Used to x Would

[Emanuelli]

I'm doing an exercise about the differences between: used to and would but I didn't understand them very well. I'm going to write the paragraph according to the book and please, let me know why they used would/used to in some sentences and just "used to" in others.

If possible, please, send the message to my my e-mail: [removed] I've been having some troubles with the old one.

Thanks.

Paragraph: As a child, I used to spend my vacations in the mountains. We used to have a cabin near Lake Tahoe. We used to/would go there for a month in the summer, when it used to be sunny, and for Christmas, when there used to/would be lots of snow.

[Tdol]

Used to- can be used for actions (go, eat, etc) and states (love, live)
Would- can only be used for actions

[Dandelion]

Would can be used to express an action that was repeated regularly in the past. When would is used to express this idea, it has the same meaning as used to (habitual past).

(a) When I was a child, my father would read me a bedtime story.
(b) When I was a child, my father used to read me a bedtime story.

(a) and (b) have the same meaning.

Used to expresses an habitual situation or state that existed in the past. In this case, would cannot be used as an alternative. Would is used only for regularly repeated actions in the past.

I used to live in California.
I would live in California.

I used to be a Brownie.
I would be a Brownie.

I used to have long hair.
I would have long hair.

Hope this helps.