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Used to
Used to describes a long-term situation or repeated habit in the past. It suggests that the situation or habit is no longer true.
I used to work in sales. (but now I don’t)
Note that used to cannot describe a single event.
We launched this line at the Paris Expo. (NOT We used to launch)
The question is normally Did you use to?
What games did you use to play in the playground at school?
The negative is normally didn’t use to.
In those days, people didn’t use to travel abroad so much.
Practice
Exercise 1
Decide whether the underlined verb can also have the form used to + the verb. If it can, write the alternative.
1.Before they built the motorway, it took me an hour to get to work.
2.I saw Slava last week – he sends his regards.
3.In the old days we had many more meetings.
4.I started working at the bank when I was 21.
5.I owned a BMW, but now I own an Audi.
6.I drove to work yesterday.
Exercise 2
Complete the sentence with used to + the verb in brackets in positive, negative or question form.
1.What things (be) … different in the past?
2.For a start, all the continents (form) … one large land mass.
3.Obviously, there (be) cities and buildings, and forest covered a third of the Earth.
4.The climate was different, and animals such as the hippopotamus and rhinoceros (exist) … in northern Europe.
5.Many mountains in Europe (be) … active volcanoes.
6.Early people (live) … in complex societies, but in small groups in places where they could find food.
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7.They (eat) … whatever they could find.
8.Early people (stay) … in the same place, but (travel) long distances, following the animals they needed for food.
Exercise 3
Complete the sentence with used to + a verb from the list.
write |
spend |
work |
hold |
help |
act |
teach |
set |
tell |
do |
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1.Charles Dickens, the novelist, … until early in the morning, and then go for long walks across London.
2.William Shakespeare … in some of his own plays.
3.The German philosopher Immanuel Kant … exactly the same things at the same time every day, so that people … their watches by his actions.
4.The author Agatha Christie … her second husband with his archaeological excavations.
5.The novelist James Joyce … English in the Italian city of Trieste, and some people say that he … his students the wrong meanings of words as a joke.
6.The novelist Marcel Proust … in a special soundproof room.
7.The ancient Greek philosophers … their classes outside in the open air.
8.The Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov … his free time studying and catching butterflies.
Exercise 4
Speaking. Make a list of ten things you used to do, but don't do any more, and say what you do now.
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Past Simple or Present Perfect?
We use the past simple |
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We use the present perfect |
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for an action which happened at a |
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for an action which happened at an |
definite time in the past. The time is |
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unstated time in the past. |
stated or implied. |
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Simon Cook has painted a lot of pictures. |
Simon Cook painted his first picture in |
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1980. |
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for an action which began and |
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for an action which started in the past |
finished in the past. |
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and continues up to the present. |
Mr. Clark taught Maths for 30 years. |
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Mrs. Nelson has taught French for 20 |
(He is no longer a teacher. He has |
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years. (She started teaching French 20 years |
retired.) |
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ago and she is still teaching French today.) |
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for an action which happened in the |
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for an action which happened in the past |
past and cannot be repeated. |
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and may be repeated. |
I once spoke to Frank Sinatra. |
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I’ve spoken to Celine Dion. |
(He is no longer alive. I won’t speak to |
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(She is still alive. I may speak to her again.) |
him again.) |
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for an action which happened within |
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for an action which happened within a |
a specific time period which is over at |
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specific time period which is not over at the |
the moment of speaking. |
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moment of speaking. |
I wrote three letters this morning. |
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I have written three letters this morning. |
(The time period is over. It’s evening |
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(The time period is not over. It’s morning |
now.) |
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now.) |
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Practice |
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Exercise 1
Put the verbs into the past simple or the present perfect.
Nike: the brand that keeps growing
An accountant and a sports coach … (start) a small shoe company called Blue Ribbon in 1964. In 1971 it … (change) its name to Nike, and since then it … (become) one of the world’s most successful brands. Originally Nike … (be) only associated with basketball, but recently it … (expand) into new markets like football. Now Nike … (start) buying other fashion brands that are not even connected with sport.
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Exercise 2
Complete the sentence with the past simple or present perfect form of the verb in brackets.
1.I (book)… the hotel yesterday.
2.The sales office (close) … down over a month ago.
3.He (work) … here for eight years.
4.She (be) … the CEO since December 2005.
5.(you go) … to the meeting last week?
6.When (you go) … to the cinema last?
7.Sam (not take) … a day off since last April.
8.The Managing Director (organize) … just a meeting with all line managers.
9.Last week I (change) … jobs.
10.I live in London now, but I (live) … in Paris from 2000 to 2002.
Exercise 3
Underline the correct words.
1.Their share price went up/has gone up by 4% yesterday.
2.Their share price went up/has gone up by 4% today.
3.I lived/have lived in Barcelona since the end of last month.
4.I lived/have lived in Barcelona when I was a student.
5.Oh no! I forgot/have forgotten her name! Can you remember it?
6.I must call Laura. I forgot/have forgotten to thank her for the meal last night.
Exercise 4
Some of these sentences are correct, and some have a word which should not be there. If the sentence is correct, put a tick. If it is incorrect, cross the unnecessary have or has out of the sentence.
1.Susan has lost her keys. She can’t find them anywhere.
2.Christopher has hurt his hand, but it’s OK now.
3.The directors have arrived half an hour ago, but they didn’t stay long.
4.We can play tennis now. The others have finished.
5.The company has bought some land, but then it sold it.
6.The computer isn’t on now. Someone has turned it off.
7.Several bombs have gone off in the city centre. It has happened an hour ago.