would vs. used to

[maxno]

These two examples are from exercise to unit in grammar textbook dealt with distinctions between using of would and used to. It seems to me that both options fit both sentence. But key to exercise says that there should be used would in the first case and used to in the second one and not the other way around. But I didn't catch the difference, both sentences seem gramatically equal to me. These are examples:

1. When I was younger I would spend hours just kicking ball around the garden.
2. I used to like going to pop concerts when I was a teenager.
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Please don't hesitate to point at my grammar mistakes in this post.

[Conchita]

1. When I was younger I would spend hours just kicking ball around the garden.

In this sentence, it is possible to replace 'would' with 'used to' with no change in meaning.

2. I used to like going to pop concerts when I was a teenager.

Here, we can't say 'I would like going' since 'would like' is used in the sense of 'want/desire now'.

We could say 'I would go to pop concerts when I was a teenager', though we wouldn't be saying whether we liked going or not.

[lost_soul]

Also I know that we can say "I used to be an idiot" and "I used to know that guy"
but we can't change "used to" to "would"
I forgot the definition of that damn rule, but I'm pretty sure about those examples. (I'd appreciate input on that)

The same thing is with "wish":
I wish I knew him, I wish I were clever
But
I wish he wouldn't spend hours fooling around
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Alex

A native speaker of Russian

[maxno]

[maxno]

[Yankee]

[Alan]

Hi Maxno,

Let's start with the similarity between 'would' and 'used to'. They both encompass repeated states, activities and feelings in the past. The difference for me lies in their use. 'Used to' suggests what was done repeatedly/habitually then but not now as in: I used to smoke a packet of cigarettes a day - indicates I don't do that now. Again: After breakfast I would smoke one or two cigarettes - indicates such was my practice at that time/then but there is no clear connection with now. 'Would' often points to the past in a reflective/sentimental/ even nostalgic manner and is very frequently used in narrative or in literary forms rather than in conversation.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story The way you write it