Used to/would

Exercise 1
1. When I was a child I ____ like peanuts.
a) didn't use to
b) wouldn't
c) both are correct

2. In the morning he _______ sit on the front porch and read.

a) used to
b) would
c) both are possible

3. Which sentence is NOT correct?

a) I would go shopping with her every Friday.
b) I would have very blond hair.
c) She would call me after class to chat.

4. I _______ wear glasses when I was at university.

a) didn't use to
b) wouldn't
c) both are correct

5. When the weather was bad, I _______ stay home and read comic books.
a) used to
b) would
c) both are possible

6. How many friends _______ have?

a) did you use to
b) would you
c) both are possible

7. Which sentence is NOT correct?

a) I didn't use to like cheese when I was younger.
b) I didn't use to walk home after school.
c) As a child, I would hate having to get up early.

8. When I was a child, we _______ live in the countryside.

a) used to
b) would
c) both are possible

9. On Sundays, my mum _______ wake us up and cook pancakes.

a) used to
b) would
c) both are possible

10. My brother and I _______ fight all the time.

a) used to
b) would
c) both are possible
Exercise 2
Complete the sentences using the verb in brackets with the correct form of used
to or would. If both used to and would are possible, use WOULD.

When I was a child we 1   (live) in a cabin in the mountains. Back then, we 2   (not have) much

money; that’s why we 3   (have) vegetables and chickens in our back garden. Every day we 4   

(get up) very early and my father 5   (take) some eggs for breakfast.

The weather in summer 6   (be) really nice. There was a lake near the house; we 7   (go) there to

have a swim every morning. Later, in the afternoon my brothers and I 8   (go) fishing, and in the evening my

mother 9   (cook) whatever we had caught. It was fantastic!

Winters 10   (be) rather cold. Every morning I 11   (go) to the woods to look for firewood;

there 12   (be) a little fireplace in the house to keep us warm. In the evenings, my father 13   (tell)

us incredible stories next to that fireplace, and we 14  , full of admiration.

We were poor, but we 15   (be) happy.

 1. When I was a child I ____ like peanuts.

 didn't use tocorrect

 wouldn't
 both are correctwrong

 We can use used to + infinitive (NOT would) to talk about situations or states which were true in the past.
 We can only use would to talk about repeated actions in the past.

2. In the morning he _______ sit on the front porch and read.

 used to
 would
 both are possiblecorrect

 This question was not answered

 This is a past habit or repeated action, so both would and used to can be used.

3. Which sentence is NOT correct?

 I would go shopping with her every Friday.

 I would have very blond hair.correct
 She would call me after class to chat.

 This question was not answered

 Have very blond hair is a state, not a past repeated action. Only used to can be used.

4. I _______ wear glasses when I was at university.

 didn't use tocorrect

 wouldn't
 both are correct

 This question was not answered

 Wear glasses is a past state or continuous action, not a repeated action. Only used to can be used.

5. When the weather was bad, I _______ stay home and read comic books.

 used to
 would
 both are possiblecorrect

 This question was not answered

 This is a past repeated action, so both would and used to can be used.

6. How many friends _______ have?

  did you use tocorrect
 would you
 both are possible

 This question was not answered

 This is a past state, not a past repeated action. Only used to can be used.

7. Which sentence is NOT correct?

 I didn't use to like cheese when I was younger.

 I didn't use to walk home after school.
 As a child, I would hate having to get up early.correct

 This question was not answered

 Hate, love, etc. are past states, not a past repeated action. Only used to can be used.

8. When I was a child, we _______ live in the countryside.

 used tocorrect
 would
 both are possible

 This question was not answered

 This is a past state, not a past repeated action. Only used to can be used.

9. On Sundays, my mum _______ wake us up and cook pancakes.

 used to
 would
 both are possiblecorrect

 This question was not answered

 This is a past repeated action, so both would and used to can be used.

10. My brother and I _______ fight all the time.

 used to
 would
 both are possiblecorrect

 This question was not answered

 This is a past repeated action, so both would and used to can be used.

Ex. 2 Feedback
 
1 Correct answer: used to live
 This is a past state or continuous situation, not a repeated situation. We can only use would for past repeated actions.

2 Correct answer: didn't use to have

 This is a past state. We can only use would for past repeated actions.

3 Correct answer: used to have

 This is a past state. We can only use would for past repeated actions.

4 Correct answer: would get up

 This is a past repeated action, so we can use would.
5 Correct answer: would take
 This is a past repeated action, so we can use would.

6 Correct answer: used to be

 This is a past state. We can only use would for past repeated actions.

7 Correct answer: would go

 This is a past repeated action, so we can use would.

8 Correct answer: would go

 This is a past repeated action, so we can use would.

9 Correct answer: would cook

 This is a past repeated action, so we can use would.

10 Correct answer: used to be

 This is a past state. We can only use would for past repeated actions.

11 Correct answer: would go

 This is a past repeated action, so we can use would.

12 Correct answer: used to be

 This is a past state. We can only use would for past repeated actions.

13 Correct answer: would tell

14 Correct answer: would listen
 This is a past repeated action, so we can use would.

15 Correct answer: used to be

 This is a past state. We can only use would for past repeated actions.