In this short video lesson, the Ukrainian sentence «Раніше я щодня пила каву» (“I used to drink coffee every day”) appears in the notebook with a hint: used to. Watch the video, then read on for how to talk about past habits.
The phrase: I used to drink coffee every day
Used to + verb describes a habit in the past that isn’t true any more.
- I used to drink coffee every day.Now I don’t.
- We used to go to the sea every summer.A regular past habit.
- He used to walk to work.He doesn’t any more.
Used to is the same for everyone: I / he / they used to. And it only exists in the past: for present habits, say I usually drink tea, not I use to drink tea.
Used to or would?
For repeated past actions, you can also use would: When I was a child, I would drink cocoa every morning. It’s common in stories and memories. But would only works for actions, not states: for “I lived in Kyiv before”, only I used to live in Kyiv is correct.
How to pronounce it
In used to, the [d] is silent and the two words blend together: [ˈjuːstə], like “yoost-uh”.
Check yourself
Say it in English, then reveal the answer:
1.You went running every morning in the past, but not now.
Answer
I used to run every morning.
2.Tea is your normal drink these days.
Answer
I usually drink tea now.
3.Your family lived in Kyiv before.
Answer
We used to live in Kyiv.
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