Used To or Use To?

Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of people writing “use to” when they should have added the d to the end. I’ve even had this discussion with my own husband. Some people think the d is not used here because they don’t hear it… the d and t sounds kind of meld together when we speak. However, in most cases, it is proper to say “used to” because of the intent of the sentence.

Used to can be used as an adjective in a sentence like this: I am used to eating on the run.

In this instance, the phrase “used to” means you are accustomed to something.

Used to can also be used as a verb in the past tense, since it is used in conjunction with “to be.” I used to enjoy climbing trees as a child.

Use to is also a verb used for the past tense, but you don’t need the d if you have the past tense of to be is used instead. I didn’t use to like mushrooms.

Because I used “didn’t” in that sentence, which is a past form of “to be,” I don’t need to add the d on use.

This may take a little practice, but you’ll be fairly safe using “used to” in most cases. Most of the time, it is proper to add that d.

John and Toni Rakestraw are the owners of Rakestraw Book Design. Toni is the editor; she keeps all those words in line. John is the voice of the company. He can often be found hosting Google+ Hangouts on writing and issues writers face online. Archives for his shows can be found on YouTube.

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