Lesson 15 CONSIDER COMBINING (OR NOT) THIS WITH THE NARRATIVE TENSE TOPIC

WOULD EXPRESSING HABITS, IN THE PAST

Used To

Used to + infinitive +……

used to + infinitive should not be confused with + -ing, which has a different meaning. The difference here is hidden.

It is use for

1. Talk about past situations that are no longer true.

2. Talk about past habits (repetitive past actions) that no longer happen.

Example

1. There was no supermarket there. When is it open?

2. During my school days I swam every Thursday.

3. I smoked but stopped smoking a few years ago.

4. We lived in New York City when we were kids.

Would

(would + infinitive)

would be for past habits is a bit more formal than usual. To form this structure, we would place the main verb (s) used in the sentence in front of the infinitive (would be + infinitive)

It is use for

1. Often used in stories.

2. Talk about repetitive actions in the past.

3. We do not normally use denial or interrogation forms about past habits.

4. However, we must pay attention to the type of verbs we want to use in our sentences. When we speak of states that we express in verbs such as being, feeling, accepting, or believing, we do not use them.

Example

1. I used to ride a big bike every Saturday.
2. My father used to read amazing stories to me every night before going to bed.
3. Every summer we went to the same beach.

Past simple

We can always use the simple past as an alternative, or talk about past situations or habits. The main difference is that the past simple does not emphasize the repetitive or continuous nature of an action or situation. Even the simplicity of the past is not so understandable that it is no longer the truth.

It is use for

1. If something happened only once, we should use the past simple. 

Example

1. I went to London in 2014. 
2. We went to our grandparents every summer.
3. I played football every weekend.