Understanding 'Used to': How to Express Past Habits and States
Meaning One Example
Nowadays, I don't play sports. But I used to play sports every day. I used to play football, tennis, rugby and badminton.
Note: The words in bold indicate that something happened often in the past (an action), but doesn't happen now. This meaning shows that played lots of sports before, but now I have changed. Now I don't play lots of sports.
Meaning Two Example
Hong Kong used to be a British colony, but it was handed back to China in 1997.
Note: The words in bold indicate that something was true in the past, but isn't true now. This meaning shows that Hong Kong belonged to Britain before, but now it has changed. Now it isn't true, because it belongs to China.
Structure
l/we/he/she/etc. + used to + basic verb (be, go, play etc.)
Example:
She used to love chocolate, but now she doesn't eat it.
Negative Structure
l/you/he/she/etc. + didn't + use to + basic verb
Example:
We didn't use to enjoy baseball, but now we love it.
Negative Structure
l/we/he/she/etc. + never + use to + basic verb
Example:
I never use to eat spicy food, but now I really enjoy it.
Question Structure
Did + you/he/she/etc. + use to + basic verb
Example:
Did you use to live in New York?
Things to Note
Used to is always to talk about the past. There is no present tense or future form of this structure. If you want to talk about the present, use the present simple.
Things to Note
When using the negative didn't use to or the question did you use to?, notice that there is no 'd' at the end of used to. This is because the past tense is marked with didn't and did, so there is no need for the 'd' in this case.