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IntermediateGrammar Structures

Learn Used To + Base Verb in English

Describe past habits and states that no longer exist.

Learning goal
Recognize and use this pattern in context.
Practice
10 randomized questions with explanations.
Suggested workflow
Study the examples, then take the quiz.

Grammar Focus

Used to + base verb is a fixed English structure for talking about past habits, routines, and states that were true for a period of time in the past but are no longer true now. It signals a contrast between the past and the present, making it one of the most expressive structures in English for storytelling and reflection.

  • Use used to to describe something that happened repeatedly in the past but does not happen anymore: "I used to walk to school."
  • Use used to for past states that no longer exist: "She used to live in Paris."
  • The structure is always used to + bare infinitive (base verb), never a gerund or conjugated form: "He used to play football" (not 'used to playing').
  • The negative form is didn't use to (not 'didn't used to'): "I didn't use to like coffee."
  • Questions use did + subject + use to: "Did you use to live here?"
  • There is no present tense equivalent of used to — it is only ever used to refer to the past.

Form & Structure

Affirmative

Subject + used to + base verb
I used to ride my bike to school every day.
She used to work at a small bookshop in the city.
They used to spend every summer at their grandparents' house.

Negative

Subject + didn't use to + base verb (note: no 'd' in negative)
I didn't use to enjoy cooking, but now I love it.
He didn't use to own a car when he lived in the city.
We didn't use to watch much television as children.

Questions

Did + subject + use to + base verb?
Did you use to live near the coast?
Did she use to play the piano when she was young?
Did they use to take the bus to work?

Common Mistakes

Writing 'use to' instead of 'used to' in affirmative sentences

He use to play football every Saturday.
He used to play football every Saturday.

Tip: In positive statements, always write 'used to' with a 'd'. The 'd' disappears only in negatives and questions because 'did' already carries the past tense.

Writing 'didn't used to' instead of 'didn't use to'

She didn't used to eat meat.
She didn't use to eat meat.

Tip: When 'did' is present in the sentence, it carries the past tense. The verb that follows 'did' must be in the base form, so it is 'use to', not 'used to'.

Using 'used to' to describe a one-time past event

I used to visit Rome last year.
I visited Rome last year.

Tip: 'Used to' is only for repeated habits or ongoing past states, not single completed events. For a one-time past action, use the simple past tense instead.

Why This Grammar Matters

Talking about your childhood

“I used to climb trees and build forts in the woods near our house.”
“We used to walk to the corner shop every Friday to buy sweets.”

Describing lifestyle changes

“I used to eat fast food every day, but I changed my diet completely.”
“She didn't use to exercise at all — now she runs marathons.”

Talking about jobs, cities, or relationships in the past

“He used to work as a chef before he opened his own restaurant.”
“They used to live in a tiny flat before they bought this house.”

Storytelling and nostalgia

“My grandfather used to tell us stories by the fireplace every evening.”
“This town used to be so quiet — it's changed so much over the years.”