Used to and Would

Question

"He used to play tennis when he was young". I know that I can also say this sentence as "He would play tennis when he was young".

Can I use "would" to express the actions which were repeated in the past and are also still done? Can I say "He would play tennis when he was young, too, as he still does"? Instead, should I say "He played tennis when he was young, too, as he still does"?

GPY · Accepted Answer

Anonymous"He used to play tennis when he was young". I know that I can also say this sentence as "He would play tennis when he was young".

The former would be much more usual. I don't really recommend the second.

AnonymousCan I use "would" to express the actions which were repeated in the past and are also still done? Can I say "He would play tennis when he was young, too, as he still does"? Instead, should I say "He played tennis when he was young, too, as he still does"?

He played tennis when he was young, and he still plays now.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you. But I have been learnt that,
1) "used to" and "would" can be used interchangeably to express habits or repeated actions in the past.
2) when "used to" is used, it means that that action was only repeated in the past but it is not done now.
3) when "would" is used, it means that that action was repeated in the past and maybe it is done now or not.

For example,

I used to play computer games every day when I was a child. (I no longer play them)
I would play computer games when I was a child. (Maybe I still play them now, or not)

Is it all correct?

BarbaraPA · Answer

What you have leaned is not correct.

They are not interchangeable.

Would is repeated action, but often used to describe specific situations.

That summer, we would play tennis whenever the weather let us.
When Aunt Gladys came to visit, we would always make her special cookies.
When it rained, we would go out and jump in puddles.

To simply suggest that something happened throughout a long period in the past, I would definitely use "used to" instead of "would."

Anonymous · Answer

I see the situation, thank you. When we use "would", does it mean that the action is not repeated now like in the "used to" pattern or does it mean that maybe the action is repeated now or maybe not?

BarbaraPA · Answer

They both suggest that there was a time in the past when this did NOT happen, after the time referred to when it did.

I used to play tennis as a kid. Only now, as I'm turning 50, am I taking it back up again.
Gosh, remember how when we were kids, we would stomp in rain puddles after a big storm? Let's go do it now! Who cares what the neighbors will think!

Otherwise, you'd use a different from:
I've been playing tennis since I was a kid.
I've been jumping in rain puddles since I was a kid.

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymous"He used to play tennis when he was young". I know that I can also say this sentence as "He would play tennis when he was young".

More or less, but the second one is not as idiomatic. It seems to need more information. Also, the pattern with "would" is often reversed, thus: When he was young, he would play tennis twice a week. I don't know why exactly, but just stopping at he would play tennis feels incomplete. It seems to me that twice a week blocks any remotely possible conditional meaning of "would".

AnonymousCan I use "would" to express the actions which were repeated in the past and are also still done? Can I say "He would play tennis when he was young, too, as he still does"? Instead, should I say "He played tennis when he was young, too, as he still does"?

I would do this the other way around, mentioning current practice first, and the past practice later. "would" is not necessary.

He plays tennis, just as he did when he was young.
?He plays tennis, just as he would when he was young.

Otherwise,

When he was young, he would play tennis, and he still does.

But this latter sentence is much weaker in my opinion.

This post may interest you.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you for all the replies. I see that "used to" and "would" cannot be used interchangeably because "used to" is for both "habits" and "repeated actions" in the past while "would" is only for "repeated actions" in the past and often used to describe specific situations. I also see that "would" doesn't mean the action may be done now but means that the action was only in the past. I understand better now.

Used to and Would

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