Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[learner1]

Hello,

1."One of my earliest memories of Dad is that he would often leave the house at dawn to go jogging."

Can I use 'used to' instead of 'would' here as in

"One of my earliest memories of Dad is that he used to often leave the house at dawn to go jogging."

2."We used to swim every day when we were childern- we would run down to the lake and jump in."

Are 'would' and 'used to' interchangeable here as in

"We would swim every day when we were childern- we used to run down to the lake and jump in."

3.Can 'would' be used at the beginning of a story like the example above(We would swim...)?

4.Can I use 'would' in negative sentences. For example

"I remember that she didn't use to go jogging every day."
"I remember that she would not go jogging every day."


Thank you very much.

[Bob S.]

[learner1]

Hello Bob S.
Thank you very much for replying to my questions. I'm afraid I have some more questions to ask about the two words.

There is a slight difference between "used to" and "would". "Used to" is often preferred when you are talking about an action that was more of a habit, done without much thought. "Would" is often used for something that you chose to do.

1.Could you explain what you meant by 'done without much thought' and by 'would'...you chose to do'?

2..What is the difference between 'would often' and 'would' in my examples? Do they mean the same?

3..Is 'used to often...' correct?

4.My dictionary says 'would' can't be used at the beginning of a story when it means a repeated action in the past. Is that so?

5.Can 'would' be used in asking questions like 'used to'?
For example,
"Would he go jogging every day?
Yes, he would/ used to go jogging every day."

Thank you very much.

[Bob S.]

[learner1]

Hello Bob S.,

Your examples and explanation are so great! I like them very much. Again, thank you very much for your help.