Differences between using "used to"and "would"

[Gość: bednario]

I know that we can use both of them to express past habit, but
in "rozszerzona matura" exam, there was use of english exercise, where you
should choose would or used to. (There were also 2 other possibilities, but
they don't fit.)
I will be grateful for answer.

P.S. I'm sorry for my grammar mistakes :)

[u-boot_88]

Right... maybe you can cite the phrase you were to fill in? The context is the
most important.

[jan.kulczyk]

"used to" refers to repeated activities in the past but also to an ongoing state or situation that someone was in. You can say both: "I used to be a good tennis player" and "I used to visit my granny on Thursdays before she passed on".

Would, on the other hand, refers to specific activities - and to activities only - which took place regularly in the past. For instance: "We would come by his place quite often and have a drink or two" is correct, while "Before your daddy left, we would be very rich" is not, because "would" cannot refer to states.

To summarize - both are similar in their usage depicting past habits but used to can describe states AND activities, whereas would can describe activities alone.

Also, it is felt, would tends to be more informal and employed in conversational English more often (where possible of course), notably in the US.

[Gość: Soltys Kierdziolek]

Znowu powialo z "Greenpoint"

"To summarize - both are similar in their usage depicting past habits but used t
o can describe states AND activities, whereas would can describe activities alo
ne."

"Also, it is felt, would tends to be more informal and employed in
conversational English more often (where possible of course),
notably in the US."

[jan.kulczyk]

Mr. Soltys Kierdziolek, Are you or are you not out to get me at this fine and beautiful Christmas? ;)))

Or perhaps I should include a glossary w/all my posts..? Would that help? Coz you know, I'd be more than happy to... ;))

On the other hand, I never thought about it this way, but having a stalker is actually.... nice.. ;)))


Take it easy!

[Gość: Soltys Kierdziolek]

Jasiu, przestan udawac.

[jan.kulczyk]

Have we met? No, I mean, really?

You're cute, you know that? :))