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Milky Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

I used not to play football.

I used not to play football.

Is there any real grammatical justification for that form? Personally, I think not.
  

Top answer

Providing that it is grammatically correct, "used" acts like a modal verb here. Take the verb "need" for example: You needn't make your bed. or You don't need to make your bed.

— Loojka

  • Providing that it is grammatically correct, "used" acts like a modal verb here.
  • Take the verb "need" for example: You needn't make your bed.
  • or You don't need to make your bed.
  • But I'd say "I didn't use to play football", sounds more natural.
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31 Answers
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Providing that it is grammatically correct, "used" acts like a modal verb here. Take the verb "need" for example:

You needn't make your bed.
or
You don't need to make your bed.

But I'd say "I didn't use to play football", sounds more natural.
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It just reflects its position as a marginal modal. The negation is as with others of its group:

I dare not play
I ought not to play
I need not play
I used not to play

You will note that all of these verbs have various forms of variable respectability.
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Mister MicawberIt just reflects its position as a marginal modal. The negation is as with others of its group:

I dare not play
I ought not to play
I need not play
I used not to play

You will note that all of these verbs have various forms of variable respectability.

How can "used to" be descibed as a (marginal) m
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It shares their variety of form and contestable grammatical justification.
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Mister MicawberIt shares their variety of form and contestable grammatical justification.

I contest!
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Mister MicawberIt shares their variety of form and contestable grammatical justification.

So, should we write the tag form as:

I used not to play football, usen't I/usedn't I?

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Grammatical justification? What is it?
What form would a grammatical justification take?
The presence of thousands of instances of it, as on Google? No, I don't think that's what you mean.
An analysis of what part of speech each of the words is? No, I don't think that's what you mean.
Maybe you mean something closer to

I - subject
used - verb
not
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CalifJimGrammatical justification? What is it?
What form would a grammatical justification take?
The presence of thousands of instances of it, as on Google? No, I don't think that's what you mean.
An analysis of what part of speech each of the words is? No, I don't think that's what you mean.
Maybe you mean something closer to

I - subject
u
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Milky
Let's say an adult native English speaker wants to use this sentence when speaking to another native English speaker, "The flowers reds, please.". He/she may be asked to justify why he/she has chosen to use such a form as "flowers reds". He/she may be told that there is no justification for using such a form in any variety of English. If he asks why there is no
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