'Used to' or 'would'?

What is called 'frequentative form' in grammar is an aspect which adds a notion

of regular repetition in the past. We are going to see that this aspect is expressed

in two very different ways in English. We'll see them! 

1) USED TO: is used to deal with facts or habits which happened in the past and 

which no longer happen in the present. 

* The ending -ED shows that the action belonged to the past.

- He used to sleep with his teddy bear when he was a kid. 

The action is completed, over. This aspect indicates the action is

no longer done in the present. 

- Charles used to play rugby at school. He has stopped now. 

* The usual negative form is 'He didn't use to' and the interrogative form

is 'Did you use to...?'

 of pronunciation ! In these expressions, the s in 'used' is pronounced /s/,

and not /z/ as it is in the verb 'to use'. 

* The use of 'used to' is impossible if the duration of the action is mentioned. 

Then the preterite is used. 

- I lived in Edimburgh for three years. Now I live in Glasgow. 

* 'Used to' does not exist in the present. Habits in the present, are expressed

in the simple present. 

- She goes to visit her parents every weekend. 

  Do not confuse 'used to + infinitif' and 'to be used to + ing'. test.

2) WOULD: is also used to speak about punctual and repeated habits

in the past. 'Would' insists on the repetition of the past action.  

- In the summer holiday, we would play in the pool for long hours. 

When the sentence has several verbs, it may be necessary not to repeat 

'would' every time, so as not to make the English sentence too heavy. If

you're translating into French, you must use the preterit ('imparfait') each,

using the French expression " avant/ autrefois + imparfait. "

- When I was little, I would sing myself to sleep... 

Repetitions in the past, or difference with present actions : here are the 

elements enabling you to distinguish which form to use. Don't forget the 

FORCE is with you, and go for the test!  

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1. When Pete was a kid, he usedused towouldI don't know fight all the time. Now, he no longer fights, he teaches judo!



2. She was very calm and used tousedwouldI don't know talk to her cat till she fell asleep.



3. There wouldusedused toI don't know be a bridge here, but it was destroyed by the latest flood.



4. He usesused towouldI don't know smoke cigars, but now he only smokes cigarettes.



5. Every time we arrived, she usedused towouldI don't know play the piano to welcome us.



6. He wouldusedused toI don't know take a walk every day before his breakfast. It gave him an appetite.



7. Christen usedused towouldI don't know read Time magazine, but now, she browses the Internet.



8. Every time they visited Paris, they wouldusedused toI don't know say that France was very expensive.



9. I used tousedwouldI don't know trust him, but now that he has betrayed you, I no longer do.



10. I wouldn'tusen'tdidn't use toI don't know dance very often, but now, I love it and does every week.