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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
'used to' with adverbs
Is it okay to use 'used to' with adverbs like always / never / often / sometimes?
E.g.: "I always / never / often / sometimes used to go to the cinema."
I have seen all of the adverbs + 'used to' and I guess that 'always' and 'never' might be possible if you want to put some more emphasis on 'used to'. But is that really necessary?
I am absolutely puzzled as to 'sometimes' + 'used to' because (as far as I know) 'used to' expresses some kind of regularity or habit while 'sometimes' doesn't.
Would you say always / never / often / sometimes + 'used to' is correct standard English? Or would you say that this is rather colloquial and should be avoided. I would appreciate your help very much.
Regards,
Heike
Fremdsprachen Online Lernen http://www.lingo4u.de/
E.g.: "I always / never / often / sometimes used to go to the cinema."
I have seen all of the adverbs + 'used to' and I guess that 'always' and 'never' might be possible if you want to put some more emphasis on 'used to'. But is that really necessary?
I am absolutely puzzled as to 'sometimes' + 'used to' because (as far as I know) 'used to' expresses some kind of regularity or habit while 'sometimes' doesn't.
Would you say always / never / often / sometimes + 'used to' is correct standard English? Or would you say that this is rather colloquial and should be avoided. I would appreciate your help very much.
Regards,
Heike
Fremdsprachen Online Lernen http://www.lingo4u.de/
Top answer
[nq:1]Is it okay to use 'used to' with adverbs like always / never / often / sometimes? "[/nq] Yes, it's fine. [nq:1]I have seen all of the adverbs + 'used to' and I guess that 'always' and 'never' might be possible if you want to put some more emphasis on 'used to'.
- [nq:1]Is it okay to use 'used to' with adverbs like always / never / often / sometimes?
- "[/nq] Yes, it's fine.
- [nq:1]I have seen all of the adverbs + 'used to' and I guess that 'always' and 'never' might be possible if you want to put some more emphasis on 'used to'.
- [/nq] I suppose it was a regular habit, although it happened rarely.
- Perfectly accepatable "We sometimes used to (or "we used to sometimes" or "sometimes we used to" go to the pub after work".
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26 Answers
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[nq:1]Is it okay to use 'used to' with adverbs like always / never / often / sometimes? E.g.: "I always / never / often / sometimes used to go to the cinema."[/nq]
Yes, it's fine.
[nq:1]I have seen all of the adverbs + 'used to' and I guess that 'always' and 'never' might be possible if you want to put some more emphasis on 'used to'. But is that really necessary?[/nq]
Yep, both are co
Yes, it's fine.
[nq:1]I have seen all of the adverbs + 'used to' and I guess that 'always' and 'never' might be possible if you want to put some more emphasis on 'used to'. But is that really necessary?[/nq]
Yep, both are co
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[nq:2]Would you say always / never / often / sometimes ... should be avoided. I would appreciate your help very much.[/nq]
[nq:1]I would say it's fine and I'd use it in both speech and writing.[/nq]
I wouldn't use it in formal writing.
Mike Nitabach
[nq:1]I would say it's fine and I'd use it in both speech and writing.[/nq]
I wouldn't use it in formal writing.
Mike Nitabach
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[nq:2]I would say it's fine and I'd use it in both speech and writing.[/nq]
[nq:1]I wouldn't use it in formal writing.[/nq]
Hmm... isn't that true of 'used to' generally?
DC
[nq:1]I wouldn't use it in formal writing.[/nq]
Hmm... isn't that true of 'used to' generally?
DC
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Django Cat wrote on 02 May 2004:
[nq:2]I wouldn't use it in formal writing.[/nq]
[nq:1]Hmm... isn't that true of 'used to' generally?[/nq]
Not if one is writing about one's own or someone else's habits, eg "He used to smoke 30 unfiltered cigarettes a day". How else would you want to say it? One could use the simple past, I suppose "He smoked 30 unfiltered cigarettes a day from age 17 t
[nq:2]I wouldn't use it in formal writing.[/nq]
[nq:1]Hmm... isn't that true of 'used to' generally?[/nq]
Not if one is writing about one's own or someone else's habits, eg "He used to smoke 30 unfiltered cigarettes a day". How else would you want to say it? One could use the simple past, I suppose "He smoked 30 unfiltered cigarettes a day from age 17 t
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[nq:1]I am absolutely puzzled as to 'sometimes' + 'used to' because (as far as I know) 'used to' expresses some kind of regularity or habit while 'sometimes' doesn't.[/nq]
You would agree that it's OK to say, "I sometimes go to the cinema."
