Used To vs Would vs Past Simple: Talking About Past Habits

Think about your childhood. How would you describe what you did every summer?

• I used to spend the summer at my grandparents' house.
• I would spend the summer at my grandparents' house.
• I spent the summer at my grandparents' house.

All three are correct, but they don't feel the same, and in some sentences only one of them works. This post shows you how to choose.

The 30-second overview

• Used to + base verb: a past habit or state that is no longer true. I used to smoke. She used to be shy.
• Would + base verb: a repeated past action only, never a state. Every Sunday we would visit my aunt.
• Past simple: a finished past fact. It can describe habits too, especially with a time expression. I played football every day when I was ten.

The core idea behind "used to" and "would" is contrast with now: that was then, this is different today.

Used to: habits and states

"Used to" is the most flexible of the three, because it works for both repeated actions and states.

• Repeated actions: We used to play cards every Friday.
• States: He used to have long hair. / I used to believe in ghosts. / There used to be a cinema here.

It always says the situation has changed. If someone says I used to run every morning, you understand they don't run every morning now.

Would: repeated actions only

"Would" describes a repeated action in the past, usually when you're telling a story or remembering something warmly.

• When I was a kid, my dad would wake me up at six and we'd go fishing.
• Every winter she would knit scarves for the whole family.

The big restriction: "would" can't be used for states.

• I would be very shy as a child. → I used to be very shy as a child.
• We would have a dog when I was little. → We had a dog when I was little.

Style tip: start the memory with "used to" or a time marker to set the scene, then use "would" for the details. We used to spend summers at the lake. Every morning we would swim before breakfast, and in the evening my uncle would light a fire.

Past simple: facts and defined periods

The past simple is the neutral choice. It simply says what happened, without stressing that it has changed.

• I smoked for ten years.
• She lived in Madrid from 2015 to 2019.
• We played tennis every day last summer.

When you give a specific duration or a number of times, use the past simple, not "used to".

• I used to live in Rome for three years. → I lived in Rome for three years.
• We used to visit the museum twice. → We visited the museum twice.

"Used to" describes a general past pattern, not a bounded stretch of time.

Quick comparison

Questions and negatives

The "-d" in "used to" disappears once did appears.

• Did you used to play the piano? → Did you use to play the piano?
• I didn't used to like coffee. → I didn't use to like coffee.

With "would", the usual rules apply: Would you go to the beach every day? sounds natural in a story, but "used to" is more common in everyday questions.

Don't confuse it with "be used to"

Used to + verb is a past habit that has stopped: I used to get up at five.

Be used to + -ing / noun means "be familiar with" something, now: I'm used to getting up at five. (It feels normal to me.)

• I used to drive a lot. (I did before, I don't now.)
• I'm used to driving a lot. (It's normal for me, now.)

Error clinic

• I would be taller than my brother when we were kids. → I was taller than my brother when we were kids. ("Would" can't describe a state.)
• I used to go to Italy three times. → I went to Italy three times. (A number of times needs the past simple.)
• Did you used to live here? → Did you use to live here?
• I'm used to play tennis on Sundays. → I used to play tennis on Sundays. (Or: I'm used to playing tennis on Sundays.)

Quick recap

1. State in the past? Use used to or the past simple, never would.
2. Repeated action, now different? Used to or would both work.
3. Specific duration or number of times? Use the past simple.
4. Question or negative? Did you use to…? / I didn't use to…

Practice it

Now try it: write one sentence in the comments about something you used to do as a child that you don't do anymore. Then test yourself with a quiz, since choosing between these three forms gets easier with repetition. For the bigger picture, see past simple vs past continuous, present perfect vs past simple and the full tenses chart. If the "can't use with states" rule felt familiar, it's the same idea as in stative verbs explained.

Practice Past Simple →