Study this example situation:

a few years ago Nicola doesn't travel much these days.

She prefers to stay at home.
But she used to travel a lot.
She used to go away two or three times a year.

She used to travel a lot= she travelled a lot often in the

past, but she doesn't do this any more.

she used to travel she doesn't

travel
these days past now

Something used to happen = it happened often in the past, but no longer happens:
0 I used to play tennis a lot, but I don't play very much now.
0 David used to spend a lot of money on clothes. These days he can't afford it.
C 'Do you go to the cinema much?' 'Not now, but I used to.' (=I used to go)
We also use used to ... for things that were true, but are not true any more:
0 This building is now a furniture shop. lt used to be a cinema.
0 I used to think Mark was unfriendly, but now I realise he's a very nice person.
0 I've started drinking tea recently. I never used to Like it before.
0 Lisa used to have very long hair when she was a child .
'I used to do something' is past. There is no present. You cannot say 'I use to do'.
To talk about the present, use the present simple (1 do).
Compare:

1 pas~e used to play we used to Live I there used to be

r-,;-esent he plays we Live there is

C We used to Live in a small village, but now we Live in London.

0 There used to be four cinemas in the town. Now there is only one.

The normal question form is did (you) use to ... ?:

0 Did you use to eat a lot of sweets when you were a chi ld?
The negative form is didn't use to .. . (used not to ... is also possible):
:_ I didn't use to like him. (or I used not to like him.)

Compare I used to do and I was doing:

~ I used to watch TV a lot. (=I watched TV often in the past, but I no longer do this)
0 I was watching TV when Rob ca lled . (= I was in the middle of watching TV)
Do not confuse I used to do and I am used to doing (see Unit 61). The structures and meanings are
different:
U I used to Live alone. (= I lived alone in the past, but I no longer live alone)
0 I am used to Living alone. (= I live alone, and I don't find it strange or difficult because I've
been living alone for some time)

Past contin uous (1was doing) ~ Un it 6 Would (= used to) ~ Unit 36

Be/get used to (doing) something~ Unit 61
 ~ Unit
Exercises ~- .18
Complete the sentences with use(d) to+ a suitable verb.
1 Nicola doesn't travel much now. She .. tA?.e4 U:?....tr.~Y.~...... a lot, but she prefers to stay at home
these days.
2 Sop hie ..... ..... . ....... .. .... . ................. a motorbike, but last year she sold it and bought a car.
3 We moved to Spain a few years ago . We . . ... ...... ...................... .. ... ............... in Paris.
4 I rarely eat ice-cream now, but I .. ................. it w hen I was a child.
5 Jackie ......... .... .. .. .. my best friend , but we aren't good friends any more.
6 lt only takes me about 40 minutes to get to work now that the new road is open. lt
.... ............. .... .... .. ..... ....... more than an hou r.
7 There .... ....... .... .... ... ... .. a hotel nea r the a irport, but it closed a long t ime ago.
8 When you lived in New York, .... .... .. .. .. . ................ .. .. .. . . to the theatre very often ?

Compare what Karen said five years ago and what she says today:

FIVE YEARS AGO I'm a hotel TODAY My dog died two

receptionist. I eat lots of / years ago.
cheese now~
I travel a lot. ~ .-.L~.- . .........
/ I play the piano.
(
/
_;read a newspaper
every day now.
I work very hard
I've got lots
these days. - - - I haven't been to a
of friends. - --
~ party fo r ages.
I don't know many/ ; I haven't played t he
I'm very lazy. ----- people these days. / ~ piano fo r years.

1don't like/ I work in a / ~ I don't go away

cheese. bookshop now. .......
I I I
~ h1 th
a Cl e.......
1i J C
d~
UJ J·
.....

I go to a lot of parties. Tea's great! I li ke it now.

Now write sentences about how Karen has changed. Use used to I didn't use to I never used
to in the first part of your sentence.
1 .$Y1 e:.. V.5~ to tt~Y.~----~ LQt.> ...................... but ...?.h.e. ....Me5n >t, .go G4'YO-.y. mtAc}1 tt.J.~?-~ ~ 5 . ........... .
2 She used .. . ..... . ..... .. . ..... .. but ... ................... . .... .. ... . .............. ....... ................................. ........ ..........
3 ....................................... .......................................................... but . ... .............................. ............................................. ............................. ................... .
4 .............................. . ................................. .. ..... ..... .......... .......... .. but .
5 .. .................... ..... ........... . but
6 .. .. ................... .. . . ...... . . ...... ....... but
7 ..... . ............. .... ........................ ...... ........................... but
8 ......................................... ...................................................................... but ...........................................................................................................................................
9 .......... ...................... ...... .................................... .............................. but
10 ... ............................. .......................... bu t

Write sentences about yourself Like the examples. Begin I used to ... (I used to be/work/like/
play/read etc.).
1 1....~ 5.~ ~-- ..~Y.~ .. 4.'1 ...~... 5rr..o..U.:... Y.~~->-.Jwt n9N ...J... 4.Y~ ...itl. Jo.r 49Yl ........... .... .. .....................................................
2 1.....1!..~-~ tq ___ pla.y ~~ni-s .. o.... LQt> P.v...t J cion,t p~ __any mqre .....
3 I used .... ....... .. .... . . ..... ....... ... , but .................... . _
4 I ................................... .... . ....... .... .. ......................... . . ................... ... ............ ..... . .... ............. ... ........ ................... .
5
Now begin with I didn't use to ....
6 .....1 44in ,~. tA~.~ W.... .r~ o..... lot-,.. Jn~~..l cio ~olN..·........ . ...
7 I didn't .... .................. . .. .....................
8 .............................................................................. .................................... .............................................. ............................................................ 0 ...... .. . ...... . .

-+ Additiona l exercise 9 (page 307) 37