Used To, Would & Be/Get Used To

Used to is a handy phrase for talking about things that were true in the past but aren't any more. It carries a lovely "…but not now" feeling baked right into it. The reason it trips students up isn't the meaning — that part's easy — it's the spelling in questions and negatives, and a sneaky look-alike phrase (be used to) that means something completely different. We'll clear up both. But first, the good news: the basic idea is one of the friendliest in the whole verb system.

used to = a past habit or state that's now finished

I used to have long hair. (but not now) We used to live in Cardiff. (we've moved) She used to hate spiders. (she's over it)

The beauty of used to is that it works for two different things at once: repeated past actions (things you did over and over) and past states (how things simply were). Whether you're describing something you did every day or something that was just true back then, used to handles it without any fuss.

The form

used to + plain verb: I used to play football. Negative: I didn't use to like it — drop the d after did. Question: Did you use to play?

That dropped d is the classic trap, so it's worth staring at. In the negative and the question, the word did already carries the past, so use goes back to plain — didn't use to, did you use to. Writing didn't used to piles the past on twice, which is the slip to avoid.

A second angle: try adding "…but not now"

Whenever you're unsure whether used to fits, silently tack "…but not now" onto the end of your sentence. If it makes sense, used to is your phrase. "I used to be scared of the dark" — …but not now. Perfect. That little test works because used to always signals a change: something that was true then and isn't true today. If there's no "then versus now" contrast, you probably want a different past form.

"would" for past habits too

For repeated past actions (not states), you can also use would:

When I was little, we would go to the seaside every summer.

Here used to and would both work — "we used to go" and "we would go" mean the same thing. But would has a limit: it doesn't work for states. You can't say "I would have long hair" to mean you used to, because have long hair is a state, not an action. So keep the state verbs — be, have, like, know — with used to, and let would handle the things you actively did.

Watch out — don't confuse with "be used to"

This is the big one. Two phrases look almost identical but mean opposite kinds of thing:

• used to do = a past habit that's finished: I used to cycle to school. (I don't now)
• be used to (doing) = familiar with something now: I*'m used to** cycling now — it's easy.*

See the difference? The first is about the past and things that have changed. The second is about the present and things you're comfortable with. The give-away is the little word am / is / are in front, plus an -ing verb after: "I'm used to getting up early" means early mornings feel normal to me now. Mix these two up and your sentence can end up meaning the reverse of what you planned.

More worked examples

• ✓ I used to be really shy, but now I love drama. (a past state that changed)
• ✗ I didn't used to like maths. → ✓ I didn't use to like maths. (drop the "d" after "did")
• ✗ I would be scared of dogs. → ✓ I used to be scared of dogs. ("be" is a state, so not "would")
• ✓ When we lived in Leeds, we would walk to the park every day. (a repeated past action — "would" is fine)
• ✓ She*'s used to** wearing glasses now.* (be used to — familiar with it in the present)

Why it matters

Used to is one of the best phrases you have for telling a story about how things have changed — and change is at the heart of a lot of good writing. In a personal essay or a piece about growing up, "I used to be terrified of speaking in class" sets up a "then versus now" that pulls a reader straight in. Getting the negative and question forms right (didn't use to, did you use to) keeps that writing looking polished, because didn't used to is exactly the kind of double-past slip a marker circles. And keeping used to do apart from be used to protects your meaning: one talks about a finished past, the other about what feels normal today. Master this little family and you can describe change clearly, accurately, and with a nice touch of feeling.

Quick check

1. When I was six, I ___ (play) with toy cars.

2. True or false: "I would be shy" correctly means "I used to be shy".

3. Fix the spelling: "Did you used to live here?"

4. Which fits: "I ___ getting up at six now — it doesn't bother me." (used to / am used to)

5. Choose the correct negative: (a) I didn't used to like it. (b) I didn't use to like it.

Where next

• The Past Simple — finished past actions.
• Will, Would and Shall — would for past habits.
• The Past Continuous — past actions in progress.