Used to!= would (interchangeable / not interchangeable)

[Alandro255]

When:

used to = would (interchangeable)
Used to # would (not interchangeable) ?

Alandro

[Yankee]

.
Used to and would can be used to talk about something you did repeatedly or habitually in the past (but no longer do now).

dictionary definitions for would
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"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Alandro255]

Hi,

I used to like playing football. = I would like playing football.
I used to live in Singapour. =I would live in Singapour.
There used to be a house there.=There would be a house there.
I used to go there every Sunday.=I would go there every Sunday.

Right or wrong? If wrong,why?

Alandro

[Yankee]

.
Used to can be used for repeated/habitual actions AND states.
Would can only be used to talk about repeated/habitual actions in the past.

play = action:
- I used to play football every Saturday when I was young. = I would play football every Saturday when I was young.

like = state:
- I used to like playing football.

live = state (i.e., "live" is not a series of individual repeated activites):
- I used to live in Singapore.

be = state:
- There used to be a house there.

go = action:
- I used to go there every Sunday.= I would go there every Sunday.
_________________
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Alan]

Hi,

It's worth noting that would in the sense of a repeated action in the past is really only used in the written form.

Alan

You say you live in Italy. Which Italian grammars on English have you used?
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Alandro255]

I have only:

Oxford-Paravia English Italian Dictionary, OUP,
2001.
Italian Grammar in Practice, 2002.

Alandro

[Aardvark]

they are interchangable in many places. but when it is stative verb, would cannot give the exact meaning "used to" give. that means in your first three examples used to and would are not interchangable.

many greetings.

[Hoang4]

Hi Alan,

Your example makes sense but could you please give me several other examples about this? Because i've not been clear in distinguishing the difference between "used to" and "would".

Thanks,
H

[Alan]

Hi,

I can only repeat that 'would' suggesting that something happened on a regular basis is usually used in a literary setting. If you want to say something about what you did, you say: I used to work as a journalist but now I work as a teacher. If you are describing something, you write: When we were young, we would wake up early, forget breakfast and go for a swim.

Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Hoang4]

Thanks Alan! I have more a little bit clear (am i right with this sentence?)