Used to, Would ,
and Simple past

Used to
1.Repeated actions
in the past
• We can use used to + infinitive to talk
about things that we did repeatedly in the past.
• Examples :
• When I was a child, I used to go skiing every winter.
• From the age of 12 till I was 16, I used to dance at
weekends.

2.Situations or states
that are no longer true
• We can use used to + infinitive to talk about situations
which were true in the past, but they are no longer true.
• Examples:
• As a child I used to be blond.
• I used to live with my mum when I was a child.

Would
Repeated actions in the past
• We can also use would + infinitive to talk about things that we did
repeatedly in the past.
• When I was a child, we would go to the shopping center every
Saturday.
• My 5th grade teacher would tell me to shut up at the beginning of every
class.
•

Situations or states
that are no longer
true
We can´t use would to talk about situations or states
which are not longer true.
•I used to be blond as a child. (NOT I would be blond as a
child.)
•I used to live with my mum when I was a child. (NOT I
would live with my mum.)

Exercises
1.
When I was a child I ____ like
peanuts.
a. didn't use to
b.wouldn’t
c. both are correct

Which sentence is NOT correct?
2.a.I would go shopping with her every Friday.
b.I would have very blond hair.
c.She would call me after class to chat.
3.a.I didn't use to like cheese when I was younger.
b.I didn't use to walk home after school.
c.As a child, I would hate having to get up early.
I didn't use to walk home after school.
As a child, I would hate having to get up early.

1.When I was a child I ____ like peanuts.
didn't use to
wouldn't
both are correct
➪ We can use used to + infinitive (NOT would) to talk about
situations or states which were true in the past.
➪ We can only use would to talk about repeated actions in
the past.
• 2.Which sentence is notNnoOT correct?
• I would go shopping with her every Friday.
• I would have very blond hair.
• She would call me after class to chat.
• ➪ Have very blond hair is a state, not a past repeated
action. Only used to can be used.

Which sentence is not correct?
a. I didn't use to like cheese when I was younger.
b. I didn't use to walk home after school.
c.As a child, I would hate having to get up early. correct
➪ Hate, love, etc. are past states, not a past repeated
action. Only used to can be used.

SUMMARY
POSITIVE My grandmother USED
TO/WOULD write on a
typewriter!
One time, she HAD to
retype a whole report.
NEGATIVE I DIDN’T USE TO be
adventurous*
She DIDN’T make that
mistake again.
QUESTION Did you use to/would you
watch TV a lot?
DID she make a mistake?