Used To - Past Habits and Negations

"Used To" Study Notes

Past Habits

• "Used to" describes repeated actions or states in the past that no longer occur.
• Structure:
  • Affirmative: Subject + used to + base form of the verb
    • Example: I used to play football every weekend.
• Common usage:
  • Indicates regular activities in the past:
    • I used to live in New York.
  • Describes past states or situations:
    • She used to be a teacher.
• Note: "Used to" is typically used with simple past tense context.

Negative Forms

• To express the negative of "used to":
  • Structure: Subject + didn’t (or did not) + use to + base form of the verb
    • Example: I didn’t use to like vegetables.
• Important distinctions:
  • "Didn’t use to" is grammatically correct, while "used not to" is less common but also acceptable.
    • Example: He used not to pay attention in class.
• Negation emphasizes that the habit or state has changed:
  • I didn’t use to smoke, but now I do.
• Avoid confusion with "be used to," which refers to being accustomed to something currently, not a past habit.

"Used To"

• "Used to" describes repeated actions or states in the past that no longer occur
• Structure: Subject + used to + base form of the verb
• Example: I used to play football every weekend.
• Common usage: indicates regular activities in the past, describes past states or situations
• Example: I used to live in New York, She used to be a teacher.
• "Used to" is typically used with simple past tense context

Negative Forms

• To express the negative of "used to" the structure is: Subject + didn’t (or did not) + use to + base form of the verb
• Example: I didn’t use to like vegetables
• Important distinctions:
• "Didn’t use to" is grammatically correct, while "used not to" is less common but also acceptable
• Example: He used not to pay attention in class.
• Negation emphasizes that the habit or state has changed
• Example: I didn’t use to smoke, but now I do.
• Avoid confusion with "be used to," which refers to being accustomed to something currently, not a past habit.

This quiz covers the use of 'used to' in English, focusing on how it describes past habits and states that no longer occur. Learn the structure for both affirmative and negative forms, along with examples to illustrate correct usage. Enhance your understanding of this important grammar point in English.