used to可以指过去的过去吗（类似于过去完成时吗）

问题描述

在我印象中，used to 指过去经常。如：

I used to be subject to very severe colds. 我过去常患重感冒。

She used to say some outrageous things. 她从前常谈些惊人的事。

We used to play chess together. 我们过去常常一道下棋。

I used to cook on electricity, but I’ve switched to gas. 我过去用电煮饭，但现已换成用煤气了。

I used to take the bus, but now I take the subway. 过去我乘坐公共汽车，而现在我坐地铁。

We used to listen to the radio a lot, but nowadays we mostly watch television. 我们过去常听收音机，但如今我们主要看电视。

但今天我们外语组讨论了下面这个句子（学生作文中写的）：

She used to be an actor until she married a rich man. 

句子意思是：她在嫁给一个有钱人之前是名演员。

由于句中的 married 用了一般过去时，所以 used to be an actor 就成了“过去的过去”，这样的用法是合语法的吗？如果可以的话，那它不与现在完成时用法差不多了？

原来只是常来英语语法网，不想这个英语答疑网有这么多大师在这里解答问题，特来请教了！刚入英语行，不懂之处多多，请大师们多多指导啦！

老师答疑

陈老师：

▲首先要说明的是，学生写的这个句子是合语法的：

She used to be an actor until she married a rich man. 她在嫁给一个有钱人之前是名演员。

此句中的 used to 若改成过去完成时也可以：

She had been been an actor until she married a rich man. 她在嫁给一个有钱人之前是名演员。

▲used to 通常表示“过去经常”。如：

Doctors used to bleed people when they were ill. 从前医生常常给病人放血。

They used to visit me of a Sunday, ie on Sundays. 从前他们每星期日都来看我。

They used to be friends, but now they’ve drifted apart. 他们原是朋友，现在已经疏远了。

I used to be able to skate quite well, but I’ve lost the knack. 我从前滑水滑得很不错，可现在没有这本事了。

▲used to 也可以表示“过去的过去经常”。如：

I used to have a companion to that vase, but I broke it. 我那个花瓶原来是一对，我把另一个打碎了。

They used to live in Scotland but they moved down south. 他们以前住在苏格兰，后来移居南方了。

I had a letter from the people who used to own the corner shop. 我收到从前街角那家商店的老板寄来的一封信。

My maths teacher really used to jump on us when we got our answers wrong. 我们过去一算错答案，数学老师就把我们狠训一顿。

▲used to 有时还可以表示“过去的过去的过去经常”。如：

The cinema she used to visit had been pulled down. 她常去的那家电影院已经拆除了。

Whatever became of the painting that used to be in the library? 过去放在你祖父藏书室里的那幅画究竟怎么样了？