My habits have changed, and now I never go to the cinema. Consequently, "I sometimes used to go to the cinema." That is infelicitously phrased. So
You would agree that it's OK to say, "I sometimes go to the cinema."
My habits have changed, and now I never go to the cinema. Consequently, "I sometimes used to go to the cinema." That is infelicitously phrased. So
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[nq:1]Django Cat wrote on 02 May 2004:[/nq]
[nq:2]Hmm... isn't that true of 'used to' generally?[/nq]
[nq:1]Not if one is writing about one's own or someone else's habits, eg "He used to smoke 30 unfiltered cigarettes ... "He smoked 30 unfiltered cigarettes a day from age 17 to 35" but this gives a different feeling.[/nq]
I might go with 'was in the habit of smoking ...' if I wanted to
[nq:2]Hmm... isn't that true of 'used to' generally?[/nq]
[nq:1]Not if one is writing about one's own or someone else's habits, eg "He used to smoke 30 unfiltered cigarettes ... "He smoked 30 unfiltered cigarettes a day from age 17 to 35" but this gives a different feeling.[/nq]
I might go with 'was in the habit of smoking ...' if I wanted to
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[nq:2]Not if one is writing about one's own or someone ... 17 to 35" but this gives a different feeling.[/nq]
[nq:1]I might go with 'was in the habit of smoking ...' if I wanted to be more formal. I don't ... the bank saying 'I used to hold one of your credit cards' - I think I'd prefer 'previously held' there.[/nq]
I know that I'm spinning off on a tangent here, but I usually don't hold c
[nq:1]I might go with 'was in the habit of smoking ...' if I wanted to be more formal. I don't ... the bank saying 'I used to hold one of your credit cards' - I think I'd prefer 'previously held' there.[/nq]
I know that I'm spinning off on a tangent here, but I usually don't hold c
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[nq:1]Is it okay to use 'used to' with adverbs like always / never / often / sometimes? E.g.: "I always ... 'never' might be possible if you want to put some more emphasis on 'used to'. But is that really necessary?[/nq]
There's definitely a difference between 'used to', 'always used to' and 'never used to'. I wouldn't've thought it needed much explaining.
[nq:1]I am absolutely puzzled as
There's definitely a difference between 'used to', 'always used to' and 'never used to'. I wouldn't've thought it needed much explaining.
[nq:1]I am absolutely puzzled as
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Skitt wrote on 02 May 2004:
[nq:2]I might go with 'was in the habit of smoking ... credit cards' - I think I'd prefer 'previously held' there.[/nq]
[nq:1]I know that I'm spinning off on a tangent here, but I usually don't hold credit cards. I have them usually in my wallet. Holding them gets too tiresome. Could this be a pondian thing?[/nq]
In Taiwanese English, one "possesses" a credi
[nq:2]I might go with 'was in the habit of smoking ... credit cards' - I think I'd prefer 'previously held' there.[/nq]
[nq:1]I know that I'm spinning off on a tangent here, but I usually don't hold credit cards. I have them usually in my wallet. Holding them gets too tiresome. Could this be a pondian thing?[/nq]
In Taiwanese English, one "possesses" a credi
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Django Cat wrote on 02 May 2004:
[nq:2]Django Cat wrote on 02 May 2004: Not if one ... 17 to 35" but this gives a different feeling.[/nq]
[nq:1]I might go with 'was in the habit of smoking ...' if I wanted to be more formal. I don't ... the bank saying 'I used to hold one of your credit cards' - I think I'd prefer 'previously held' there.[/nq]
Along with this formality goes a bit of ve
[nq:2]Django Cat wrote on 02 May 2004: Not if one ... 17 to 35" but this gives a different feeling.[/nq]
[nq:1]I might go with 'was in the habit of smoking ...' if I wanted to be more formal. I don't ... the bank saying 'I used to hold one of your credit cards' - I think I'd prefer 'previously held' there.[/nq]
Along with this formality goes a bit of ve
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