Used to or Simple past

Status
Not open for further replies.

nouamaneer

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Morocco
Current Location
Tenerife
Dear all,

Which one of these is correct?

1 Did you use to invent things when you were young?
2 Did you invent things when you were young?

Thanks for your help.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
They are both fine.
 

nouamaneer

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Morocco
Current Location
Tenerife
They are both fine.

Yeah, both are grammatically well-formed. Yet, there is a nuance in meaning. Especially in what the speaker possess of information on the interviewee.

In the used to example: the speaker either knows that the interviewee invented things and no more now and vice versa.

But in the 2nd case of the simple past: the speaker doesn't know anything on the speaaker's inventing anything at all. It's just a question with no prior background to it.

Am I right?
 

nouamaneer

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Morocco
Current Location
Tenerife
and another reference says that in question the simple past is prefered instead of the Used to form. Basically, I believe because of that shared background knowledge I talked about earlier.

Not to forget to mention that Used to adds a contrast to the presnt time that the simple past doesn't refer to.

Example:

I used to smoke when I was young. (but now i don't)

I smoked when I was young. (Nothing is emphasised in this example. just a statement of a past habit)
 
Last edited:

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
and another reference says that in question the simple past is prefered instead of the Used to form. Basically, I believe because of that shared background knowledge I talked about earlier.

Not to forget to mention that Used to adds a contrast to the presnt time that the simple past doesn't refer to.

Example:

I used to smoke when I was young. (but now I don't)

I smoked when I was young. (Nothing is emphasised in this example. just a statement of a past habit)
Alternative:
"I used to smoke when I was young" (I stopped, then I started again when I was older)
"I smoked when I was young" (I don't now because I've realised how stupid it is)
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
I used to smoke when I was young. (but now i don't)

I smoked when I was young. (Nothing is emphasised in this example. just a statement of a past habit)
You are correct. However, bhasahabi's alternatives are also possible.

This reinforces a point that we make often in these forums: Context is important. Many things that we say and write can be interpreted in different ways if we look at them in isolation. In context, the meaniing is usually clear.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top