Would and Used to - B1+ Grammar Rules and Exercises

Exercises

Explanation

1. “Used to” — past habits AND past states

Form: used to + base verb

We use used to for:

A. Past habits (repeated actions)

These actions happened regularly in the past, but they do not happen now.

Examples:

I used to walk to school every day.
We used to eat dinner together every Sunday.
My brother used to play the piano when he was a child.

B. Past states (situations that were true for a long time)

These describe conditions or feelings that are no longer true.

Examples:

I used to be very shy.
They used to live in a small apartment.
She used to believe in ghosts as a kid.

Only used to can talk about states. (Would cannot describe states like be, know, love, believe.)

2. “Would” — only for repeated past actions

Form: would + base verb
(short form: ’d)

We use would to describe past habits or repeated actions, especially when telling stories or remembering the past.

Examples:

Every summer we would spend weeks at my grandparents’ house.
After school, he would run straight to the football field.
On winter evenings, we would sit by the fire and talk for hours.

Important: You cannot use would for past states.

Incorrect:
~He would be very tall when he was 10.~
Correct: He used to be very tall for his age.

3. Would vs. Used to — key difference

Meaning	Used to	Would
Repeated past actions	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
Long-term past states	✔ Yes	✘ No
Negative and question forms	✔ Possible	✘ Not used for past habits

Examples:

She used to have long hair. (state → only “used to”)
When we were kids, we would ride our bikes everywhere. (habit → both possible)
I used to know all my neighbours. (state → only “used to”)

4. Negative and questions

Used to has normal negative and question forms:

I didn’t use to drink coffee.
Did you use to go camping in the summer?

Would is not normally used in negative or question form for past habits.

Incorrect: I wouldn’t play with my toys (means “I refused,” not a habit)
Correct: I didn’t use to play with my toys.

5. Using both forms in storytelling

When telling a story, native speakers often mix used to (to set the background) and would (to describe repeated behaviour).

Example:

When we lived in the old neighbourhood, I used to have a small garden.
Every morning, I would water the plants and would talk to my neighbours over the fence.