11
Used To & Would
Talking about past habits and repeated actions.
Visual Explanation
Past habits
Subject+used to / would+base verb
Examples
I used to walk to school when I was a child.
She would always read before bed.
We didn't use to have a car.
When to Use
- used to — habits and states
- For things that were true in the past but are no longer true: 'I used to live in Manchester.'
- would — repeated actions only
- 'Would' only works for repeated actions, not states: 'He would visit us every summer.' Not 'He would be tall.'
- Negative and question forms
- 'Did you use to...?' 'I didn't use to...' — note 'use to' without the -d after 'did.'
Tip
You cannot say 'I would be shy as a child' because being shy is a state, not an action. Use 'I used to be shy.' Save 'would' for repeated actions like visiting, playing, or cooking.
Practice Exercises
Multiple Choice
Read the prompt and pick the correct answer from four options. A good way to test recognition before producing language yourself.
Coming soonFill in the Blanks
Complete sentences by typing the missing word or phrase. Tests active recall and spelling accuracy.
Coming soonScrambled Sentences
Drag words into the correct order to form a grammatically correct sentence. Builds structural intuition.
Coming soon