Used to + infinitive: Which verbs can NOT be used in?

[Tamara]

Hi

You know (and even me ) that there is a group of verbs that normally are not used in the Present Participle form: like, know, etc

Is the pattern used <infinitive> also limits use of some verbs?

For example, used to know her sounds naturally and makes sense to me (= I knew her and certainly still know that she is somewhere, but now I have no contact with her. Right?)

Are there verbs that cannot be used within used to– pattern?
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[Alan]

Hi Tamara,

I'd love to help but I don't quite follow what you want to know. Could you have another shot, please.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
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[Tamara]

Hi Alan


This week I started my grammar classes, but the next is on Thursday.

Well...
You don’t use 'I am liking' – as like is 'not-action' verb (or how you name that?…)
seem, consist, understand, hate, etc….
There is a rule for that.

Something like that...
I would just like to know, is there (a group of) verbs that don’t make sense in the pattern used+infinitive.
I have a vague suspicious that they (such verbs) are, but have no evidence.

Sometimes I'm in need to express something (that makes sense in my first language) with the pattern used-infinitive and some verbs, but… fear

For example, used to seem – does this make sense to you?

Briefly speaking: I would be happy to know that there is no 'limitation'.
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[Alan]

Hi Tamara,

Thanks for your further explanation. Used to + infinitive in the sense of did at one time but not now would appear to be all right with most verbs. Off the top of my head I can't see there would be a restriction on the type of verb. Your example: used to seem could be used as follows:

She used to seem as if she wasn't interested in anything but now she appears to be fascinated by everything.

Alan
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[Tamara]

Aha! No restriction – that’s great!
Thanks a lot, Alan.

Now I’ve recalled: my last trouble was with he (a researcher) used to discover (side effects of... bla-bla-bla...)
(i.e. when a verb refers to some 'not-reversable' activities in the past).

OK.
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[Yankee]

Hi Tamara
.
That's an interesting way of looking at it --> "non-reversable".

I'm not sure I understand it fully yet. I think I'd have said "verbs that can't be done regularly over a long period of time or habitually".

So, I guess you can add things such as this to your restriction list:
- be born / come into the world
- die / bite the dust / buy the farm

But you could say:
She used to dye her hair once a month.

Amy

Edit:
Oops! Spelling blooper now repaired.
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Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Alan]

Hi,

Of course you could say: babies used to die in early infancy in the 19th century/come into the world/be born prematurely in some situations/men used to bite the dust in their hundreds in Ireland/the oldest sons used to buy the farm when they had saved up enough.

Or am I being perverse?

Alan
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[Tamara]

Thank you!
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[Yankee]

Hi Alan

Yes, you're right. I was looking at the idea of individual habit. The idea of one person habitually dying, for example, doesn't work too well: "He used to die every week or so."

On the other hand, I might be able to say such a thing about my first car.
"My first car used to die regularly."

Amy
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Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Conchita]

[Tamara]

Hi

Good Sunday morning, isn’t is?

[Yankee]

Hi Tamara

Amy's first car used to die regularly, but after the last time it died, it refused to come back to life. So it is no longer able to die regularly since it is now permanently dead.

Amy
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Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Tamara]

Yes, Amy, that's it.

Now there is no such an object at all - to speak about it in now...
It does not exist and cannot act at all.
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[Alan]

Hi Tamara,

Let's get away from morbidity! The car used to work but now it doesn't work - but the car can still exist even if it mopes in the garage. Am I making sense?

Alan
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