GRAMMAR MAP

used to and would USED TO

Subject + used to + infinitive

Affirmative Questions
I used to go on holiday every year. Did your aunt use to have a TV?

Short answers (+)

Negative
Yes, she did.
He didn’t use to send me messages.
Short answers (–)
No, she didn’t.
WOULD
Subject + would + infinitive USE
We use used to and would to express something
that happened regulary in the past, but no longer
happens.
Affirmative used to would
They would meet in bars and cafés. States, habits and actions Past actions, usually
Every Sunday I would go to the cinema. in the past. in affirmative sentences.

Past continuous v past simple

Questions
Was I working?

PAST CONTINUOUS Was

he
she working?
it
we
Negative
Were you working?
Affirmative was not working
I they
I was working wasn’t working
he he Short answers (+)
was not working
she was working she Yes, I / he / she / it was.
wasn’t working
it it Yes, we / you / they were.
we we Short answers (–)
were not working
you were working you No, I / he / she / it wasn’t.
weren’t working
they they No, we / you / they weren’t.

Past continuous Past simple USE OF PAST CONTINUOUS

■ Longer action ■ Shorter completed ■ We
 use the past continuous to describe actions
■ The
 scene for a shorter action. in progress at a particular moment in the past.
completed action. Where were you going yesterday morning?
A bee stung Jane when she was sitting in the garden. We also use the past continuous for
■ 
Jane was sitting in the garden simultaneous actions in the past.
Sue was listening to her MP3 player while
a bee stung Jane she was tidying the sitting room.