"This used to be a castle." vs "There used to be a castle here."

Question

"This used to be a castle." vs "There used to be a castle here."

Both phrases are correct, but they convey slightly different meanings. 'There used to be a castle here' implies that a castle existed in that specific location in the past, while 'This used to be a castle' suggests that the current location was once a castle. The choice between the two depends on the context and the emphasis the speaker wants to convey.

Last Updated: March 30, 2024

This phrase is used to describe a place that was formerly a castle. It emphasizes the transformation of the location from a castle to something else.

Examples:

This used to be a castle, but now it's a museum.
This used to be a castle, now it's a hotel.
This used to be a castle, before it became a restaurant.
This used to be a castle, but it was destroyed in a war.
This used to be a castle, until it was converted into a school.

Alternatives:

This was once a castle.
It was a castle in the past.
In earlier times, this was a castle.

This phrase is used to talk about the existence of something in a particular place in the past. It emphasizes the location where the castle used to be.

Examples:

There used to be a bakery here.
There used to be a tree in the backyard.
There used to be a school on this street.
There used to be a pond in the park.
There used to be a hotel at this intersection.

Alternatives:

There was once a castle here.
A castle used to stand here.
In the past, there was a castle here.

Answer 1

This used to be a castle.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate that the current location was previously a castle.

Answer 2

There used to be a castle here.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate that a castle existed in a specific location in the past.

"This used to be a castle." vs "There used to be a castle here."

This used to be a castle.

There used to be a castle here.

Related Comparisons