Used to or use to?
- Thread starter rumoosick
- Start date
I was taught the following, but I'm fairly certain it's incorrect. Accustomed to= used to. In the past= use to. What I do know is correct according to multiple styles, is that if it's preceeded by a negative (didn't), you drop the ed-- I didn't use to. Also, in questions: did you use to smoke?
I used to go bowling every Tuesday.
A knife is something you use to prepare vegetables.
Ms. James' definition sounds correct to me to. That's the way I'd say and write it, but I have no idea what would be grammatically correct in a written sentence. Sincerely, Jon .
Not quite.
I used to go fishing on Saturdays, but now it's too cold. [something done in the past which isn't done in the present]
The cold weather doesn't bother me; I'm used to it. [accustomed to]
I used a brush and a bucket of soapy water to wash the car. [past tense of the verb "to use"]
Your statement on the use of "didn't" and in questions is correct.
Did you use to go fishing in the morning?
I didn't use to get up that early.
My SO is a francophone Quebecker with a large family. I once asked about how to remember which words in french were masculine or feminine, a tough job for me. She and a couple of her family who heard the discussion, laughed and she said guess, you'll be right half the time, then said not to worry, most people won't care about it. This much the same thing. Most people won't care, except perhaps Endeavour, but carry on.
I'm still not sure that I understand this correctly.... For example, I would say: 'I have a used car' . And then I would also say: 'I use to drive'. To me, if it sounds clear when spoken and is understood instantly then it must be correct to a large degree. I would write those sentences in the same way, as well.... Sincerely, Jon . edit...
I have a used car I use (it ) to drive to the store
or
I have a used car I used to drive it to the store , but I scrapped it
or
I used to have a used car, I used to drive it but I don't have a license anymore so I cannot use it.
Ah! Here you're discussing pronunciation, not writing. They should agree, of course, because it's the same language spoken or written. It seems you're proposing to make the written agree with the carelessly spoken form. But the wording that precisely conveys the reality under consideration is the past tense 'used to', and what one should really do is enunciate the '-ed' ending more carefully.
If you mean a present tense, current action as in "I have a used car I use to drive", which would make sense if you've previously described how you keep your new car (which became a 'used car' the instant the keys were handed over, but I digress) in the living room to be admired as a sculpture, then 'use' is indeed the word to use.
Better ya shoulda said, "I gotta beater I drive around" and avoided both the repetition and confusion over past and current uses.
Ok, What did you use to smoke? A cigarette holder, perhaps? I make people use an ashtray to smoke even out on the porch. Point is that the verb 'use' is transitive and needs an object. Unless you're confessing to taking drugs so heinous we leave them unmentioned, but understood: "Yes, Doctor, I do use and those are tracks".
I used to smoke when I was younger—weed, cigarettes, domestic and foreign, a pipe, hookahs, rollies, OP's…, 'What didn't I use?' would be the (grammatically correct) question—but my asthmatic sweetie never has. One could phrase that as clumsily as, 'she didn't used to be a smoker', but why would you? 'She never smoked' is clearer, neater and 'she didn't use to smoke' is less so. As for use in a question, 'used' or 'use', they're just clutter. What could be simpler and more to the point than 'Did she ever smoke"?
'Is she ever smokin!?!' however, suggests something entirely different. Its grammatical failing can be discussed in another thread, but the correct response is: "Always!"
All this is can be Googled—apart from my smokin' sweetie'—using 'grammar: I used to'.
