GRAMMAR BANK

5B
present and past habits and states: usually and used to used to or s im p le p a s t?
We can use used to or simple past for
1 I usually get up at 8 :0 0 d u r in g the w eek. 3 17))) repeated actions or states, and the meaning
I don’t normally go out d u r in g the w eek. is the same.
H o u s e s in the s u b u rb s usually have yards. I used to live in Miami as a child. / I liv e d In
Do y o u normally walk to w o rk ? Miami as a child.
2 W e used to go to the beach fo r o u r v a ca tio n s w h e n I w as a ch ild . But if the action happened only once, or we
H e didn’t use to do an y exe rcise , b u t n o w he r u n s m a ra th o n s. mention exact dates or number of times, we
have to use simple past.
I never used to like hockey, b u t I w a tc h it every w eek now.
I went to Paris last year. NOT / used to go to
W e used to be clo se frie n d s , b u t w e d o n 't ta lk to each o th e r an y m o re .
Paris last year.
T h a t b u ild in g used to be a re sta u ra n t, b u t it clo se d d o w n la s t year.
Jack caught the train to Chicago four times
Did they use to live d o w n to w n ? last week. NOT Jack used to catch the train to
Didn’t y o u use to have lo n g h a ir? Chicago four times last week.
anymore and any longer
1 F o r p re se n t h a b its w e ca n use usually o r normally + s im p le present.
We often use not...anymore / any longer
N O T I used to get tip at 8:00.
(= not now) with the simple present to
2 F o r past h a b its w e use used to / didn’t use to + base fo rm . contrast with used to.
• used to d o e s n o t e x is t in the p re se n t tense. N O T f t tse f o-get tip at 8:0 0 I used to go to the gym, but I don't (go)
during the week. anymore / any longer.
• W e use used to fo r th in g s th a t w ere tru e o v e r a p e rio d o f tim e in the be used to and get used to
past. Used to o fte n refers to s o m e th in g th a t is n o t tru e now . Don't confuse used to / didn't use to (do
I used to play a lot o f sports. (= 1 p layed a lo t o f s p o rts fo r a p e rio d o f tim e something) with be used to or get used to
in the past, b u t now' I d o n ’t.) (doing something).
• used to I didn’t use to ca n be u sed w it h a c tio n verb s (e.g., go, do) an d I am used to getting up early every day.
n o n a c tio n verb s (e.g., be, have).
(= I am accustomed to it. I always do it, so it is
not a problem for me.)
• W e can a lso use th e s im p le p a st to d e scrib e p ast h a b its (o ften w it h an
Lola can't get used to living in the US.
ad verb o f frequ ency). (= She can’t get accustomed to it. It is a
We (often) went to the beach fo r our vacations when I was a child. problem for her.)
I lived downtown until I got married.

a C o m p le t e w it h used to (0 . E l o r |T|) a n d a v e r b f r o m th e lis t . b A r e th e h ig h lig h t e d v e r b f o r m s r ig h t / o r

w r o n g X ? C o r r e c t th e w r o n g o n e s .
argue be get along go out have
like hve speak spend wear work
S o n y a use to see M ic h a e l e v e ry day. X used
to see
split up
Sonya used to live in N e w Y o r k C it y , b u t la te r she m o v e d to X 1 H is p a re n ts used to s p lit u p a fte r he w a s b o rn .
N e w Jersey. 0 OK 2 D o y o u u s u a lly t e ll a c lo s e f r ie n d a b o u t y o u r
1 W e used to have a lo t in c o m m o n , b u t n o w w e ’re c o m p le te ly
_________ p r o b le m s ?
d iffe r e n t. 0 OK 3 M y s is te r d id n 't u s e to w a n t c h ild r e n , b u t
didn’t use to spend
2 I _________ m u c h tim e o n lin e , b u t n o w I’m a d d ic te d to F a c e b o o k . 0 n o w she h a s fo u r!
Did
3 _________ use to wear
y o u r f ia n c e __________glasse s? H e lo o k s d iffe r e n t n o w . [T] X 4 I d id n 't u se d to lik e m y m a th te a c h e r w h e n 1
4 used to go out w it h
I _________ m y c la s s m a te s , b u t n o w I s p e n d a ll m y t im e w it h w a s in s c h o o l. didn’t use to like
m y b o y fr ie n d . 0 OK 5 T h e y u se d to g o o n v a c a tio n e v e ry year.
did
5 W h e r e _________ use to work
y o u r h u s b a n d __________b e fo re h e g o t th e jo b i n X 6 T h a t c o u p le h a s th re e k id s , s o th e y d o n ’t use
th e b a n k ? U] to g o o u t a t n ig h t. don’t usually go
didn’t use to be s o s lim . 0
6 M y s is te r lo s t a lo t o f w e ig h t. S h e _________ X 7 W h e r e d id y o u r p a re n ts u se to m e e t w h e n
Did
7 _________ use to argue a lo t w it h y o u r p a re n ts w h e n y o u w e re a
y o u __________ th e y f ir s t w e n t o u t? did your parents meet
te e n a g e r? [7] X 8 M y h u s b a n d u se to w o r k f o r a b a n k , b u t n o w
didn’t use to likeJap an e se fo o d , b u t now ' I e at a lo t o f s u s h i. GO
8 I _________ h e 's u n e m p lo y e d . used to work

9 L a u r a used to get alongw e ll w ith h e r ro o m m a te , b u t n o w th e y d o n ’t ta lk to

_________ OK 9 W e lo v e th e th e a te r. W e u s u a lly g o to a p la y
each other. 0 at le a s t o n c e a m o n th .
didn’t use to speak
10 M y e x _________to m e, b u t n o w he c a lls m e a lo t. Q < p .4 9

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