On 3 Jul 2005 14:53:27 -0700, s.libri@gmail.com
<s.libri@gmail.com> wrote:
> Some help with "used to". Which of these forms are the most likely in
> written and in spoken English? which are incorrect? Are there any
> differences between American English and British English?
> Sorry for my pedantry.
I'm commenting on use in British English, not American, and on modern
usage in Southern England in particular.
>
> - I didn't used to live there
> - I didn't use to live there
Colloquial, generally regarded as uncultured.
> - I did not use to live there
> - I did not used to live there
The expanded form is almost unheard. More commonly (and most people
would say more correctly) it would be said as:
I didn't always live there
I did not always live there
The second is likely to be used for emphasis when spoken (as with a lot
of contractions expanded to their full form).
> - I used not to live there
Meaning "In the past I didn't live there but now I do live there". More
often heard as "I used to not live there".
> - I usedn't to live there
Just wrong. I don't believe "usedn't" is a word in English at all <g>.
>
> - Did you used to live there?
> - Did you use to live there?
> - Used you to live there?
None of them are commonly-heard English, the latter might be 'correct'
but the speaker is likely to be regarded as trying to sound 'posh' (or
"upper class"). Most people would just say "Did you live there?"
(possibly with "once" or "at one time" at the end).
>
> - Didn't you used to live there?
> - Did you not used to live there?
> - Didn't you use to live there?
> - Did you not use to live there?
> - Used you not to live there?
> - Usedn't you to live there?
Only "Used you not to live there?" is at all correct modern English, and
see above about sounding 'posh'. They are very likely to be
misunderstood, as are most questions asked in the negative.
More commonly "Did you not live there once?"
>
> You used to live there,
> - didn't you?
> - usedn't you?
The first is correct and commonly used. The second is not correct
modern English and I don't think I've ever heard it.
> $ tags (positive)
>
> -did you?
> -used you?
More likely "You used to not live there, didn't you?" (meaning "Am I
correct that at one time you were not living there?"). Again, the
question with "used you?" is not correct English; additionally, the
question at the end is normally in the negative (as in German "nicht
wahr?", French "ne c'est pas?", English dialect "isn't it?" and
"innit?", etc.).
In writing almost all of those would only be seen in dialogue (and so
almost any commonly spoken form could be used, because the speaker might
be using a dialect form). In narration the only common forms are:
He used to live there
He used to not live there
He used not to live there
(Whether "used to not live" is regarded as a split infinitive is
arguable, it depends whether "not live" is regarded as an infinitive in
its own right. However, these days only a few pedants seem to complain
about split infinitives. I blame Star Trek's "to boldly go" <g>...)
Chris C
|
| Follow-ups: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|