USED + INFINITIVE English grammar lesson and exercises

USED + INFINITIVE English grammar lesson and exercises

In this complete tutorial about USED + INFINITIVE English grammar for beginners, learners would be able to learn how to use the structure “used to + infinitive”.

Used to + infinitive is used to refer to a past activity or situation which no longer exists at the present time.

It refers o past habits and states that do not exist today; something that you did regularly in the past but you don’t do it in the present. Used to + infinitive can only refer to a past time.

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Here is an English grammar lesson and exercises about “used to + infinitive structure’.

Here is Joey in the past:                          Here is Joey in the present:

Joey used to work in a car wash.             Now he works in a bus company.

 used + infinitive this means;

=to describe a habit or regular action from the past.

= We do not have this habit or do the action in the present.

1.  Affirmative form

This is Derek Hough. He is a famous ballroom dancer.

He used to dance in Dancing with the Stars.

Now he dances for his own show.

Subject     +       used           +       main verb

                   (past simple of “use”)           (infinitive form)

I                            used                     to dance.

You                      used                     to dance.

He/she/it              used                     to dance

We                       used                    to dance

You                      used                    to dance

They                    used                     to dance

2. Affirmative form

      used + infinitive -This structure only has a past form.

For example:

          I used to dance ballroom.

There is no infinitive form of use:

I am going to use to dance ballroom. X

There is no -ing form:

          I am using to dance ballroom. X

There is no present form:

          I use to play football. X

If you want to describe a habit or regular action in the present, we use the present simple.

          I dance ballroom every day.

Negative Form

Lionel Messi did not use to play for Liverpool.

Subject       +       did not        +       “use”          +       verb

                                                     (base form)                 (infinitive form)

I                            did not                  use                       to play

You                      did not                  use                      to play

He/ she/ it            did not                  use                       to play

We                       did not                  use                       to play

You                      did not                  use                       to play

They                    did not                  use                       to play

Contracted form (negative)

Full Form Contracted form
   I did not use to play    I didn’t use to play
   You did not use to play    You didn’t use to play
   He/ she/ it did not use to play    He/ she/ it didn’t use to play
   We did not use to play    We didn’t use to play
   You did not use to play   You didn’t use to play
   They did not use to play    They didn’t use to play

Question Form 1

Did you use to dance ballroom?” this is the structure and the sentence ends with a question mark.

Did      +    subject      +    use      +       verb  ?

                                          (base form)            (infinitive form)

Did                 I                   use                  to dance?

Did               you               use                   to dance?

Did               he/ she/ it     use                  to dance?

Did               we                 use                   to dance?

Did               you               use                    to dance?

Did               they              use                    to dance?

Question Form 2

Where did they use to go on Saturday?

Why did you use to get up at 4:30 in the morning?

What did you use to eat for lunch?

The rule here is we have the words:

USED + INFINITIVE English grammar lesson and exercises
USED + INFINITIVE English grammar lesson and exercises

Habits in the past 1

Used + the infinitive – to describe a habit or regular action that we had in the past. We do not have this habit or do this action in the present.

For example:

Past                                                           Present

1. Dave used to drink alcohol.               He no longer drinks alcohol.

2. Joey used to jog every evening.        Joey watches TV every evening.

States in the past

Used + the infinitive – to describe a state that we had in the past.

We do not have this state in the present.

For example:

Past                                                           Present

1. Rob used to like slow rock music.      Now he likes jazz music.

2. Rob used to be a car washer.            Now he is a bus driver.

3. Rob used to like beef steak.               Now he prefers fruit.

Practice exercise 1

Complete the sentences with the positive, negative or question form of “used to” using the verb in brackets:


1. I ____________ (work) in the Twin Towers.
2. ____________   (leave) the classroom at 4 : 00 pm?
3. I ____________   (forgive) him.
4. He ____________ (beat) me.
5. The teacher ____________   (speak) English in the classroom.
6. He ____________   (write) a lot.
7. She ____________   (spend) time in the supermarket.
8. We ____________   (not / play) outside.
9. He ____________   (not /write) five stories a day.
10. ____________   (She / eat) three times a day?

Answers:

1. used to work                       6. used to write 

2. Did you use to leave          7. used to spend 

3. used to forgive                   8. didn’t use to play 

4. used to beat                       9. didn’t use to write 

5. used to speak                     10. Did she use to eat 

Practice exercise 2

Complete the sentences with the positive, negative or question form of “used to” using the verb in brackets:
Top of Form

1. Sarah ____________ good at dancing. (be)
  

2. When I was young, I ____________ fish but now I eat it all the time. (not eat)
  

3. I ____________ piano lessons. (have)

4. Where did they ____________ to school? (go)

Answers:

1. used to be

2.  didn’t use to eat or did not use to eat

3. used to have

4. use to go

Downloadable Material

Here’s the downloadable material of Tutorial on USED + INFINITIVE English grammar  here.

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