TENDENCIES/HABITS IN THE PRESENT:

Simple present: facts that are generally true.

The Earth revolves around the sun.

Children are over-protected these days.

Tend to/Will: things that generally tend to happen.

Men will /tend to prefer to talk about football.

My kids will/tend to eat watching telly on the sofa.

Keep + verb + ing: repeated behaviour.

I keep forgetting to switch off the computer.

Present continuous + always : habits that annoy us or happen more often than
usual.
He’s always leaving dirty clothes all over the place.

TENDENCIES/HABITS IN THE PAST:

Used to: repeated actions and states in the past.
I used to have short hair.
We used to visit my grandma in the summer.

Would: habits, tendencies or characteristic behaviour in the past, but not states.
We don’t use would in the negative or in questions:
When I was younger, my father would sit down with me in the kitchen.
On Saturdays we’d go to the movies.

ADVERBIALS
To emphasize the idea of habit or tendency, we often use adverbials of frequency
with these structures.

She’ll often stop and talk to me.

She would cook a meal once in a blue moon.
TENDENCIES/HABITS IN THE PRESENT AND PAST
Present or future? Decide whether the following sentences refer to a
present habit or to the future.

1. Every Tuesday they’ll go to the tennis court.

2. Babies will cry when they get new teeth.
3. He’ll be home soon.
4. People will always complain about new things.
5. He’ll arrive on the 12.30 flight.
6. He’ll normally catch the 12.30 flight from Rome.
7. I think I won’t be at the party.
8. Teenagers won’t normally enjoy being told what to do.

Choose the correct answer:

1. My aunt is always apologising for everything she does…

…which is really annoying.
…which is really polite.
2. Fred used to like playing football…
…but he prefers watching it these days.
… but he doesn’t like watching it.
3. I went to Scotland for my holidays last year…
… and it would rain every day.
… and it rained every day.
4. I’ll go out for a long walk when I’m feeling stressed …
…It helps me feel better.
… today after lunch.
5. My dad and I would watch Big Brother together on TV…
…It used to be on at 10.00 on Thursdays.
…I remember seeing it a couple of times.

Rewrite the sentences using the word in brackets:

1. I drank up to five cups of strong coffee every morning before I gave up.

(would)

2. My doctor frequently tells me to take more exercise. (always)

3. My wife always checks the labels before she buys food. (will)

4. When I was a student, I was a vegetarian. (used to)

 5. I never worried about my food until I put on weight. (used to)

6. When my children were small I never gave them fast food. (would)

Change the present simple verbs to a form of will when possible:

He’s a great talker. He knows so much about so many different things.

It’s amazing! And the nice thing is he doesn’t patronize you. He listens carefully to

your questions, no matter how stupid, and he answers them really patiently and he

takes time to make sure you understand. I think he’s probably one of the best

teachers I’ve ever met.

Change the past simple verbs to a form of would when possible:

When we were kids, we played football out in the street in front of our house. I

was small and not really very good, so I was never picked to play and I had to go

and stand at the corner to watch for cars coming. When a car came along, I ran

back and shouted to the others. Then they moved the goals out of the way to let

the car go by. As soon as it had gone by they went back to their game and they

forgot all about me. No wonder I hate football now.