Talking about past habits

To talk about repeated past habits, we can use:

 

  • Past Simple

  • Past Continuous

  • used to

  • would

 

1. Past Simple

We use the past simple to talk about​​ states,​​ habits​​ or​​ repeated actions in the past.

 

 When I was young, I always​​ spent​​ the​​ holidays with my grandparents.

 I​​ went​​ to work by bus when I worked in France.

 She​​ went​​ to lots of concerts.

 

 

2. Past Continuous

We use the Past Continuous to describe repeated actions, usually annoying habits in the past (this is the​​ counterpart of the Present Continuous for annoying habits in the present). We often use​​ frequency adverbs, such as always and often.

 

 He​​ was always singing​​ loud in the shower.

 He​​ was often having​​ loud parties in the middle of the night.

 

 

3. Used to (do)

We use​​ used to​​ to talk about​​ habits, repeated actions and states in the past.​​ 

 

We​​ cannot use​​ used to​​ to talk about actions at a specific time or to talk about the number of times we did something. For these meanings, we use the Past Simple.

 

Peter​​ didn’t use to smoke​​ so much when he lived in the USA.

Did you use to play​​ in the street when you were a kid?

 Jack​​ used to turn red​​ every time the teacher asked him to stand in front of the class.

 

Note:​​ With negatives, and questions, “used to”​​ becomes: “use to”:​​ didn’t use to / did you use to (do)?

 

 

4. Would (do)

We use​​ would​​ to talk about​​ habits and repeated actions in the past. However, we​​ cannot​​ use​​ would​​ to talk about states.

 

 We​​ would visit​​ my grandparents every weekend.

 My mother​​ would bake​​ cakes​​ 

 We​​ would live​​ in Germany those years. (state)