Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[yusei0902]

Which is appropriate for the blank below?

I ( ) go fishing quite often, but now I seldom do.
1. used to
2. would

The reason I ask you the question above is because a certain well-reputed dictionary published in Japan says that �would (often)� is not used for the past event when in contrast to the present event. I do not, however, find a comment of this sort anywhere else.

Give me your intuitive response to the question above, and any comment would be appreciated.

[pugachevV]

Used to sounds more natural to me.

[yusei0902]

pugachevV
Thanks for your reply★

[Lorikeet]

I agree that "I used to go fishing quite often, but now I seldom do." sounds better.

However, I could also accept:

"When I was a child, I would go fishing quite often, but now I seldom do." and
"When I was a child, I used to go fishing quite often, but now I seldom do."

[airsrocks]

both sounds fine to me.

but, for me. just in my case,
I use "I used to go fishing quite often, but now I seldom do."