Feature	Used to	Would
Past states	✓ Can be used	✗ Cannot be used
Past repeated actions	✓ Can be used	✓ Can be used
Negative form for habits	✓ didn't use to	✗ wouldn't (has different meaning)
Questions	✓ Did you use to...?	⚠ Less common in questions

Is it a past state or a repeated action?

Past state (being, living, liking)

Repeated action (playing, going)

Use "used to"

Can use either "used to" or "would"

Used to (State): "We used to live in a flat in the town centre..."
This describes a past state of living somewhere.

Used to (Negative State): "I didn't use to like living in the country..."
This describes a past negative state (not liking something).

Used to (Negative State): "There never used to be so much traffic..."
This describes a past state (absence of traffic).

Used to/Would (Action): "How used to get to school..."
This describes a repeated past action (getting to school).

Used to/Would (Action): "Nicola used to play/would play the piano..."
This describes a repeated past action (playing piano).

Would (Action): "My brother and I would play for hours..."
This describes a nostalgic repeated action in the past.