[Grammar] present tense or past tense?

[Heidi]

Dear friends,

In the following sentenses, do you think the word 'read' should be present tense or past tense? Thank you!

I didn't use to eat breakfast, but now I always have something to eat because I read that students who eat breakfast in the morning do better in school.

 

[The Dude]

If you leave it as it is, the reader can take it either way - perfect solution!

However, an English reader would automatically, and rightly, understand it as written in the past tense. This is because you've already changed to eating breakfast every day, so the original reading will have been earlier and will therefore be expressed in the past. Simple.:-D

 

[Heidi]

If you leave it as it is, the reader can take it either way - perfect solution!

However, an English reader would automatically, and rightly, understand it as written in the past tense. This is because you've already changed to eating breakfast every day, so the original reading will have been earlier and will therefore be expressed in the past. Simple.:-D

Thank you, Dude, for giving me not only the answer but also the reason. Thanks!:lol:

I also have a question about this sentense. 'I didn't use to eat breakfast' and 'I didn't used to eat breakfast', which is more common in writing? Thank you!

 

[Barb_D]

As you do with other verbs when you have a form of "to do," you need the bare infinitive "use" with "didn't."

I used to. I didn't use to.

It's impossible to hear the difference in speech.

(There is quite a bit of discussion on this topic. Some say that "didn't use to" is simply incorrect. That doesn't match current usage.)

 

[probus]

To my ear "I never used to" was the only correct form.

Up to now I had considered "I didn't use to" or "used to" the expressions of non-native speakers. But I'm always glad to learn.

 

[5jj]

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