...
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answer
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How would I negate "I used to be able to do it"?
i)
"I used to be able to do it."
What's the negative form of the abovementioned sentence? Is it natural to say - "I used to be able to not do it."?
ii)
is there any grammatical (like ...
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What did you use to cook or What did you used to cook, which one is correct?
I have confusion with some grammatical facts. So I am looking for help here.
Which one should be correct?
A. What did you use to cook?
B. What did you used to cook?
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"When" + past simple or "while" + past continuous to introduce "used to"
I was doing grammar exercises with a friend and I tried to make an example, but the tenses got me confused. Here are two possibilities:
While we were living in Paris, we used to eat croissants ...
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Used to VS Before VS Earlier
If we talk about some actions which were happening in the past and don't happen anymore, we can use "used to":
I used to smoke
We can say the same without "used to" but with "before":
I smoked ...
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“I rode / was riding / used to ride a bike every day”
Which tense should I use if I was on a holiday which lasted two weeks and during that time I rode a bike every day?
It was a great time because I rode a bike every day. (Past Simple)
It was a great ...
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Used to vs would structural difference
I have a doubt on the following question.
1) I ______________ want to be a practising doctor but now I'm more interested in research.
Options:
A. was used to
B. used to
c. would
I was ...
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Why do I need the past, not the past perfect, here?
Capital expenditure of their company in the year 2001 _______ clearly below the spending in the year 2000 when they _______ about half the investments for the concept conversion.
A) used to be / had ...
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It used to be done
We can say some sentences with "used to" in the Active Voice, but are the Passive Voice ones used with "used to" as well?
I used to read those books ---> Those books used to be read by me.
She didn'...
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Specific time with "used to"
I am not sure about using "used to"
We use "used to" to talk about our past habits (can I say "late habits" ?), and we cannot use any specific time, so that we talk about past in general.
So the ...
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Choosing the correct option to describe a past habit
How should I know which one to choose?
When she was a girl, my mom would / used to live in a village.
I'd say used to, and that's what's marked as answer. But it's also confusing me - I could as ...
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Doubt about "be/get used to + stative verbs"
I am not confident about the ing form in stative verbs when using be/get used to. Do I have to use the ing form even if there are stative verbs?
For example which one of these sentences is correct?
...
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kind of past tense
For example,I want to tell a memory of past tense and explain how i used to take shower in wild camping.Is "used to" the only option? Is it Ok to use simple past tense? I've learnt English through ...
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Why doesn't "He used to take me to the first game when I was only 6" work?
I took placement test and here is one question I am curious about.
He____ me to the first game when I was only 6.
I thought the answer was
a) Used to take
but it says
c) took
Piu Piu
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"Used to" vs. "would": how to define "a state in the past"
Long story short: trying to simplify the rule about being able or unable to use "would" in place of "used to" when talking about the past, I got this:
We don't use "would" in place of "used to" ...
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I always get confused of using "used to" in a sentence
I've searched about it in Google and it says that I've got to use the word used to in a sentence everytime I talk about past habits or anything I used to do in the past.
But I am wondering why this ...
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would + stative verb in past simple, "have" is an exception?
I saw in the "New English File - Advanced" book (p. 139, Unit 2A) from Oxford University the use of "used to" and "would" for past simple and one of the rules says:
"we don't use would with stative ...
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Is it possible to use would for a past habit?
A few years ago, they would practise cricket over there, but now they don't.
I used to go to my sister's to play chess, but now I don't.
I would like to know why it is not they used to practise ...
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the doubled "to" after "get used"
I was solving a test and came across the following task
Don't get used to _____ spoiled all the time.
A) getting B) get C) to get D) to getting
I was sure that the correct answer should ...
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I AM used to doing VS I WAS used to doing [closed]
What is the difference between "I AM used to doing" and "I WAS used to doing"?
I wonder is that correct:
I was used to doing = I used to do = means in the past and you are no longer doing
and
...
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1
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"Used to" vs Past Simple vs Past Continuous
We have three kinds of past:
I had a car / I used to have a car / I was having a car.
What is the difference in your understanding of the meaning of these three sentences?
As I understand we have:
...
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"I used to" and "I was used to" - What is the difference?
Don't the two sentences:
I used to drink coffee every day.
I was used to drinking coffee every day.
refer to a past habit? If not, what is the difference?
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Using Present Perfect or Present perfect Continuos with Past Simple or "used to"
Sentence:
A: How long have you lived / have you been living in this town?
B: I've been living here for twenty six years.
A: Where did you live before?
B: I used to live in St....
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He is "used to seeing" her kiss other men
I understand that we use 'used to' for things that happened regularly in the past.
But the following "used to" is different in someway, also the format of verb is ing form.
MICHELLE Keegan is ...
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Should "used to" be repeated in a subordinate clause?
When a main clause employs "used to", is it correct to repeat that "used to" in a subordinate clause about the cause or consequence of the main clause action?
I have in mind sentences like these:
I ...
Divyatej divya tej
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Would and used to
I would eat well when I was a child.
I used to eat well when I was a child.
Is there any difference in the meaning between these two sentences.
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"Used to" with multiple verbs
Which of the following 3 options is correct, assuming that she doesn't work anymore (and of course she doesn't drink tea before work anymore as she doesn't work anymore):
She used to drink tea and ...
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"Did he use to work late" vs. "Has he ever worked late"
My friend asked me the difference between these sentences:
Did he use to work in the office very late at night?
Has he ever worked in the office very late at night?
I told her:
In #1, it means that ...
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"We didn’t use to get up early" vs. "We never got up early"
My friend asked me the difference between these sentences:
We didn’t use to get up early when we were children.
We never got up early when we were children
I told her:
In #1, it means that when we ...
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Why wasn't this text written in the simple past?
If the following verbs in bold talk about actions in the past, why we don't use the simple past instead?
Tom and Della were a young married couple. Every morning Tom used to
kiss Della and set ...
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"Used to" vs "Use to"
Is use to incorrect because we use present tense if we talk present habit?
What is the difference between the two sentences below?
I am used to GETTING up late in the morning.
I am used to GET up ...
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Differences between "used to" and "would"?
I read somewhere that "used to" usage is for "past habits" and "would" usage is for "past habits and states" and we should only use "used to" for states. Is this true? Suppose that we have this ...
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"be used" v. "get used"
I was used to working long hours.
I got used to working long hours.
What meaning do the verbs be and get have here? My textbook doesn't explain it. But from the examples they're used in, I have an ...
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