Would vs. Used To

Notice: one of these describes a repeated ACTION, and one can also describe a STATE.

Notice

  • We would spend every summer at the beach. (repeated action)
  • I used to be scared of the dark. (state — NOT “I would be scared”)
  • My grandfather would tell us stories every night.

Rule

Would can replace used to for repeated past actions, but NOT for states (be, have, like, know) — you can’t say “I would be scared”, only “I used to be scared”. Used to works for both actions and states, so it’s the safer default.

Practice

  1. Every winter, we ___ (would/used to) go skiing. (action — both OK)
    Answer: would / used to
  2. I ___ (only used to — state) have long hair.
    Answer: used to
  3. My grandmother ___ (would/used to) bake bread every Sunday. (action)
    Answer: would / used to
  4. We ___ (only used to — state) live in a flat.
    Answer: used to
  5. He ___ (would/used to) tell the same joke every time. (action)
    Answer: would / used to

Connect

Practise spotting when “would” cannot replace “used to”.

Try Error Correction →

CEFR: Spoken Production — recall repeated actions and states from the past.

Azizul Hakim
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