He used to, didn't he?

[nazanin]

Test No. incompl/elem-37 "Question Tags (3)", question 2

He used to work in the city .........

(a) had he?
(b) does he?
(c) has he?
(d) didn't he?

Test No. incompl/elem-37 "Question Tags (3)", answer 2

He used to work in the city didn't he?

Correct answer: (d) didn't he?

Your answer was: incorrect
He used to work in the city has he?
_________________________

why?

[Alan]

He used to is a past positive form and so the question tag has to be past negative: didn't he.
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Amalmusica]

used to is a past form , right? thank you..
but I want to know whether it has a present form?
I used to play Piano when I was young. it's a past habit now I dont play piano! ok..
but,if I didn't use to play piano when I was young and only now I started playing Piano everyday.

how to say the same sentence in present tense using a form of "used to"?

[Mister Micawber]

'Used to' does not have a present form. The meaning is 'past habit'. Now, you 'play the piano'- simple present is present habit.
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Alan]

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Hi Amalmuica,

'Used to' is exclusively about what you did on a regular basis in the past and has no connection with now. If you want to express the same idea of doing something on a regular basis now, you would have to use an adverb and the natural one is 'usually'.

Look at these:

He used to smoke 60 cigarettes a day.
Now he usually smokes three cigarettes a day.

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

[Amalmusica]

thanks a lot Alan and Mister Micawber
It's very Clear now! 'Used to' is a past form. And I can use the word Usually to describe actions which are in Present or I can simply say present actions using Simple Present tense form.

great!
Thanks again!
AmaL.