Objectif de cette leçon : maîtriser ce point de grammaire — Used to vs Would vs Past Simple.
B1-B2
Used to vs Would vs Past Simple
Navigate past habits, repeated actions, and completed events
Key Differences
🇬🇧 English
Used to: Past habits/states.
Would: Repeated past actions (not states).
Past Simple: General completed actions.
🇫🇷 Français
Used to: Habitudes passées.
Would: Actions répétées dans le passé.
Prétérit simple : Actions terminées en général.
Detailed Comparison
| Aspect | Used to | Would | Past Simple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use | Past habits and states (now finished) | Repeated past actions (not states) | General completed actions |
| States vs Actions | Both states and actions | Only actions (not states) | Both states and actions |
| Example - State | I used to live in London | ❌ I would live in London | I lived in London |
| Example - Action | I used to play football | I would play football every day | I played football yesterday |
| Time reference | General past (no specific time) | Often needs time context | Can be specific or general |
Common Mistakes
I would live in London when I was a child.
I used to live in London when I was a child.
Pour un état passé on emploie « used to », non « would ».
She used to go there yesterday.
She went there yesterday.
Un moment précis du passé demande le prétérit, non « used to ».
Would you smoke when you were young?
Did you use to smoke when you were young?
Pour interroger sur une habitude passée, on emploie « used to ».