Grammar / A2 Grammar lessons and exercises / Used to, didn’t use to: Past habits and states
Used to, Didn’t use to: Past Habits and States
🟦 Used to — Past Habits
We use used to to talk about past habits or things that happened repeatedly in the past — but no longer happen.
✅ I used to play chess every day, but now I don’t play very often.
✅ When the economy was better, we used to eat out every week.
🟩 Used to — Past States
We also use used to with non-action verbs (like be, have, like, know) to describe past states — things that were true before, but are no longer true.
✅ She used to be very shy when she was a child.
✅ I used to like her music, but now I hate it.
🟪 Didn’t use to / Did you use to?
For negatives and questions, we use: did/didn’t + use to.
✅ He didn’t use to travel a lot.
✅ “Did he use to live here?” — “Yes, he did.”
🔹 You can also use never for negative habits:
✅ We never used to argue.
🟧 Past Simple vs Used to
You can also use past simple + frequency adverbs (always, usually, often) to describe repeated past actions.
✅ I always met her at the bar down the street. (= I used to meet…)
✅ I usually had a big salad for dinner. (= I used to have…)
❗ But use past simple only (NOT “used to”) for:
- Single completed actions
- Actions with specific time references (e.g., last week, yesterday, in 2010)
Last week, I used to meet her at the bar. → ✅ Last week, I met her at the bar.
I used to have a big salad for dinner last Sunday. → ✅ I had a big salad for dinner last Sunday.
🟥 Usually vs Used to
Used to is only for the past. For present habits, use present simple + usually / normally.
I use to get up very early at weekends. → ✅ I usually get up very early at weekends.
We don’t use to play on Sunday. → ✅ We don’t usually play on Sunday.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Don’t use “use to” in affirmative statements:
I use to go swimming. → ✅ I used to go swimming.
❌ Don’t use “used to” for single past events:
I used to break my arm last year. → ✅ I broke my arm last year.
❌ Don’t forget “did” in questions and negatives:
Used you to smoke? → ✅ Did you use to smoke?I didn’t used to like coffee. → ✅ I didn’t use to like coffee.