Two ways to talk about the past that is over: used to and would both describe things that happened in the past but don't happen now. They tell the reader "this was true before, but it isn't any more."
used to + base verb — for repeated past actions AND past states that have changed: I used to play the violin. / We used to live in Madrid.
would + base verb — for repeated past actions only (typical things that happened again and again): Every winter we would go skiing.
The big rule to remember: 'would' cannot describe a past state. You can say I used to have a dog, but not ~~I would have a dog~~.
- used to + base verb
- a past habit OR a past state that is no longer true (I used to smoke; we used to live abroad)
- would + base verb
- a repeated, typical past ACTION (every day she would walk to school)
- a state (stative verb)
- something that just IS, not an action — be, have, like, know, believe, live
- a habit / repeated action
- a dynamic verb you do again and again — play, go, visit, walk, eat
- the past simple
- the basic past tense (played, went) — used for single finished events and also for habits
Why it carries the marks: When a Paper 1 task asks you to describe how things were — your childhood, a place that has changed, life "back then" — examiners reward a range of past forms. Reaching for used to and would instead of repeating the past simple shows control and earns Criterion A (Language) marks for range.
Both are followed by the base verb: Whatever the subject, used to and would never change, and they are both followed by the base form of the verb (the infinitive without 'to'): used to go, *would go*.[[LINEBREAK]]Watch the spelling in the negative and question: the second 'use' drops the -d because 'did' already carries the past. So it is didn't use to and Did you use to…?* — never ~~didn't used to~~*.
| used to | would (repeated action) | |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | I used to walk to school. | I would walk to school. |
| Negative | I didn't use to walk to school. | I wouldn't walk to school. / I never would… |
| Question | Did you use to walk to school? | (rare — past simple is preferred: Did you walk…?) |
| Past state — OK? | Yes: I used to live here. | No: NOT 'I would live here.' |
| Repeated action — OK? | Yes: I used to swim daily. | Yes: I would swim daily. |
The spelling trap: In the positive it is used to (with -d): I used to play. In the negative and question the -d disappears because did is already past: didn't use to / Did you use to…? Say it out loud — the /t/ of 'to' hides the missing -d, so writers forget the rule.
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Ask one question: is it a state or an action?: Before you choose, ask: am I describing a STATE (something that just *was* — be, have, like, live, know) or a repeated ACTION (something done again and again — play, go, visit)?
- A state → only used to (I used to be shy — never ~~I would be shy~~). - A repeated action → both work (Every Sunday we used to / would visit my aunt).
For a single, one-off finished event, use neither — use the past simple: Last year I broke my arm (not ~~I used to break my arm~~).
Use 'used to' (state OR habit)
- Past states: I used to be afraid of dogs.
- Things you owned/were: We used to have a big garden.
- Repeated actions: I used to take the bus every day.
Use 'would' (repeated action only)
- Typical, repeated actions: On holiday we would get up at dawn.
- Often signalled by 'every…', 'whenever', 'always': Whenever it rained, we would play cards.
- NOT for states: 'I would have a dog' is wrong — use 'used to'.
Set the scene, then use 'would': In storytelling, writers often open with 'used to' to set the scene, then switch to 'would' for the repeated details: We used to spend August at the lake. Every morning we would swim, and in the evening we would light a fire. Doing this in a Paper 1 narrative or blog reads naturally and shows range.
A childhood, told with 'used to' and 'would': Here is a short paragraph built one sentence at a time. Notice the pattern: it opens with 'used to' to set the scene and describe states, then uses 'would' for the repeated actions. Watch the negative spelling too — didn't use to.
IB-style task — 'used to' & 'would' in action
A childhood, sentence by sentence
- When I was a child, we used to live in a small town by the sea.
- Every summer my grandparents would visit us, and we would spend whole afternoons on the beach.
- I used to be terrified of the water, so I never went in past my knees.
- My brother didn't use to like reading at all — now he reads every single night.
- Things have changed a lot. We don't live there any more, but I would give anything to go back for a week.
Steal this for your own writing: This is a ready-made shape for any "how things were" task: set the scene with 'used to', add the repeated details with 'would', and finish by contrasting it with now (but things have changed… we don't live there any more). Swap in your own memories and you have a strong paragraph for a blog, a diary entry or the oral.
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The slips to watch for: Three mistakes dominate. 1. Using 'would' for a past state (~~I would have long hair~~ → I used to have long hair). 2. The negative/question spelling (~~didn't used to~~ → didn't use to). 3. Using 'used to' for a single event (~~I used to visit Rome last year~~ → I visited Rome last year — once, so past simple). Compare each right version with the typical mistake and the fix becomes clear.
Correct
- I used to have very long hair.
- She didn't use to enjoy school.
- Last summer I visited Rome for the first time.
Common mistake
- I would have very long hair. (state → must be 'used to')
- She didn't used to enjoy school. (drop the -d → 'use to')
- Last summer I used to visit Rome. (a single event → past simple 'visited')
Run two quick checks before you write it: Check 1 — state or action? If it's a state (be, have, like, live), use used to, never would. Check 2 — once or repeated? If it happened once, use the past simple (not 'used to'/'would'). And in the negative or question, drop the -d: didn't use to, Did you use to…?