IntUppD: Used To vs. Would

USED TO/WOULD

Adapted from Michael Swan’s Practical English Usage

Used to= past habits and states which are now finished

                I used to eat McDonald’s for lunch every day.

-refers to things that happened at an earlier stage of one’s life and are now finished. The situation has now changed.  Used to is not used to say what happened at a past time, how long it took or how many times it happened.

NOT I used to work very hard last month.  I worked very hard last month

NOT I used to live in California for three years.  I lived in California for three years

NOT  I used to go to Spain three times last year.  I went to Spain three times last year.

Would = regularly repeated actions in the past, in the same way as used to

When we were young, we would/used to go skating every winter.

When I was a baby, my mother would/used to sing me to sleep.

*BUT only used to can refer to past states

I used to have a lot of model cars. NOT       I would have a lot of model cars.

He used to be really skinny.                             NOT       He would be really skinny.

*we use used to NOT would to talk about regular and important habitual behaviour

               

Roberto used to play a lot of tennis.              NOT       Roberto would play a lot of tennis.

He used to smoke.                                              NOT       He would smoke.