It did "used" or "use"

Share on Facebook

Anonymous

#502358 Fri, 18 Apr 08 05:59 PM

My friend and I got into a disagreement about this...

"It did use to be Wizard of Oz themed" or "It did used to be Wizard of Oz themed"?

Bonus points if you can figure out what "it" is...

Or are both of them wrong?

Anonymous

Philip

#502367 Fri, 18 Apr 08 06:42 PM

Normal: it used to be the theme. If you are in a debate and want to emphasize: it did use to be the theme.
My only guess would be "Over the Rainbow", and that's too obvious to be correct.

Philip

Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005

USA Pacific Northwest (Seattle)

Veteran Member (6,333)

At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen

CalifJim

#502386 Fri, 18 Apr 08 07:59 PM

Whenever there's a did (or didn't) in the same clause, drop the d of used. The pronunciation remains the same, since the d in the idiom used to is silent anyway.

Did he use to be rich?

I didn't use to think anyone could do that until I saw it for myself.

We didn't realize that there used to be a mall there. (not in the same clause)

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (17,792)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

Clauses, Idioms, Pronunciation

Anonymous

#596774 Thu, 27 Nov 08 01:18 PM

What did you mean, when you wrote "(not in the same clause)"?

Anonymous

Clauses

CalifJim

#596929 Thu, 27 Nov 08 04:54 PM

Anonymous
What did you mean, when you wrote "(not in the same clause)"?

I meant that the didn't and the used to idiom were in different clauses. Therefore the used to doesn't change to use to.

CalifJim

Clauses, Idioms

Cool Breeze

#596952 Thu, 27 Nov 08 05:21 PM

Anonymous
Or are both of them wrong?

Many dictionaries* consider both of them right. The underlying idea is that even though used with its ed ending looks like an ordinary past tense verb, usage has not settled and two forms are acceptable with the auxiliary do:

He didn't use/used to be rich.

And, since it can be considered an auxiliary, also: He used not to be rich.

* One of these is Collins.