[Grammar] Used to vs. Use to

[TalonRider]

I just had this discussion with one of the authors I work with and have given him my answer to the question. I'm curious to know what others think.

 

I used to be blonde

 

 

I use to be blonde

 

are both correct these days? I ask because I have seen some authors use it.

 

 

 

Edited to change the title.

Edited August 18, 2008 by TalonRider

[AFriendlyFace]

I just had this discussion with one of the authors I work with and have given him my answer to the question. I'm curious to know what others think.

 

I used to be blonde

 

 

I use to be blonde

 

are both correct these days? I ask because I have seen some authors use it.

 

No, personally speaking as far as I'm concerned "used to" is the acceptable form.

 

However, again personally speaking - as someone who himself used to be blond - I would only say it colloquially. So I might use 'used to' (not 'use to') in my dialogue or something(...or maybe in Aaron's narration in BMAD/WAS since the whole story is pretty informal), but for more formal writing I would probably shy away from the phrase altogether.

 

Just my preference though

Kevin

Edited August 18, 2008 by AFriendlyFace

[Benji]

No, personally speaking as far as I'm concerned "used to" is the acceptable form.

 

However, again personally speaking - as someone who himself used to be blond - I would only say it colloquially. So I might use 'used to' (not 'use to') in my dialogue or something(...or maybe in Aaron's narration in BMAD/WAS since the whole story is pretty informal), but for more formal writing I would probably shy away from the phrase altogether.

 

Just my preference though

Kevin

 

 

.................I think 'used to' is correct!! I do however reserve judgement due to an overabundance of Blonde jokes at my disposal!!

[Tiger]

I found a link that says:

 

We use 'used to' for something that happened regularly in the past but no longer happens.

• I used to smoke a packet a day. but I stopped two years ago.
  
• Ben used to travel a lot in his job but now, since his promotion, he doesn't.
  
• I used to drive to work but now I take the bus.
  

[steph]

I put "use to" and "suppose to" on the same level as "ain't" or "sorta"

 

I basically think of the 'd' as a swallowed letter, so it sounds correct, but in the written word, it's never correct.

[AFriendlyFace]

I put "use to" and "suppose to" on the same level as "ain't" or "sorta"

 

I basically think of the 'd' as a swallowed letter, so it sounds correct, but in the written word, it's never correct.

Right, that's how I see it too.

[sat8997]

The general rule is when there is did or didn't in the sentence, the correct form is use to (without d) when there is no did or didn't in the sentence, the correct form is used to (with d).

[steph]

The general rule is when there is did or didn't in the sentence, the correct form is use to (without d) when there is no did or didn't in the sentence, the correct form is used to (with d).

interesting, Sharon! can you give us a full sentence where it's correct without the 'd'?

[sat8997]

Ask and you shall receive.

 

 

• Did you use to go out with my sister?
  
• Did they use to own the company?
  
• Didn't we use to go to the same school?
  

[MikeL]

I think used is the correct choice for your sentence "I used to be blonde" The clear implication of the statement is that something occurred in the past. Use is present tense.

 

Sharon is also correct about the word use with did or didn't. Did or didn't satisfies the past tense requirement; used would be redundant.

 

All the above applies to written communication. If you are writing dialog, your characters are likely to run words together resulting in something like "useta" or "didn'useta".

Edited August 18, 2008 by MikeL

[BeaStKid]

used it is...

[TalonRider]

This link was sent to me via email. I've also added the link to the pinned references in this section.

 

Thanks for sending it to me John.

[sat8997]

Seems that John and I have the same link bookmarked.

[Bondwriter]

used to, to indicate an habit in the past. Equivalent to the French imparfait in this regard (though the imparfait is used for other purposes, e.g. replacing the past continuous: "We were having wild sex when the telephone rang."

In a dialog, use to might translate the speaker's assimilation of the "d" sound" with the following "t" sound. If you hear it pronounced this way, then it's fine.

[Dion]

It may also have something to do with locale. I know my late English teacher grandmother would pitch a fit every time one of her students wrote 'use to' instead of 'used to'. She would tell them it was alright to drop the 'd' when speaking but not when writing.

 

She would then go on to say 'school is an institute of learning, not s-c-o-o-l'. She was a hard-nosed teacher but her pupils loved her.

[David McLeod]

 

Use, used, using: transitive verb meaning to employ, put into service, expend, consume, treat. In these senses,

[Mark Arbour]

Ask and you shall receive.

 

 

• Did you use to go out with my sister?
  
• Did they use to own the company?
  
• Didn't we use to go to the same school?
  

 

There's a reason why you are the BEST editor. I used to think that, now I know it is true.

[BeeJay]

Instead of "Didn't you use to go out with my sister?", which sounds stilted and almost archaic to my ears, I would recommend

 

"You used to go out with my sister, didn't you?"

 

This is another workaround in English, and is analogous to other languages that have idioms and particles such as "n'est-ce pas?", "nicht wahr?" and "

[MikeL]

Instead of "Didn't you use to go out with my sister?", which sounds stilted and almost archaic to my ears, I would recommend

"You used to go out with my sister, didn't you?"

Canadians can go you one better with, "You used to go out with my sister, eh?" Essentially, you can ask any question by adding "eh" to a statement.

[Aeroplane]

Ask and you shall receive.

 

 

• Did you use to go out with my sister?
  
• Did they use to own the company?
  
• Didn't we use to go to the same school?
  

 

I completely disagree, none of these sentences sound in any way correct and seem as though they dont flow at all.

What did this person 'use' when they went out with the sister? Confidence boosting pills? The application of 'use' preceding 'to' in the sentence begs 'well, what was used?'. I think that 'used to' is perfectly correct, and that 'use' is not a substitute acceptable in written anything because it is just an artifact of lazy pronunciation.

[sat8997]

Good thing you're not an editor then, eh?

[Aeroplane]

I may not be an editor but I know what is right and what is not.

Once again I suspect that this is a BrE/AmE difference.

 

'I used to enjoy canoeing'

'She used to answer the telephone but is now unable to'

'We used to have family holidays when the children were younger'

'They used to make a lot of noise after midnight until we complained'

 

All of those are perfectly correct and acceptable.

 

As are:

 

'I use a screwdriver often'

'He uses a sponge to clean his windows'

'We use a lot of flour every month'

'They use drugs to feel normal'

 

The only way I would use 'use to' is 'I use an [object] to accomplish a task' or 'An [object] is what I use to accomplish a task'. It is not a word to denote 'the past application of' or 'the past state of', that is 'used', or 'used to be'.

Edited February 24, 2009 by Xeran

[sat8997]

I may not be an editor but I know what is right and what is not.

 

 

Must be nice to know everything. Personally, I'm always open to learning something new.

 

While this particular style may sound archaic and overly formal, the example sentences I posted are correct.

 

As I stated earlier in the thread, the general rule is when there is did or didn't in the sentence, the correct form is use to (without d) when there is no did or didn't in the sentence, the correct form is used to (with d).

 

The same general rule applies in both American and British English.

[Aeroplane]

Must be nice to know everything. Personally, I'm always open to learning something new.

 

Well I had to say something to your rather snippy and uninformative previous response didnt I? .

 

Quite the opposite - it doesnt sound formal, it sounds informal and like I said earlier, sounds like it is an artifact of poor pronunciation. I do not believe you are correct, though I do not have any sources to hand.

[KJames]

Sorry, Xeran, I have to agree with Sharon...her usage of "used to" versus "use to" is correct from this modest reader's standpoint.