Used to vs Would: Rules, Differences & Examples

Life Before the Internet 🕰️

We use used to and would to talk about things that happened regularly in the past but don't happen now. However, they have one very important difference! Let's explore. 🚀

1. Used to vs. Would: The Rule 📋

Form	Past Actions (Habits) 🏃‍♂️	Past States (Feelings/Facts) 🏠
Used to	✅ 'I used to play outside.'	✅ 'I used to have a PC.'
Would	✅ 'I would play outside.'	❌ 'I would have a PC.'

💡 Key Tip: Use would only for repeated actions. For states (live, be, have, love), you must use used to.

2. Negative and Question Forms ❓

Type	Structure	Example
Negative	didn't use to	We didn't use to have Google.
Question	Did you use to...?	Did you use to write letters?

⚠️ Careful! In negatives and questions, we drop the 'd' from 'used'.

3. Common Mistakes ⚠️

❌ Wrong	✅ Correct	Tip 💡
I would live in London.	I used to live in London.	'Live' is a state. No 'would'.
Did you used to go?	Did you use to go?	Drop the 'd' in questions!
I use to go last week.	I went last week.	Use Past Simple for single events.

Grammar Guide

Life Before the Internet 🕰️

1. Used to vs. Would: The Rule 📋

2. Negative and Question Forms ❓

3. Common Mistakes ⚠️