Used to / Would in English

Overview

Used to and would are both used to talk about past habits and repeated actions that no longer happen. "I used to play football every weekend" and "We would go to the beach every summer" both describe regular past activities. However, they are not always interchangeable, and understanding the difference is important.

At the CEFR B1 level, this concept helps you talk about your past in a more nuanced way than the simple past tense alone allows. Instead of just saying "I played football," you can convey that it was a regular habit that has since stopped. This adds depth and narrative quality to your English.

There is also a closely related but different expression: be used to + noun/gerund, which means "be accustomed to" something. This describes familiarity, not past habits, and is a common source of confusion for learners. Keeping these three structures clear in your mind is the key to mastering this topic.

How It Works

Three Structures

Structure	Meaning	Example
used to + base verb	Past habit or state (no longer true)	I used to smoke. (I don't anymore.)
would + base verb	Repeated past action (no longer happening)	We would visit every Sunday.
be used to + noun/gerund	Be accustomed to	I am used to working late.

Used to: Forms

Form	Structure	Example
Affirmative	used to + verb	She used to live in Paris.
Negative	didn't use to + verb	I didn't use to like coffee.
Question	Did ... use to + verb?	Did you use to play sports?

Note: In negatives and questions, it becomes use to (no d), because did already carries the past tense.

Used to vs. Would

	Used to	Would
Past habits (actions)	Yes	Yes
Past states	Yes	No
Implies "no longer true"	Yes	Not necessarily

Critical rule: Would can only be used for repeated actions, not for states. You cannot say "I would live in Paris" (state). You must say "I used to live in Paris."

State verbs that require used to (not would): be, have, know, like, love, believe, want, live.

Be Used to

Form	Example
be used to + noun	I'm used to the noise.
be used to + gerund	She's used to getting up early.
get used to + noun/gerund	He's getting used to his new job.

Examples in Context

English	Note
I used to live in Paris.	Past state -- only used to works here
She didn't use to like coffee.	Negative: use to (no d)
We would go there every summer.	Repeated past action
I'm used to working late.	Accustomed to (present)
Did you use to play an instrument?	Question form
He used to be very shy.	Past state (personality)
Every evening, she would read us a story.	Nostalgic repeated action
I'm getting used to the cold weather.	Becoming accustomed
They used to have a dog.	Past state (possession)
On Sundays, we would always have roast dinner.	Regular past action with time marker

Common Mistakes

Using "would" with state verbs

• Wrong: I would live in London when I was young.
• Right: I used to live in London when I was young.
• Why: Would for past habits only works with action verbs (go, play, eat), not state verbs (live, be, have, know, like).

Confusing "used to" (past habit) with "be used to" (accustomed)

• Wrong: I used to working late. (meaning: I am accustomed to it)
• Right: I'm used to working late.
• Why: "Used to + base verb" = past habit. "Be used to + gerund/noun" = accustomed to. The structure be used to always needs a form of be before it.

Writing "use to" in affirmative sentences

• Wrong: I use to play tennis.
• Right: I used to play tennis.
• Why: In affirmative sentences, it is always used to (with d). Only in negatives and questions with did does it become use to: "I didn't use to play tennis."

Pronouncing/writing "used to" as "use to" in affirmatives

• Wrong: She use to be a teacher.
• Right: She used to be a teacher.
• Why: Although used to and use to sound almost identical in fast speech (both sound like "yoostuh"), the written affirmative form always requires the d.

Usage Notes

Would for past habits has a nostalgic, storytelling quality. It is common in narratives: "When I was a child, we would spend our summers at the lake. My grandfather would take us fishing every morning." It often appears after used to has established the context.

Used to is more common in everyday conversation for talking about past habits. Would in this sense is more literary and is used in storytelling or when reminiscing.

Note that used to has no present equivalent. You cannot say "I use to go to the gym" for a current habit. For current habits, use the present simple: "I go to the gym."

British and American English use used to and would in the same way.

Practice Tips

• Past vs. present: Write sentences about how your life has changed: "I used to live with my parents, but now I live alone." "I used to hate vegetables, but now I love them." This naturally practices the "no longer true" meaning.
• State vs. action test: For each sentence, ask: "Is this a state or an action?" If it is a state, you must use used to. If it is a repeated action, you can use either used to or would.
• Storytelling practice: Tell a story about your childhood using both structures: "I used to live near the sea. Every weekend, we would go to the beach. My dad would build sandcastles with us."

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Past Simple - Regular Verbs -- you need the past simple as a foundation for expressing past habits and states