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Pastimes : SI Grammar and Spelling Lab -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: David Lawrence who wrote (903)	2/19/1998 12:27:00 AM
From: jbe	Respond to of 4710

It's "I used to ask stupid questions." Don't really know the origin of this construction, but I would guess that it derives from the expression "I am used to [that is, accustomed to] asking stupid questions." The "am" is dropped, and "used" becomes, in effect, the past tense of "use"(rather than a participle), which of course, makes no logical sense. But then language does not always "make sense."

To: David Lawrence who wrote (903)	2/19/1998 6:36:00 AM
From: Jack Clarke	Respond to of 4710

David, >>I use to ask stupid questions. Or, did I used to ask? The past tense only is "employed" when used means in the sense of "accustomed to", according to Fowler. Also when the "accustomed" sense is meant, it is pronounced "yoost" rather than the "d" ending when it means simply "employed." Examples: He used (pronounced "ust") to walk to school every day. He used (pronounced "usd") his tools very skillfully. Other uses, such as "He didn't use do" are considered archaic rather than vulgarisms, according to Fowler. Jack