I used will

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I used will" is not correct in standard written English.
It is likely intended to express a past intention or decision regarding the future, but the construction is awkward and unclear. Example: "I thought I would go to the party, but I used will instead of saying I would."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

BMC Medical Education

The New York Times - Arts

Vice

The Guardian

The New York Times - Magazine

The New York Times - Sports

TechCrunch

WikiHow

The New Yorker

Health & Justice

Huffington Post

BMC Public Health

The New York Times - Magazine

WikiHow

The New York Times

BMC Nursing

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The Guardian - Film

Health Policy and Planning

The Guardian - TV & Radio

The New York Times - Health

The Guardian - Opinion

Huffington Post

The Guardian - Books

The New York Times

Independent

The New Yorker

The New York Times

The New York Times

The Guardian

The New York Times

The New York Times

European Journal of Futures Research

BBC

Wikipedia

Huffington Post

Huffington Post

IZA Journal of Migration

Crime Science

SEP

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

This item was split into two: (a) I hesitated between options for this patient, and I used (will use) this information to justify a choice, and (b) I did not know what to do, and I used this information to manage this patient.

BMC Medical Education

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Soon the year-old computer I use will have a new operating system, more memory and a larger hard drive.

The New York Times - Arts

he amount of stuff I can use will get bigger and bigger.

Vice

These are terms that I use and will continue to use to describe Sadiq Khan.

The Guardian

"So tonight I thought, I'll use them — I'll be that guy who always has headphones on.

The New York Times - Magazine

"Will I use him tomorrow?

The New York Times - Sports

Will I use him for sure?

The New York Times - Sports

Will I use it?

TechCrunch

Realistically, will I use it?

WikiHow

Will I use this every day?

WikiHow

"No, I think I will use the chair," he said.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Review your verb tenses carefully to ensure that they accurately reflect the timing of the actions you're describing.

Common error

Avoid combining "used" with "will" to express future intentions from the past. This creates grammatical errors. Instead, use appropriate constructions like "was going to" or "intended to".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I used will" is grammatically incorrect. It attempts to combine the past tense auxiliary verb 'used' with the future auxiliary verb 'will', resulting in an ungrammatical construction. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is not correct in standard written English. To correct this, it is important to replace it with a different phrase.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "I used will" is an incorrect grammatical construction that attempts to combine past and future tenses. As Ludwig AI points out, it is not correct in standard written English. Instead of conveying a clear meaning, it introduces confusion. To express past intentions, it's better to use phrases like "I intended to", "I was going to", or "I meant to". These alternatives provide clarity and grammatical accuracy. Because of its grammatical faults, it is not appropriate for formal or professional contexts and it's rarely used as a whole. Always focus on maintaining accuracy by proofreading verb tenses, as explained by Ludwig. To communicate precisely, opt for grammatically sound phrases such as "I intended to use".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I meant to use

Similar to 'I intended to use', indicating a purpose that was perhaps not fulfilled.

I was going to use

Similar to 'I intended to use', it highlights a plan or decision to use something in the past.

I intended to use

Emphasizes a past intention to utilize something, correcting the tense and conveying purpose.

I had planned to use

Expresses a prior arrangement or preparation to use something.

I had the intention to use

Formally expresses the past intent to use something.

I was about to use

Highlights that the action of using was imminent but potentially didn't happen.

I would have used

Suggests a conditional use in the past, implying that the action didn't occur.

I had it in mind to use

Indicates a past consideration or idea to use something.

I purposed to use

Formally expresses the past intent to use something.

I used to will

Indicates a past ability or action of willing something, which is semantically different and likely incorrect.

FAQs

How can I correctly express a past intention to do something?

Instead of saying "I used will", use phrases like "I intended to", "I was going to", or "I meant to" followed by the verb.

What's the difference between "I was going to" and "I intended to"?

"I was going to" implies a plan or expectation, while "I intended to" suggests a purpose or aim. Both are better choices than "I used will".

When should I use "I would have"?

Use "I would have" when describing a conditional action in the past. For example, "I would have used it, but I didn't have time". This is different from "I used will", which doesn't make sense.

Is "I used will" ever correct?

No, "I used will" is not grammatically correct in standard English. It incorrectly combines past tense and future tense markers. Use alternative phrases to express your intended meaning.