Compare "then" and "now"
I can talk about what was usual in the past and is not there any more.
Declared core time. Two of the core blocks carry no figure at all, so the real lesson is longer than this sum.
Grammar
5 minused to + a verb — something that happened REGULARLY or for a long time in the past and has stopped.
| I used to live in Rio de Janeiro. | I lived there before; not now |
| She used to smoke. | she smoked before; she has stopped |
| We used to go there every summer. | every summer, in the past |
In a question and a negative the -d disappears, because did takes it:
| Did you use to live here? | |
| I didn't use to like coffee. |
used to against the Past Simple:
| used to — a habit, again and again | Past Simple — once |
|---|---|
| I used to go to Italy every year. | I went to Italy in 2019. |
| ✗ I used to go to Italy in 2019. | — one event, used to does not fit |
The test: if something happened ONCE, if a date is named, or if you say how long it lasted (for ten years), used to is impossible.
Careful: be used to is something quite different. I'm used to getting up early means "getting up early is normal for me", and it is about a habit now. It comes in B1; for now remember that used to without be is only about the past.
Common learner errors
written for your languageused to about the present
✗ I use to drink coffee in the morning
✗ I used to live in Rio de Janeiro now
✓ I usually drink coffee in the morning
I live in Rio de Janeiro now. Spanish and Catalan soler and Portuguese costumar describe a habit now (suelo tomar café), so learners say I use to… in the present. used to is only about the past and says that it has stopped; for a habit now, use usually.
used to about one event
✗ I used to visit Rome in 2019
✓ I visited Rome in 2019
used to does not just mean "in the past": once, or with a date, it is the Past Simple.
-d in a question and a negative
✗ Did you used to live here?
✓ Did you use to live here?
You can't hear the difference (see Pronunciation), so learners of every language write the -d. After did and didn't it is always use.
Pronunciation
3 minused to sounds like /ˈjuːstə/ — like one word, with a voiceless /s/ and no /d/ sound. I used to live — /aɪ ˈjuːstə lɪv/.
This is the same kind of joining as want to → /ˈwɒnə/ and have to → /ˈhæftə/. By ear, used to and use to do not differ at all — the difference is only in writing, and that is why the mistake with an extra -d is so hard to kill.
Text
3 minI used to live in a small town near the sea. We used to go to the beach every evening. I didn't use to like big cities, but now I live in Rio de Janeiro and I like it. My father used to work in a factory. It closed in 2010 and he found a new job. Did you use to play any sport at school?
Exercises
8–10 min1. Gap fill.
- I (live) in a small town — in the past, not now
- I (visit) Rome in 2019
- We (go) to the beach every evening
Show the answers
2. Transformation.
- You used to smoke. → Did…?
- You used to smoke. → You didn't…
Show the answers
3. Error correction.
- Did you used to live here?
- I used to visit Rome in 2019.
- I used to live in Rio de Janeiro now.
Show the answers
4. Talk about your childhood.
Three sentences with used to. Example: I used to play football. I used to live near my school. I didn't use to like fish.
Summary
Covered
- used to in all its forms
- how it differs from the Past Simple
- a warning about be used to
Next — lesson 29: reporting what someone said.
End of the core
The lesson counts as done once the exercises are done. Everything after this is optional.
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Vocabulary for your deck
12 words- used to /ˈjuːstə/ did something again and again in the past, but not now (I used to smoke)
- town /taʊn/ a place where people live, smaller than a city
- factory /ˈfæktri/ a building where people make things with machines
- childhood /ˈtʃaɪldhʊd/ the time when you are a child
- change /tʃeɪndʒ/ to become different
- grow up /ɡrəʊ ˈʌp/ to become an adult (I grew up in a small town)
- move /muːv/ to go to live in a different place
- any more /ˌeniˈmɔː/ not now, as before (I don't smoke any more)
- sport /spɔːt/ a game or activity like football or swimming
- beach /biːtʃ/ the place with sand next to the sea
- sea /siː/ a very big area of salt water
- closed /kləʊzd/ stopped working for good (the factory closed in 2010)
Writing
Five sentences about what you used to do and do not do any more.
Example
I used to live in a small town near the sea. We used to go to the beach every evening. I didn't use to like big cities. Now I live in Rio de Janeiro and I like it. I used to read a lot, but now I don't have time.
Checklist
Practise this lesson in the other sections
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