he used to work

USAGE SUMMARY

"he used to work" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase in written English.
It is typically used to describe a past habit or action that is no longer true in the present. Example: He used to work as a lawyer, but now he is retired and spends his days traveling the world.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He used to work here".

The New York Times

He used to work with Elmo.

Columbia University

He used to work for Pontin's.

The Guardian - Opinion

He used to work at McKinsey.

The New Yorker

He used to work for everybody".

The New York Times

He used to work at VH1".

The New York Times - Style

He used to work till late at night.

Stanford University

He used to work stacking shelves at Marks and Spencer.

The Guardian - Sport

He used to work for a dot-com.

The New York Times

Collins says he used to work in advertising industry.

The Guardian

"I heard he used to work for Christie".

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "he used to work" to clearly indicate a past job or role that is no longer current. This helps avoid confusion about his current employment status.

Common error

Avoid using "he used to worked". The correct form is "he used to work", as "used to" already indicates past tense.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "he used to work" functions as a declarative statement indicating someone's previous employment. This is confirmed by Ludwig, which identifies its grammatical correctness and common usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Academia

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "he used to work" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to denote a past job or role. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness. It's versatile enough for neutral contexts like news and general information and serves the purpose of providing insights into an individual's professional background. Remember to avoid the incorrect form "he used to worked" and consider alternatives like "he previously worked" for a more formal tone. Overall, it's a reliable and straightforward way to communicate past employment.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

he previously worked

Replaces "used to" with "previously" for a more formal tone.

he once worked

Substitutes "used to" with "once" to indicate a past job.

he formerly worked

Uses "formerly" for a more formal and emphatic tone.

he had a job

Replaces the phrase with a simplified version using "had a job".

he was employed

Uses the passive voice to convey past employment.

he held a position

Indicates that he occupied a specific role in the past.

he was an employee

Focuses on the state of being an employee in the past.

his past employment

Refers to his work history in a general sense.

he did work

Emphasizes the fact that he performed work in the past.

he spent time working

Highlights the duration he spent working in the past.

FAQs

How can I use "he used to work" in a sentence?

You can use "he used to work" to describe someone's previous job or role. For example, "He used to work as a teacher, but now he's a writer".

What is a more formal way to say "he used to work"?

A more formal alternative to "he used to work" is /s/he+previously+worked or /s/he+formerly+worked, which sounds more professional.

Is it correct to say "he used to worked"?

No, the correct phrase is "he used to work". The "used to" already indicates a past action, so there is no need to add the past tense ending to the verb.

What is the difference between "he used to work" and "he worked"?

"He worked" simply states that he had a job. "He used to work" indicates that he had a job in the past, but no longer does. It implies a change in his employment status.