Grammar: 'used to' and 'would'

 

Grammar: 'used to' and 'would'

Use of ‘used to’ and ‘would’

‘Used to’

When we talk about the habitual action happening in the past but not happening now, we use ‘used to’.

For example:

I used to play cricket every Sunday. (It means: Now I don’t play cricket on Sundays)

‘Used to’ can only be used for actions happened in past. We cannot use ‘use to’ for actions happening in present.

‘Would’

‘Would’ is used to show some actions which happened repeatedly in the past.

For example:

I would go to play cricket every Sunday. (It means nowadays I don’t go to play cricket on Sundays)

So, ‘used to’ and ‘would’ ca be use for the same purpose.

However there are two differences in the use of ‘Used to’ and ‘Would’

1.    I used to go to gym. (Now I don’t go)

2.    When I was young, I would go to gym. (Now I don’t go)

In the first sentence, there is no time frame. When there is no time frame mentioned, we use ‘used to’. But we cannot use ‘would’ when there is no time frame mentioned.

It is must to use ‘would’ when the time frame is mentioned.

For example:

When I was small, I would go to jogging every morning.

Here, the time frame is ‘when I was small’, that is why, use of ‘would’ is grammatically right.

Stative Verbs

Some English verbs, which we call state, non-continuous or stative verbs, aren't used in continuous tenses (like the present continuous, or the future continuous). These verbs often describe states that last for some time. Here is a list of some common ones:

like

know

belong

love

realise

fit

hate

suppose

contain

want

mean

consist

need

understand

seem

prefer

believe

depend

agree

remember

matter

mind

recognise

see

own

appear

look (=seem)

sound

taste

smell

hear

astonish

deny

disagree

please

impress

satisfy

promise

surprise

doubt

think (=have an opinion)

feel (=have an opinion)

wish

imagine

concern

dislike

be

have

deserve

involve

include

lack

measure (=have length etc)

possess

owe

weigh (=have weight)

We never say:

·         I am loving you.

·         I am liking this.

·         I am imagining.

We can use ‘used to’ with these stative words.

For example:

I used to love you. (But now I don’t)

I used to like this ice-cream. (But now I don’t like this)

But we cannot use ‘would’ with the stative verbs.

For example:

Saying that ‘I would love you’ or ‘I would like this’ is grammatically wrong.