9 meaning
We use used + infinitive to talk about past habits and states which are now finished.
I used to smoke, but now I’ve stopped, (NOT I was used to smoke …) That bingo hall used to be a cinema.
past habits and states which are now finished
70 only past
Used to … has no present form (and no progressive, perfect, infinitive or -ing forms). To talk about present habits and states, we usually just use the simple present tense (see present tenses 2: simple present forms).
He smokes, (NOT He uses to-smoke.)
Her brother still collects stamps.
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1 questions and negatives
When questions and negatives are written, they often have did… used instead of did … use.
What did people use(d) to do in the evenings before TV?
I didn’t use(d) to lilce opera, but now I do.
The contraction usedn’t is also possible.
I usedn’t to like opera.
But the most common negative is never used ….
I never used to like opera.
In a formal style, questions and negatives without do are possible, but these are not very common.
I used not to like opera, but now I do. (OR I used to not like opera …) Used you to play football at school?
These forms are not used in tags.
You used not to like him, did you? (NOT … used you?)
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2 when used to … is not used
Used to refers to things that happened at an earlier stage of one’s life and are now finished: there is an idea that circumstances have changed. It is not used simply to say what happened at a past time, or how long it took, or how many times it happened.
I worked very hard last month, (NOT I used to work very-hard last month.) I lived in Chester for three years, (NOT I used to live in Chester-for three
years.)
I went to France seven times last year, (NOT I used to go to France seven times last year.)
7
3 word order
Mid-position adverbs (see adverb position 4: mid-position) can go before or after used. The position before used is more common in an informal style.
I always used to be afraid of dogs, (informal)
I used always to be afraid of dogs, (formal)
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4 pronunciation
Note the pronunciation of used /ju:st/ and use /ju:s/ in this structure.
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5 used + infinitive and be used to .. .ing
Used + infinitive has a quite different meaning from be used to .. .ing (see next section). Compare:
I didn’t use to drive a big car. (= Once I didn’t drive a big car, but now I do.)
(NOT I wasn’t used to drive a-big car.)
I wasn’t used to driving a big car.
(= Driving a big car was a new and difficult experience – I hadn’t done it before.)
For the difference between used to and would, see would: various uses.8.
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