PRESENT AND PAST HABITS
PRESENT
Present Simple: Usually used with adverbs such as usually,
normally, typically, for regular habits.
- My sister always rides her bike to work.
- I usually go to the beach on Saturdays.
*Will/won’t+ Infinitive: It is more emphatic than present
simple (not referred to the past)
- I’ll usually listen to music before a match.
- Most evenings I’ll read a book.
Always + Present continuous: Used mostly to talk about
annoying habits.
- He’s always watching TV.
*NOT USED WITH STATE VERBS
Verbs that describe a state of being: understand, feel, love,
be, have, etc.
- When I was a kid, I would love (used to love or loved)
playing football.
PAST
Past Simple: Used to talk about past states or habits.
Doesn’t not emphasise the repeated nature if the action or
situation. Also, it doesn’t make it clear that thing is no
longer true.
- I played tennis a lot when I was younger.
- We went to the same to the same beach every year.
Used to + Infinitive: Used to talk about past states that are
not true anymore or past habits which don’t continue now.
- I used to play on the school’s basketball team.
- I didn’t use to be a good student.
*Would + Infinitive: Used to talk about repeated past
actions that don’t happen anymore. Slightly more formal
than used to.
- When was in Paris, I would go for a walk every
morning.
*Always + Past continuous: Used to talk about annoying
habits in the past.
- He was always criticising me.