Present and past habits
Present or Past Continuous
We use the Present or Past Continuous + always, constantly, forever to talk about a habit which is
repeated more than usual, which the speaker finds unexpected or annoying.
She's constantly telling Ben that he spends too much time on the computer.
She was always going into my room and taking things without asking.
will/would + infinitive
We use will/would + infinitive without to to talk about behaviour which is typical or characteristic of
the person. They can describe both pleasant and annoying habits.
She'll turn up at eleven and act as if nothing's wrong.
We'd watch TV and eat takeaway pizza together.
used to + infinitive
We use used to + infinitive to talk about a past state or repeated past actions. ..
I used to feel more like a father than an older brother.
She used to go on peace marches and campaign to ban
the bomb.
used to and would
Would is not used to talk about past states.
We can introduce new topics with used to and we do not need to specify a time.
I used to eat a lot of chips and burgers, but now I eat healthy food. (NOT I'd eat ... )
We use would when the topic has been established and we usually specify the time.
My dad used to work nights. He'd come home at six in the morning and we'd have breakfast
together, then he used to take me to school.
Present or Past Simple
The Present or Past Simple can be used for talking about habits and states.
He doesn't speak much English.
He tells her to be home by ten.
She was fit and healthy because she played outside all day.
She never understood the concept of privacy.
Most texts describing habits contain a mixture of forms, for variety.
Cross out the verb forms which are NOT possible. In
some cases both are possible.
When my sister was a teenager there l’d be / used to be a lock on our house phone to stop her
making calls on it. Now she has her own phone and her bills must be enormous: she ‘s talking /
'll talk on it for hours. She 'd work / used to work as a hotel receptionist, and she 'd tell / used to
tell us funny stories about the hotel guests. Then one afternoon she used to come / came home
early because she had lost her job. Apparently, she was always chatting / she'd chat on the
phone instead of doing her work.