Take the 2-minute tour ×

Is it correct to say something like this?

I used to use the knife to open things like cans.

share|improve this question
The unusual pronunciation of used when it means "was accustomed to/was in the habit of" also arises in this one which started off being about have/haff. But @RegDwight is too diffident - this is a dup of the one he linked. –  FumbleFingers Jul 25 '12 at 22:38

5 Answers 5

It's fine to use that way as far as you maintain that you no longer "open the cans using a knife". Also, "used to" is a modal verb that can be used with any verb and in this case, "use."

share|improve this answer

Yes, used to use is a perfectly normal construction.

share|improve this answer

That’s fine (as per Barrie and Manoj), but you may want to say a knife, unless you always did your opening with a specific knife that’s contextually salient.

On the same theme as your question, you can create other sentences where a verb is used both in its “lexical” and its “grammaticized” senses. For instance:

  1. I have to have it. [modal have and lexical have]
  2. He has to have had it. [modal have, perfect have, lexical have]
  3. She had me have him over. [causative have, lexical+particle have]
  4. Who knows what he will will. [auxiliary will, lexical will]
  5. She’s going to go. [auxiliary go, lexical go]
  6. Who will they make make a cake. [causative make, light verb make]

If you get carried away, you could end up with Who has she had to have have you over?

share|improve this answer
You left out do-do, as in: "Birds don't do that, but they do do this." :^) –  J.R. Jul 25 '12 at 22:34
Indeed: ... that dodos do do do-do. –  Daniel Harbour Jul 26 '12 at 6:47
I park my car under a tree. Birds do do do all over it. –  user16269 Jul 26 '12 at 9:28

Yes, used to use is perfectly normal. I normally pronounce it uste instead of uzed. Just remember that it also means you don't anymore. "Used to" is a verb and the rest of the sentence is the direct object. I believe it would be a bare infinitive.

share|improve this answer

I agree with Manoj and Daniel. If you no longer do something, then it works well to use the phrase as such. Otherwise, watch the flow of sentences and writing because extra tangles of words and clauses can pile up quickly.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer


