[Grammar] 'Did you use to...' implies?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Heidi

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Taiwan
Current Location
Taiwan
Dear friends,

Please help me with this question: when I ask somebody 'did you use to be a teacher?', I must have known that he or she isn't a teacher now, otherwise it is inappropriate to ask this question?

Is it true for all similar questions? 'Did you use to live in Taiwan?' implying that I know you don't live in Taiwan at the moment of speaking?

Thank you!
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Please help me with this question: when I ask somebody 'did you use to be a teacher?', I must have known that he or she isn't a teacher now, otherwise it is inappropriate to ask this question?
Yes, unless you are being sarcastic about a teacher who is, in your opinion, past their best.

Is it true for all similar questions? 'Did you use to live in Taiwan?' implying that I know you don't live in Taiwan at the moment of speaking? Yes
5
 

Heidi

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Taiwan
Current Location
Taiwan
Thank you, 5jj!
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
:up: The point it that there is the possibility of irony in the choice of this tense. What it means, on the surface, is 'I know you are not any more'; in fact, if the supposition is wrong, the answer may correct it:

Q: 'Did you use to be a teacher?'
A: '["Use to?"] I still am one.' (The echoing of the question is optional).

Ironical usage is common. Say someone, in a group in a restaurant, divides the tab quickly and accurately. Someone else might ask 'Did you use to be an accountant?'

b
 

Heidi

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Taiwan
Current Location
Taiwan
:up: The point it that there is the possibility of irony in the choice of this tense. What it means, on the surface, is 'I know you are not any more'; in fact, if the supposition is wrong, the answer may correct it:

Q: 'Did you use to be a teacher?'
A: '["Use to?"] I still am one.' (The echoing of the question is optional).

Ironical usage is common. Say someone, in a group in a restaurant, divides the tab quickly and accurately. Someone else might ask 'Did you use to be an accountant?'

b
Thanks a lot, teachers! I didn't expect this ironical usage. (sorry, I'm not sure if I have used the word 'expect' correctly. If I made a mistake, please do correct it for me! I mean I didn't even know there is such an ironical usage of the structure 'did you use to be...' :oops:)
 
Last edited:

SanMar

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2011
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
Canada
Current Location
Canada
Hi,
Is it use to or used to?
:-?

Thanks:)
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Is it use to or used to?
Purists argue that it should be (1) used you to...? though you will rarely hear or see that form.

(2) Did you use to ...? is generally accepted as correct.

(3) Did you used to....? is incorrect, but you occasionally see it in print.

It is difficult to tell whether people use (3) in speech, because it sounds the same as (2).
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Thanks a lot, teachers! I didn't expect this ironical usage. (sorry, I'm not sure if I have used the word 'expect' correctly. If I made a mistake, please do correct it for me!
You used the word 'expect' correctly.

Please do not worry about the ironical usage. It might have been better if I had not mentioned it; I was just trying to cover all possibilities.
 

Heidi

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Taiwan
Current Location
Taiwan
You used the word 'expect' correctly.Thanks!

It might have been better if I had not mentioned it; I was just trying to cover all possibilities. No, I think that is great and I appreciate it. I always want to know something new, interesting and humorous. Thanks again!
Heidi
 
Last edited:

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
:up: (Strictly, 'I didn't know there was...') ;-)

'I didn't expect...' doesn't really work there, as I expect you guessed! You could say:

  • I didn't know
  • I never knew
  • I'd never've guessed ['never have', but it's usually elided]
  • That's a new one on me [very colloquial, especially if you use 'on'. Some teachers would prefer 'for' or 'to']
  • That's a new one.
  • ... [ Several other possibilities. I'm sure people will add a few.]

b
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
:up: (Strictly, 'I didn't know there was...') ;-)

'I didn't expect...' doesn't really work there, as I expect you guessed!
I didn't expect that response, Bob. 'Expect' seems OK to me. Why doesn't it work for you?
 

Heidi

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Taiwan
Current Location
Taiwan
:up: (Strictly, 'I didn't know there was...') ;-)

'I didn't expect...' doesn't really work there, as I expect you guessed! You could say:

  • I didn't know
  • I never knew
  • I'd never've guessed ['never have', but it's usually elided]
  • That's a new one on me [very colloquial, especially if you use 'on'. Some teachers would prefer 'for' or 'to']
  • That's a new one.
  • ... [ Several other possibilities. I'm sure people will add a few.]
b
Thanks for your suggestions, Bobk. I will continue trying to find more example sentences about the usage of the word 'expect', and figure out the most appropriate way of using it.:lol:
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I didn't expect that response, Bob. 'Expect' seems OK to me. Why doesn't it work for you?

For me, Heidi would only have used 'expect' if she'd had some reason to think that I thought (i.e. that her readers thought) that she would have considered words to use in that context - like, if she was in a linguistics class and her teacher had said 'Think about what sort of word you could use there, and we'll talk about it next time.' (It's not a strong objection: my 'doesn't work' was perhaps a bit strong - that's why I tried to tone it down with 'really'. I should just have said 'To my ear, it's an odd choice of word'. ;-))

b

PS 'I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition' suggests that the speaker has considered what sort of person might interrupt.
PPS That's a very bad example. Search on YouTube and you'll see why. In the Monty Python sketch, when the character says 'I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition' he means - hyperbolically - I had no reason to foresee such detailed questioning. The joke depends on an over-literal interpretation of 'didn't expect' with the implication 'I was expecting someone to come through the door.'
 
Last edited:

riquecohen

VIP Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
Brazil
Hi,
Is it use to or used to?
:-?

Thanks:)
In a declarative sentence it is "used to." He used to be a teacher.

In a negative sentence or in a question it is "use to." He didn't use to be a teacher. Did he use to be a teacher?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top