10/17/07

Don't get used to using the word use

I was just writing an email and got stumped on the conjugation of the word use:

      I use to be a lion tamer.

      Vs.

      I used to be a lion tamer.

The voting was split 50/50 when I queried the neighboring cubes.

I scoped the dictionary and am now fairly confident that the ed version is correct.

Ill probably forget this in 6 months and get stumped again.

3 comments:

Courtney said...

I think used is correct. This has got to be one of those times when it pays to be married to an English major.

Sarah said...

It's past tense so ed is correct.

Anonymous said...

When polling neighboring cubes, be sure to exclude non-native speakers. In all actuality, "I used to" probably belongs solely in the realm of verbal discourse, not written . . . in which case the distinction becomes immaterial.

Jared