premises used to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "premises used to" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to locations or buildings that were previously utilized for a specific purpose or activity. Example: "The premises used to house a popular restaurant before it closed down last year."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Swift's premises used to sprawl down one half of River Road, with 31 people working inside.

The Guardian - Opinion

A counter-extremism bill is also expected to contain new powers to ban "extremist" organisations, gag individuals and empower councils to shut premises used to "promote hatred".

The Guardian

It contains numerous new powers, including the ability to ban "extremist" organisations, gag individuals and empower local councils to close premises used to "promote hatred".

The Guardian

This is alongside the already announced proposals for banning orders, extremism disruption orders and closure orders to be used against premises used to support extremism.

The Guardian

It contains new powers to ban "extremist" organisations, gag individuals and enable local councils to close premises used to "promote hatred".

The Guardian

The counter-extremism bill, unveiled in last Wednesday's Queen's speech, contains numerous new powers, including the ability to ban "extremist" organisations, gag individuals and empower local councils to close premises used to "promote hatred".

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

Premises that used to house the area's only dedicated youth club were boarded up after it was reported that the bombers used to hang out there.

The Guardian

The war in Gaza, which began on 8 July, is the most intense of three conflicts in the past five and a half years, with massive destruction of homes, mosques, schools and hospitals, and the shelling of six UN premises being used to shelter people who had fled the fighting.

The Guardian

Youth is examining all the old-time premises that used to be taken totally for granted -- sexual mores, artistic mores".

Huffington Post

A betting shop can open in any premise that used to be a bank, building society, estate agent, employment agency or similar without needing planning permission.

The Guardian

With the addition of Cloud KMS, Kaczorowski argued, Google now offers its users the full continuum of key management options — ranging from customer-supplied keys that are kept on-premise and used to secure cloud assets on one side and the default Cloud Platform encryption on the other, with the flexibility of the new Cloud KMS service in the middle.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing historical contexts, use "premises used to" to clearly indicate the past function of a location. For example, "The premises used to be a bustling marketplace."

Common error

Avoid using "premises used to" when describing current functions. Instead, use "premises used for" or "premises that are used for" to indicate present usage.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "premises used to" functions as a verb phrase to indicate the former purpose or function of a location or building. As noted by Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English. Examples show it describing past business operations or previous building functions.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

30%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "premises used to" is a grammatically correct and commonly understood way to describe the past function of a location or building. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is usable in various contexts, particularly in news, media and scientific writing. While not extremely frequent, its meaning is clear, and alternative phrases like "former location of" or "building previously utilized as" can be used for variety. Remember to use "premises used to" for past functions and avoid confusing it with present tense constructions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

location that used to be

A more direct and simple way to express the same idea.

establishment that was once

Simple and direct alternative, focusing on the past state of the establishment.

former location of

Emphasizes the location aspect and its previous purpose.

site formerly occupied by

Highlights the occupation of the site in the past.

building previously utilized as

Focuses on the building and its former function.

structure formerly housing

Highlights the structure and what it used to house.

facility once employed for

Stresses the employment or use of the facility in the past.

place formerly serving as

Highlights the function that the place served in the past.

property once dedicated to

Emphasizes the dedication of the property for a specific purpose.

area previously designated for

Focuses on the designation of the area for a particular use.

FAQs

How can I use "premises used to" in a sentence?

You can use "premises used to" to describe the former function of a location. For example, "The "premises used to" be a hospital, but now it's an apartment building."

What are some alternatives to "premises used to"?

Alternatives include phrases like "former location of", "site formerly occupied by", or "building previously utilized as", depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "the premises are used to"?

While grammatically sound, "the premises are used to" has a different meaning. It suggests that the premises are accustomed to something, rather than describing a past function. Use ""premises used to"" for past functions.

What's the difference between "premises used to" and "premises used for"?

"Premises used to" indicates a past purpose, while "premises used for" indicates a current purpose. For example, ""premises used to" store grain" (past) versus "premises used for storage" (present).