Using ‘Used to’ and ‘Would’: Talking About Past Habits and Customs

Talking about the past is one of the most natural things we do in English – whether we are sharing childhood memories, retelling family stories, or describing customs that have long since disappeared. Two grammar structures that come up again and again in these kinds of conversations are “used to” and “would.” They both point to the past, yet they work in subtly different ways. Once you understand exactly how each one functions, you will find them everywhere: in novels, in conversations, and even in the timeless folk tales of Mullah Nasruddin, a beloved wise-fool character whose stories have been shared across cultures for centuries.

What does “used to” actually do? 🔗

According to the British Council’s LearnEnglish platform, “used to + infinitive” serves two main purposes. First, it describes past habits – actions that happened repeatedly in the past but no longer occur. Second, it describes past states – situations or conditions that were once true but are no longer. The structure is straightforward: subject + used to + base form of the verb.

Here is what that looks like in practice:

Past habit: I used to go swimming every Thursday when I was at school.
Past state: We used to live in New York when I was a kid.

In both cases, “used to” signals clearly that the situation described has changed. Using “used to” creates a contrast between past and present, making it easy for your listener to understand that things are different now.

Forming negatives and questions 🔗

One point that trips up many learners is how to form the negative and question versions. To negate “used to,” you use “did not” followed by the base form “use to” – note that the “d” drops off in this case, because the auxiliary verb “did” already carries the past tense meaning.

I did not use to like olives.
Did you use to have a garden?

So what does “would” do differently? 🔗

“Would” can also express repeated past actions, but it has a narrower range than “used to.” According to Test-English, “would” can only be used to talk about things that were done repeatedly in the past – it cannot be used to describe past states or situations that are no longer true.

Correct: Every Saturday I would go on a long bike ride.
Incorrect: I would live with my mum when I was a child. ✘
Correct: I used to live with my mum when I was a child. ✓

The reason “would live” fails here is that “live” is being used as a stative verb – it describes a state of being, not an action. Words like live, know, believe, own, love, and feel typically fall into this category. When the verb describes a past state of being rather than a repeated action, “would” simply does not apply – “used to” is the only correct choice.

A storytelling tool with a formal touch 🔗

There is also a tonal difference worth noting. “Would” for past habits carries a slightly more formal register than “used to” and is particularly common in storytelling. When a narrator describes what a character repeatedly did in the past, “would” creates a sense of rhythm and vividness that works beautifully in written prose and spoken anecdotes alike.

Seeing “used to” and “would” in the tales of Mullah Nasruddin 🔗

Mullah Nasruddin is a folk character who appears in thousands of humorous stories told across the Muslim world, from Turkey to Persia to South Asia. His tales are short, often absurd, and always carry a hidden lesson. Because many of these stories describe what Nasruddin or the people around him repeatedly did in the past, they offer natural and memorable contexts for practicing both “used to” and “would.”

Nasruddin’s childhood curiosity 🔗

One well-known tale describes young Nasruddin as a boy who was captivated by travelers and their stories. When he was young, Nasruddin liked to sit around the fires of passing caravans and listen to tales about faraway places. This was a repeated habit – something he did again and again. If we wanted to rewrite that habit using our target grammar, we could say:

When he was a boy, Nasruddin used to sit around the fires of passing caravans and listen to travelers’ tales.

Or, once that habit has been introduced, we could continue the story like this:

He would listen for hours, especially to anecdotes about the strange customs of people in distant lands.

Notice how “used to” introduces the habit for the first time, and “would” then adds detail to the same recurring behavior. This pattern – introducing a past habit with “used to” and then following up with “would” – is one of the most natural ways to narrate repeated events in English.

Nasruddin at the bathhouse 🔗

Another tale tells us about Nasruddin’s visits to the local bathhouse. Each time he visited, the attendant treated him poorly because of his shabby clothes. But after Nasruddin left a generous tip one day, his next visit was completely different – the attendant greeted him warmly and gave him fine towels. The story ends with Nasruddin explaining that the tip from the first visit was actually meant for the second, and the second visit’s lack of tip was for the first.

This is a story about repeated behavior – the attendant’s habit of judging guests by appearance. Retold with our grammar structures, it might sound like this:

The attendant used to treat guests poorly if their clothes looked shabby. He would hand them a threadbare towel and only a tiny piece of soap.

