When we used to have and had?

The words “used to” and “had” are both past tense verbs, but they have different meanings and usages:

“Used to” + verb:

Indicates an action or state that was habitual or recurrent in the past, but is no longer the case.

Examples:

“I used to play soccer when I was younger.”

“She used to live in New York before moving to California.”

“Had” + noun/verb:

Indicates possession or ownership in the past.

Also used to express an action that occurred before another past action.

Examples:

“I had a dog when I was a child.”

“By the time I arrived, the store had already closed.”

The key differences are:

“Used to” refers to a past habit or regular activity, while “had” refers to past possession or sequencing of past events.

“Used to” implies a change from the past, while “had” does not necessarily indicate a change.

“Used to” is followed by a verb, while “had” is followed by a noun or another verb.

So in summary, “used to” and “had” are both past tense, but they describe different types of past experiences or states.