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 #2 (permalink) Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:47 am "usedn't to" vs. "usen't to" |
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Those forms "usedn't to" and "usen't to" show up in ESL books written by foreigners, but I had never heard or read them in my entire life until I heard a foreign English teacher say them. And since she said them, I have never seen or heard them again.
I believe they are more or less obsolete in the UK. (Alan can correct me, if I'm wrong.) If you say them in the US or Canada, people will think they are not English and will correct you.
The best thing to do is to forget about "usedn't to" and "usen't to", and use "didn't use to" instead. |
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Jamie (K)
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Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| #3 (permalink) Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:53 pm "usedn't to" vs. "usen't to" |
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Hi Jamie,
Me too. This is the frist time I heard these words. Although, I am not English native speaker, I didn't read, listen and see in any book I've studied or bought for just reading. What I studied was "used to" and "did not use to". So I agree with you, it could be obsolete as you said.
We benefit from natives 
regards,
baraa |
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Bara
You can meet me at english-test.net
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| #4 (permalink) Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:57 am "usedn't to" vs. "usen't to" |
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Hi teachers!!
If you say I should to forget that that is impossible, because I none-native English speaker so I have to know all the state-of-the-art or obsolete words use. To master one language knowledge, he must be aware of the old to, right?
I still ask the same question, is there any difference? |
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Soklong
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| #5 (permalink) Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:24 am "usedn't to" vs. "usen't to" |
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| soklong wrote: |
If you say I should to forget that that is impossible, because I none-native English speaker so I have to know all the state-of-the-art or obsolete words use. To master one language knowledge, he must be aware of the old to, right?
I still ask the same question, is there any difference? |
In my opinion, they are both wrong.
So, in that sense, there is no difference between usedn't to and usen't to.
Amy |
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Yankee
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| #6 (permalink) Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:54 am Used to |
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Hi Soklong,
Your quotes:
| Quote: |
He usedn't to go there very often.
He usen't to go there very often. |
must go into the dustbin.
The negative of used to
in informal use is usually: didn't use(d) to
in formal use is usually: used not to
Some examples:
I really don't know what's the matter with you. You didn't use(d) to be so bad tempered
The regulations concerning smoking in public places used not to be taken so seriously in the past.
Alan
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English as a Second Language
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Alan
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| #7 (permalink) Sat Jul 29, 2006 17:15 pm "usedn't to" vs. "usen't to" |
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| Alan wrote: |
| in informal use is usually: didn't use(d) to |
Hello Amy
In response to my question once, you did not sell on this one, remember? 
Yours
Tom |
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Tom
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| #8 (permalink) Sat Jul 29, 2006 21:52 pm "usedn't to" vs. "usen't to" |
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Hi Tom
Sorry, I don't know what question you're referring to. I assume it was about "used to", but I don't understand what you're asking me now. 
I see no problem with the negative "didn't use to".
Many native speakers also write "didn't used to", but most grammar books categorize this form as grammatically incorrect.
Does that answer your question?
Amy |
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Yankee
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| #9 (permalink) Tue Jan 27, 2009 8:52 am "usedn't to" vs. "usen't to" |
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I study English at university in Ghent, Flanders.
I came across this using google, because I was confused by something I saw in my textbook and on the slides of my class. In grammatical usage we learned about usedn't. So it's probably right, no? My question is, what the hell does it mean? |
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Belgian Student
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| #10 (permalink) Tue Jan 27, 2009 12:17 pm "usedn't to" vs. "usen't to" |
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| Belgian Student wrote: |
| I came across this using google, because I was confused by something I saw in my textbook and on the slides of my class. In grammatical usage we learned about usedn't. So it's probably right, no? My question is, what the hell does it mean? |
Native speakers don't use "usedn't to", and it's so unfamiliar to them that most of them would think of it as a mistake. It may have been correct at some time in history (I don't know when), but it is not used now and is considered wrong. |
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Jamie (K)
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Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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