Used To vs Would: Past Habits, States and Common Mistakes

Used to versus would: quick comparison

The most important difference is:

Used to can describe both past habits and past states.

Would normally describes repeated past actions, not states.

Used to for past habits and states

Use used to + base verb for situations that were true in the past but are no longer true now.

Past habits

I used to play football after school.

We used to visit our grandparents every Sunday.

She used to drink three cups of coffee a day.

These actions happened regularly in the past.

The phrase often suggests a contrast with the present:

I used to play football every weekend, but now I rarely have time.

Past states

Used to can also describe past situations, feelings, beliefs and possessions.

I used to live near the station.

He used to be very quiet.

She used to have long hair.

We used to believe that the building was haunted.

These are states rather than repeated actions.

This is one of the main reasons used to is more flexible than would.

Used to for long-term situations

You can also use used to for situations that continued for a period of time.

I used to work in a bank.

They used to own a small restaurant.

This building used to be a cinema.

The situation existed in the past but has since changed.

For ordinary completed past events and past routines, review the full past simple tense guide.

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Would for repeated past actions

Use would + base verb for actions that happened repeatedly in the past.

Every summer, we would stay with my grandparents.

After dinner, my father would read the newspaper.

When I was at university, I would study in the library until late.

In this use, would is similar to used to.

We used to go camping every summer.

We would go camping every summer.

Both sentences describe a repeated past habit.

Would usually needs past context

Would is often clearer when the past time has already been established.

Natural:

When I was a child, we lived near the coast. Every evening, we would walk along the beach.

Less natural without context:

We would walk along the beach.

The second sentence could sound like a hypothetical meaning of would rather than a past habit.

For this reason, used to is often clearer when introducing a past habit for the first time:

We used to walk along the beach every evening.

Would has several other meanings beyond past habits, including hypothetical situations and polite requests. See our modal verbs guide for a wider explanation.

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When would is not possible

The biggest difference between used to and would is that would does not normally describe past states.

Correct:

I used to live in Glasgow.

Not normally:

I would live in Glasgow.

The second sentence sounds conditional or hypothetical rather than describing a past state.

Other examples:

She used to be very nervous.

Not:

She would be very nervous.

He used to own a motorbike.

Not:

He would own a motorbike.

We used to know everyone in the neighbourhood.

Not:

We would know everyone in the neighbourhood.

Common stative verbs that usually favour used to include:

• be
• believe
• belong
• have
• know
• like
• live
• love
• need
• own
• understand
• want

Be careful: would can describe repeated behaviour

Compare:

He used to be impatient.

This describes a past state or characteristic.

Whenever we were late, he would become impatient.

This describes repeated behaviour in particular situations.

The form depends on whether you are describing a state or a repeated action.

Be used to and get used to

Be used to and get used to have completely different meanings from used to + base verb.

Be used to

Be used to means that something is familiar or normal.

Structure:

be used to + noun / pronoun / verb-ing

I am used to the weather.

She is used to working at night.

They are used to speaking English at work.

The word to here is a preposition, so a verb after it takes the -ing form.

Incorrect:

I am used to wake up early.

Correct:

I am used to waking up early.

Get used to

Get used to describes the process of becoming familiar with something.

I am getting used to my new schedule.

She quickly got used to living abroad.

You will get used to speaking in front of people.

The tense of get can change:

I got used to it.

I am getting used to it.

I will get used to it.

Compare all three

I used to work at night.

This was my past habit, but it is no longer true.

I am used to working at night.

Working at night feels normal to me.

I am getting used to working at night.

Working at night is becoming more normal.

Because to is a preposition in be used to and get used to, a following verb takes the -ing form. Our gerunds and infinitives guide explains this pattern in more detail.

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Negative and question forms

Used to: negative

The standard negative form is:

did not use to + base verb

I did not use to like coffee.

She didn’t use to drive to work.

Because did already carries the past tense, use use, not used.

Incorrect:

I didn’t used to like coffee.

Correct:

I didn’t use to like coffee.

In informal writing, you may occasionally see didn’t used to, but didn’t use to is the standard form to learn.

Used to: questions

Use:

Did + subject + use to + base verb?

Did you use to live here?

Did she use to play tennis?

Short answers normally use did:

Did you use to work here?

Yes, I did.

No, I didn’t.

Would: negatives and questions

When would describes a repeated past habit, the usual negative form is:

would not / wouldn’t

He wouldn’t speak much at family dinners.

Questions are possible, but this use is less common in isolation:

Would you visit your grandparents every summer?

Often, used to sounds more natural when directly asking about old habits:

Did you use to visit your grandparents every summer?

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Common mistakes

Using would for a past state

Incorrect:

I would know him very well when we were younger.

Correct:

I used to know him very well when we were younger.

Using a base verb after be used to

Incorrect:

She is used to work late.

Correct:

She is used to working late.

Confusing used to with be used to

I used to travel a lot.

This describes a previous habit.

I am used to travelling a lot.

This describes something that feels normal.

Writing used after did

Incorrect:

Did you used to live here?

Correct:

Did you use to live here?

Using would without enough context

Unclear:

I would visit the park.

Clearer:

When I was a child, I would visit the park every Saturday.

Or:

I used to visit the park every Saturday.

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Exercises and answers

Complete each sentence using used to, would, be used to or get used to in the correct form.

1. I __________ live in Manchester, but I moved away in 2022.
2. Every evening, my grandfather __________ sit by the window and read.
3. She is __________ working with international clients.
4. It took me several weeks to __________ the hot weather.
5. We __________ own a dog when I was a child.
6. When we stayed with my grandparents, we __________ play cards after dinner.
7. Did you __________ walk to school?
8. I didn’t __________ enjoy spicy food.
9. He has lived in Taipei for years, so he is __________ the humidity.
10. At first the job was difficult, but I eventually __________ working long hours.
11. My brother __________ be very shy, but now he is extremely confident.
12. Every summer, our family __________ drive to Scotland.
13. I am still not __________ speaking in front of large groups.
14. She will soon __________ her new routine.
15. When I was younger, I __________ believe everything I read online.

Answers and explanations

1. used to
   This describes a past situation that is no longer true.
2. would
   The sentence describes a repeated past action with clear past context.
3. used to
   The full form is is used to working. The activity is familiar to her.
4. get used to
   The sentence describes the process of becoming familiar with the weather.
5. used to
   Own describes a state or possession, so would is not suitable.
6. would / used to
   Both can describe this repeated past action.
7. use to
   After did, use the base form: Did you use to...?
8. use to
   After didn’t, use use to.
9. used to
   The complete structure is is used to the humidity.
10. got used to
    This describes becoming familiar with the working hours.
11. used to
    Be describes a past state, so use used to.
12. would / used to
    Both forms are possible for repeated past actions.
13. used to
    The complete phrase is not used to speaking.
14. get used to
    This describes becoming familiar with the new routine in the future.
15. used to
    Believe is a stative verb, so used to is preferred.

The difference between used to vs would becomes clearer when you focus on the type of past meaning. Use used to for both past habits and past states, while would is mainly used for repeated past actions, especially when the past context is already clear. Remember that be used to means something is familiar and get used to means becoming familiar with it.

Related grammar lessons

• Past Simple Tense: Rules and Exercises
• Modal Verbs in English
• Gerunds and Infinitives: Rules and Exercises