would

The Best Guide to Expressing Past Habits

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In English, you can use both “used to” and “would” for expressing past habits to emphasize that they are not true anymore.[1]https://blog.off2class.com/habits-and-repeated-actions-past/

Because they are used to talk about habits, it is slightly different than the past simple tense or the past continuous tense.

expressing past habits

Would

You can use the word “would” to talk about repeated actions in the past. A repeated action is an action that happens at a specific moment in time in the past.

You can use “would” for:

  • Moral formal situations
  • Events that happen many times

Examples include:

  • I would
    practice the piano every day.
  • She would
    hide every time I tried to find her.
  • They would
    have loud parties every Friday evening.

Used to

You can use the words “used to” to talk about states in the past. A state is a condition that happens over a period of time in the past.

You can use “used to” for:

  • Questions
  • Negatives
  • Stative verbs

Examples include:

  • We used
    to     live in Paris when I was younger.
  • He didn’t use
    to     be shorter than me.
  • Did she use
    to     go to school with us?

Expressing Past Habits Practice Exercises

Choose the correct the correct form between “would” and “used to” for expressing past habits.

 13%

Question 1 of 8

1. Susie ________ to live in New York City.

Question 1 of 8

Question 2 of 8

2. My dog ________ chew on everything in the house.

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Question 3 of 8

3. They ________ have a dog.

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Question 4 of 8

4. When he was younger, he ________ play baseball with his friends.

Question 4 of 8

Question 5 of 8

5. When I was a child, I ________ often dream of becoming an actor.

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Question 6 of 8

6. She ________ like dancing.

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Question 7 of 8

7. They ________ live in Los Angeles.

Question 7 of 8

Question 8 of 8

8. When I was younger, I ________ go surfing during the summer.

Question 8 of 8


 

How did you do?

If some of these questions were tricky don’t worry — this is one of the topics that confuses English learners the most.

Sometimes reading alone isn’t enough. A private one on one lesson can clear up any confusion quickly and help you use this grammar naturally and confidently.

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References[+]

The Ultimate Guide to Modal Verbs: can(’t)/could(n’t)/would(n’t)

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Modal verbs are helping verbs that express obligation, permission, possibility, and ability.[1]https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/modal-verbs/

Can/Can’t

“Can” is used in many different situations.

Positive

Subject + can + base verb

Negative

Subject + can’t + base verb

Question

Can + subject + base verb

When do you use it?

Possibility

  • I can run
    very fast.
  • She can
    speak     French
  • They can
    visit     us.

Impossibility

  • We can’t
    eat     that food.
  • He can’t
    call     us.
  • It can’t
    be     done.

Ask for Permission

  • Can
    you help me with my homework?
  • Can
    they come with us?
  • Can we
    get ice cream?

Give Permission

  • You can
    eat     some dessert.
  • They can
    come     to our house.
  • She can
    borrow     our car.

Could/Couldn’t

In the present tense, the modal verb “could” is used to:

Ask for Permission

Could + subject + base verb (this is a polite way to ask for permission)

  • Could
    I talk to her?
  • Could I
    have their number?
  • Could I
    have an appointment?

Give a Suggestion

 Subject + could + base verb

  • You could
    fly     tomorrow.
  • You could
    ask     the manager.
  • You could
    take     the tour of the park tomorrow.

Would Like/Wouldn’t Like

The modal of “would like” is used to show if someone is interested in something (object).

Positive

Subject + would like + object

Negative

Subject + wouldn’t like + object

Question

Would + subject + like + object

Would Like To/Wouldn’t Like To

The modal of “would like to” shows if someone is interested in doing something (action).

Positive

Subject + would like + to + infinitive

Example:

  • I would
    like to     swim right now.
  • She would
    like to     eat lunch.
  • They would
    like to     visit us next summer.

Negative

Subject + wouldn’t like + to + infinitive

Example:

  • I wouldn’t
    like to     go there by myself.
  • John wouldn’t
    like to     meet you.
  • We wouldn’t
    like to     eat vegetables.

Question

Would + subject + like to + infinitive?

  • Would
    you like to come with me?
  • Would
    they like to eat dinner with us?
  • Would
    she like to talk?

Practice Exercises

Please go to The Ultimate Guide to Modal Verbs: can(’t)/could(n’t)/would(n’t) to view this quiz

Conclusion

How did you do? If some questions were tricky a private lesson can help you master this topic quickly.

book an english lesson

References[+]