Difference between USED TO and WOULD

Category: English || Published on : 2020-08-12 10:23:52 || Author : TILS EDUCATION 1644

In English, there are lots of usages which has alternatives to replace them. It makes English a bit easier when you have many options to use instead. Well here we are going to learn the difference between ‘Used to’ and Would. How can we use them? Can we replace each other? What is the basic difference between both?
Let’s learn the difference between ‘used to’ and ‘would’?

Used to and Would basically both be used to describe something which happened in the past or a regular habit of past. Let’s understand it with below examples: -
1. He used to smoke, but last year he did quit.
2. When she was a kid, she would dance so much.

Here, in above examples both used to and would are describing about the past happening or a regular habit of past.
However, there are not much difference between Used to and Would but some are mentioned below that will help you certainly in making their use correctly.

• The first difference between Used to and Would is that would should not be used until the sentence has already mentioned its existence of being in past. Sentence must have the mention of past before the use of would in the sentence. Whereas used to is not bound with such norm, it can be used directly in the sentence. To understand more see the below examples: -
1. When I was a student, I would study so hard.
2. When I used to be a child, I would go maternal home in summer vacation.
Here in above both sentences would be used after mentioning the existence of sentence of being in past. Whereas in second sentence used to is free to use.

• The second difference is heard very rarely. Used to can be used with all main verbs but would cannot be used with some particular verbs. Would can not be used with stative verbs, stative verbs are basically the verbs which refer the state of being or refer the emotional state of a person. Stative verbs such as love, understand, be, feel, etc. The reason behind this is that stative verbs with would make an ungrammatical and inappropriate combination. Understand this more with examples: -
1. When I was a child, I would love to sleep. (Grammatically correct and appropriate)
When I was a child, I used to love to sleep. (Ungrammatical and inappropriate)

So, basically, we learned the difference between the use of Would and Used to. Though there is not much difference between both. But after knowing the difference we can make correct use. Hopefully, this article would help you in knowing the difference.