simple past and used to

[haseli22]

Dear native speakers,

What's the difference in meaning between the following sentences?

1) When I was a kid, I played tennis a lot.
2) When I was a kid, I used to play tennis a lot.

Thanks.

[bhaisahab]

Dear native speakers,

What's the difference in meaning between the following sentences?

1) When I was a kid, I played tennis a lot.
2) When I was a kid, I used to play tennis a lot.

Thanks.

There is no difference.

[haseli22]

So why do English people use two structures when there is no difference in meaning?

[bhaisahab]

So why do English people use two structures when there is no difference in meaning?

Why not?

[5jj]

So why do English people use two structures when there is no difference in meaning?

There frequently is a difference in meaning between 'used to' and the past simple. It just so happens that the difference in the two sentences you mentioned is minimal.

[emsr2d2]

Only two? We have lots of different ways of saying the same thing. That's what makes English so varied (and so difficult to learn!)

When I was a kid, I played tennis a lot.
When I was a kid, I used to play tennis a lot.
As a kid, I played tennis a lot.
As a kid, I used to play tennis a lot.
When I was a kid, I played a lot of tennis.
When I was a kid, I used to play a lot of tennis.
As a kid, I played a lot of tennis.
As a kid, I used to play a lot of tennis.
I played tennis a lot when I was a kid.
I used to play tennis a lot when I was a kid.
I played a lot of tennis when I was a kid.
I used to play a lot of tennis when I was a kid.
I played tennis a lot as a kid.
I was a regular tennis player when I was a kid.

I could go on. I won't. My fingers are tired. There are probably another dozen or so ways of saying exactly the same thing.