B1 · Lesson 13 · 20 min
Past habits and familiar situations
In this lesson
- I can talk about past habits and past situations that have changed.
- I can describe things that are familiar now or becoming familiar.
Grammar in context
Maya used to live in a quiet village. When she lived there, she would walk to the shops every morning. She moved to Manchester last year. The busy streets felt strange at first, but now she is used to travelling by tram.
Which two forms describe Maya’s old life? Which phrase says that travelling by tram feels normal to her now?
Used to: past situations and habits
Use used to + base verb for a past habit or situation that is no longer true or no longer happens. It can describe actions and states. In negatives and questions, use did not/didn't use to and Did ... use to? The verb is use, not used, after did.
- We used to live above a bakery.
- Did your brother use to play chess after school?
Would: repeated past actions
Use would + base verb for repeated past actions, often when telling a story or remembering a routine. Unlike used to, would does not usually describe past states such as owning, knowing or living somewhere. Make the past time clear in the context before using would.
- Every Friday, Dad would cook pasta for everyone.
- On summer evenings, I would cycle to the lake with my cousins.
Be and get used to
Be used to means that something is familiar or normal. Get used to means that it is becoming familiar. Follow both phrases with a noun, pronoun or verb ending in -ing, not a base verb. Use be used to for the result and get used to for the process.
- Nora is used to working late on Thursdays.
- It took me a month to get used to my new glasses.
Common mistakes
Compare the incorrect and corrected forms.
Avoid
I am used to wake up early.
Use
I am used to waking up early.
After be used to, use a noun or an -ing form.
Avoid
When I was young, I would have a red bike.
Use
When I was young, I used to have a red bike.
Would usually describes repeated actions, not past states or possessions.
Put it into practice
Try the exercises, write your own examples and check your understanding.