Writing Tips has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.
For the most up-to-date content, please consult Writing Tips Plus, which combines content from Writing Tips and The Canadian Style. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!
Used to plus a verb expresses previous habits or customs.
In writing, the negative forms include never used to and used not to.
In speech, Canadians and Americans prefer didn’t use to, while in Britain didn’t used to is common.
A question is structured Did … use (or used) to?
© Public Services and Procurement Canada, 2024
TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank
Writing tools – Writing Tips
A product of the Translation Bureau