Here, “used to” sets up the habit, and “would” adds a vivid, specific detail about what that habit looked like in action.

The poor man in the coffeehouse 🔗

In another tale, a sad stranger tells Nasruddin about his fall from wealth. The man once lived in a mansion with many servants but has since lost everything. This is not a repeated action – it is a past state. The man’s wealth and lifestyle were conditions that existed for a period of time but are no longer true. This is exactly the kind of situation where only “used to” works:

He used to be rich. He used to live in a mansion, and he used to have many servants.

Using “would” here would sound unnatural, because be rich, live in a mansion, and have servants are all describing states, not actions.

When to use “used to” vs. “would”: a clear breakdown 🔗

Britannica’s Dictionary explains two key restrictions on “would” that make “used to” the safer default choice. First, “would” should not appear unless the past time frame has already been established in the conversation or text. If you start a sentence with “would” to describe a past habit without any prior context, it can sound awkward or even ungrammatical. Second, “would” cannot be used with stative verbs.

Here is a side-by-side comparison to make the difference crystal clear:

Introducing a past habit for the first time:
✓ I used to play football every Saturday.
✘ I would play football every Saturday. (No context has been set yet.)

Adding detail after the habit is already introduced:
✓ When I was young, I used to play football every Saturday. We would meet at the school field after lunch.

Describing a past state:
✓ She used to love chocolate.
✘ She would love chocolate. (Love is a stative verb here.)

Describing a repeated action (both work):
✓ Every evening, my father used to read us a story.
✓ Every evening, my father would read us a story.

Practice with story prompts 🔗

The best way to internalize these structures is to use them. The tales of Mullah Nasruddin are perfect for this because they are full of repeated behaviors, predictable routines, and situations that once existed but no longer do. Try rewriting the following prompts using “used to” and “would” where appropriate.

Prompt 1: Nasruddin’s donkey habit 🔗

In many stories, Nasruddin rides his donkey everywhere – to the market, to the forest, through the village. This was something he did over and over again. Write two sentences: one introducing the habit with “used to,” and one adding a detail about that habit using “would.”

Example answer: Nasruddin used to ride his donkey everywhere he went. He would ride through the village square every single morning on his way to the market.

Prompt 2: The coffeehouse regulars 🔗

Nasruddin and his friends spent a great deal of time at the local coffeehouse, debating and telling stories. Describe this as a past state and a past habit. Remember: the fact that they spent time there is an action, but if you want to say they were regular visitors, that is closer to a state.

Example answer: Nasruddin used to be a regular at the coffeehouse in his village. He and his friends would sit there for hours, arguing and swapping jokes.

Prompt 3: Writing your own Nasruddin-style memory 🔗

Think of a habit or routine from your own past – something you did repeatedly but no longer do. Write a short paragraph (three to five sentences) describing that habit. Start with “used to” to introduce it, then use “would” to add specific details. If any part of your memory describes a state (where you lived, how you felt, what you owned), make sure to use “used to” for those parts.

A quick rule to remember 🔗

If you are ever unsure which form to use, there is one simple guideline that covers most situations: when in doubt, choose “used to.” It works with both actions and states, it can introduce a topic on its own, and it is never wrong in the contexts where “would” is also acceptable. “Would” is a powerful storytelling tool, but it has limits. “Used to” does not.

What do you think? Think about a custom or routine from your childhood that no longer exists today. Can you describe it in one sentence using “used to” and then add a second sentence using “would”? How does shifting between the two change the feel of what you are saying?

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasreddin
2. https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/past-habits-used-to-would-past-simple
3. https://www.englishmines.com/post/understanding-the-difference-between-used-to-and-would-as-past-habits
4. https://langeek.co/en/grammar/course/674/would-vs-used-to
5. https://test-english.com/grammar-points/b1-b2/would-and-used-to/
6. https://commongroundinternational.com/learning-english/used-to-would-simple-past-past-habits/
7. https://pressbooks.pub/nasruddin/chapter/chapter-1/
8. https://dansrealenglish.com/used-to-or-would-in-english
9. https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/eb/qa/the-difference-between-used-to-and-would