Evolve Digital Level 5 – English 5

Grammar summary
Unit 1 Lesson 1: Present habits
• There are many ways to talk about present habits. You can use:
o the simple present, often with adverbs of frequency.
o tend to plus a verb.
o will plus a verb.
o the present continuous.
• Use the simple present to talk about things you do regularly and things that
are always true.
• Use the present continuous with words like constantly and always to talk
about undesirable or noticeable habits.
• Use the present continuous for a continuing activity that happens at the same
time as another habit.

Examples:
"I usually get up around this time anyway."
"We tend to just hang out up here."
"I will do anything not to waste energy."
"When I'm feeling scared, I eat."
"They're always complaining there's nothing to do."
"You are constantly eating, nervous or not."
"When monkeys are feeling tired, they sleep in trees."

Unit 1 Lesson 2: Past habits

• A habit is something you do regularly, like going for a run or getting up at a

certain time. A past habit is something you did in the past but don't do now.
• You can use the simple past, used to plus a verb, or would plus a verb to talk
about past habits and past repeated actions.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment © 2022 1

Examples:
"I never ate breakfast."
"I didn't use to eat breakfast."
"I wouldn't eat breakfast."

• To talk about past states, only use used to plus a verb or the simple past.
Don't use would.

Examples:

"I felt so tired."

"I used to have a terrible life."

• For a single past action, use the simple past, not would or used to plus a
verb.

Example:
"I just fed my dog ten minutes ago."

• Used to has a special meaning (past state or habit), but use has the same
form as a regular verb. Don't use be before used to when you're talking about
past habits.
• You can make a sentence negative with didn't or never, but notice the form
of used to after each of these. After didn't, the correct form is use to. After
an adverb like never, the correct form is used to.

Example:

"I used to use a pencil to do my math homework. I didn't use to use a pen, but now I
do."
"My house didn't use to be this tidy. My kitchen never used to be this clean!"

Cambridge University Press & Assessment © 2022 2