How to Use "Used To" in English

I used to hate English grammar... until I understood this one simple structure...

Do you ever want to talk about something you did in the past but don’t do now?

That’s where “used to” comes in!

💬 What Does “Used To” Mean?

We use “used to + verb” to talk about:

• Habits or repeated actions in the past

• States or situations that were true before, but aren’t now

🧠 Examples:

• I used to live in Tokyo. (But now I live somewhere else.)

• She used to eat meat. (Now she’s vegetarian.)

• We used to be classmates. (We're not anymore.)

🧠 Important!
After “used to,” we always use the base (simple) form of the verb — no “-ing,” no “to.”

✅ I used to watch anime every day.
❌ I used to watched / watching / to watch

📝 Try It Yourself!

Can you complete these sentences using “used to”?

1. I ___________ (play) outside every day when I was a kid.

2. My dad ___________ (not cook) very often, but now he’s great at it.

3. ___________ you ___________ (go) to cram school after regular school?

Be Careful! Not for Present or One-Time Events

You can’t use “used to” for something that still happens now or only happened once.

❌ I used to go to school today → Wrong
✅ I went to school today → Correct

🌟 Want to go deeper?
We are currently working on a full worksheet that will include:
✅ Common mistakes and how to fix them
✅ Practice sentences and a mini test
✅ Helpful Japanese translations and tips

It’s coming soon! 🎉
Follow kohaku_english_online or check back on the website to be the first to know when it's ready!

Let’s make “used to” something you master — not something you used to struggle with 😉