11 Modal auxiliaries and related verbs 11.11 Modals to express habit: ‘used to’, ‘will’ and ‘would’ 11.11A The form of ‘used to’ [> LEG 11.59) 1. Used to's a simple past form only. If you want to say ‘I am in the habit of, you must use the simple present [> 9.18]: | get up early every day. (Not "/ use fo get up early’) 2 We often use do and did + use (Not ‘used’) to form questions and negatives: Did you use to smoke? I didn't use to smoke. (Not “Did you used to” *I didn’t used to") We also use never to form the negative: I never used to smoke. (Used not to is rare.) 3 Note the use of dict He used fo live in Manchester, didn't he? (rather than usedn't he?) Did you use to live here? - Yes, I did./No, | didn’t. He used to live here and so did |. Write: Supply the missing forms in the following. 1 She used to bea singer, dat, 2 He never used to have grey hair, 3 We. sen 4 vsnnnnnnnnnnnns 5 Did you use to smoke? — Yes, | 6 He used to work here and so. 7 Where 8 You she? he? sronnnsan @NQY Physies, did we? (notvused to) ... smoke when you were young? (you/used to) H “lve? (yourused to) ~.(nol/used to) eat so much 11.11B Uses of ‘used to’ [> LEG 11.60-62] Study: | 1 We use the simple past or used to to refer to past habit. Ga] | Weneed atime reference with the simple past [> 9.3C], but not with used to: I collected stamps when I was a child. | used to collect stamps (when | was a child). | (at Toes cotocuo ange whos as e's oath 2 We use used fo to make a contrast between past and present with expressions like: but now...., but not any more, but not any longer: Iused to eat a large breakfast, but | don’t any longer. 3. Used to can also refer to past states: She used to be very punctual (but she isn't any more). Write: Fillin the blanks with forms of used fo or the past progressive (e.g. was living). 1 AO Mae 0, .. for long walks in the country when my father was alive. (go) _ getting up early when | was very young. In fact, | still don't like it. (like) YOU eating vegetables when you were young? (like) _ drive to get to work, but | don't any longer. (have to) Sundays, but | do now. (enjoy) .. bath when you phoned me. (have) ...an employee at the post office before she started her own business. (be) ... open fields all round our town when | was a boy. (be) abroad last year. (work) .. here yesterday? (rain) She There John and Sooroaren 176Write: 11.11D Study: a] Write: V1A1E Write: 11.11 Modals to express habit: ‘used to’, ‘wil and ‘would’ ‘Would’ in place of ‘used to’ and in place of the simple past [> LEG 11.61] [sen we are ‘remembering the past’, we sometimes use would in place of used to, First we set the scene with used to, then we continue with would: When I was a boy we always spent/used to spend our holidays on a farm. We would get up |__at § and we'd help milk the cows. Then we'd return to the kitchen for breakfast. Underline instances where we could use would in place of the simple past or used fo. From the time he was very young, Gerald used to spend all his spare time collecting birds, animals and insects of all kinds. Every morning he used to get up early and go first to the beach. There he caught small crabs and sometimes small fishes, which he put into a large jar and took home with him. (On the way, he always used to go to an ruined fisherman's cottage where he was often lucky enough to find some unusual insect that he had never seen before. ‘Will/would’ to describe ‘usual behaviour’ [> LEG 11.63-64] We sometimes use will in place of the simple present [> 9.18} and would in place of the simple Past {> 9.30} to refer to a person's ‘usual behaviour’ In fine weather he will often sit in the sun for hours. (= he often sits) As he grew old, he would often talk about his war experiences. (= he often talked) Use a phrase with will or would in place of the words in italics. 1 She always used to tell us a story before we went to bed, ... Wel. uray X4Xd, 2 She still tells us a story occasionally... 3 They only used to discuss family matters with the priest. 4 He's very good, you know. He plays with that toy for hours on end. 5 When he needed extra money, he used fo work overtime. 6 She doesn't always tell the truth, I'm afraid. Context Put in appropriate forms of the past, used to, will or would. Alternatives are possible. WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE! The thing | remember most about my childhood was my visits to my aunt Charlotte in her lovely country house. She (be) ........W@d....... a remarkable woman by any standards. She (be) *, really skilled at water-divining and she (find) water on the most unpromising bits of land. The farmers (love) . her, especially as she (never accept) ® money for water: divining. "Water (always find) ®. sv its own level, she (say) ‘and | know exactly where that level is. Water-divining is a gitt from God and you don't accept payment for that.” She had a ait for noticing changes in the weather, too. ‘I's going to rain soon,’ she (say)... s-vs ‘Lean feel it in my bones,’ and she (always be) ® right! In her later years, she developed a bad back and (often visit). her osteopath. She (never tire) * von. Of telling us that her osteopath (say) * ashe massaged her painful back, ‘t's going to rain, Charlotte. | can feel it in your bones!” ean feo itin your bones! 7