I used to sing this song vs used to sing the song

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. "I used to sing this song" is a complete sentence and emphasizes the personal experience of the speaker. "Used to sing the song" is more general and can refer to anyone who used to sing the song without specifying the speaker.

Explained by Michele A.
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: August 29, 2024 • 23983 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English. It emphasizes the personal experience of the speaker.

"I used to sing this song"

This phrase is used when the speaker wants to emphasize their personal experience of singing the song in the past.

Examples:

I used to sing this song all the time when I was in high school.
She used to sing this song at every family gathering.
He used to sing this song to his children before bedtime.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 03, 2024

Mar 29, 2024 ... I used to sing this song every night when Zac was little to help put him to sleep. Today he is 20. It's true what they say - it happens in the blink of an eye.
Mar 3, 2019 ... I used to sing this song when little baby Nikos would be brought in by his mom Linda, to where I was playing at the Homestead Tavern.
Aug 5, 2020 ... I used to sing this song to my boys every night!!!! They are now 16 & 13 Miss then being little. 4 yrs. Sindy Diaz. My mom would sing ...
Sep 22, 2024 ... Trulee Rodney (@trulee). 27 Likes. I used to sing this song on my karaoke machine over and over until I lost my voice .
May 30, 2024 ... I used to sing this song to my girls every night as they were going to bed, and I couldn't wait to make this quilt reality. I had originally ...
6 days ago ... I used to sing this song to her when ahe was a baby! #jorgeferreira #portuguese #portugal #toronto #ontario #canada #daughter #dad #sixteen.
Jul 28, 2019 ... These lyrics are taken straight from Psalm 103:1 (KJV). I used to sing this song thinking that it was supposed to come from a feeling of joyful ...

Alternatives:

I used to sing this song when I was younger.
I used to sing this song in my choir.
I used to sing this song with my friends.
I used to sing this song in the car.
I used to sing this song during karaoke nights.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English. It is more general and does not specify the speaker's personal involvement.

"used to sing the song"

This phrase is used when referring to the act of singing the song in the past without emphasizing the personal experience of the speaker.

Examples:

Many people used to sing the song at weddings.
She used to sing the song in her school choir.
He used to sing the song in a band.
They used to sing the song together as a family.
The students used to sing the song during school assemblies.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 03, 2024

Feb 8, 2019 ... I recently asked my workmates how the used to sing the song and here are the responses I got: “Bubbly gun bubbly gun number 28 I went for a ...
Dec 5, 2018 ... More below on that, but first, here's how my mom used to sing the song, more or less: “Oh, the moon shines bright on Charlie Chaplin / His ...
Mar 2, 2016 ... She used to sing the song as a kid all the time because she missed her father, and says she saw her father's photographs more often than she ...
Dec 2, 2016 ... My grandmother used to sing the song, “The Old Gray Mare” to me. I was so into horses (big, pretty ones) I wasn't really interested or ...
Jul 31, 2013 ... I used to sing the song quietly to myself and cry, as I walked down the block each morning. Knowing that I had to work hard to not let God ...
Dec 24, 2010 ... I used to sing the song a lot back in the days of the folk scare. I didn't know I was making anyone angry. I was just learning my first ...
Apr 25, 2015 ... A little while later I heard the version on the Old Swan Band's second LP, Old Swan Brand, and John Jones also used to sing the song at Oyster ...
May 22, 2011 ... When I was in state elementary school we used to sing the song: I hear the sound of rustling in the leaves of the trees, The Spirit of the ...
Apr 25, 2015 ... A little while later I heard the version on the Old Swan Band's second LP, Old Swan Brand, and John Jones also used to sing the song at Oyster ...
Mar 8, 2006 ... My Irish grandmother used to sing the song to entertain us wee ones. Her verse about the preacher was a little different: Holy smoke! The ...

Alternatives:

People used to sing the song at events.
She used to sing the song with her classmates.
He used to sing the song on stage.
They used to sing the song in the car.
The children used to sing the song in music class.

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I used to sing this song vs used to sing the song

"I used to sing this song"

"used to sing the song"

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