C1.

Unit 4
DESCRIBING TYPICAL BEHAVIOUR GET USED TO AND BE USED TO
Routines Typical behaviour
get used to + noun / -ing
will
• To become accustomed to something.
• To describe characteristic
behaviour. When I came to live in the city, it took me a
while to get used to the constant noise.
She’s not a heavy smoker.
I will eventually get used to my new
She’ll usually smoke a
smartphone.
cigarette after dinner, but
that’s all. I’ve finally got used to getting up at 6:00 a.m.
every morning.
He’s very unreliable. One
present simple day he’ll work for fifteen
hours and the next day be used to + noun / -ing
I usually smoke
a cigarette after he’ll stay in bed all day. • To
 be familiar or accustomed to something.
dinner. She’s used to her new smartphone.
present continuous
I don’t usually I’m used to speaking in English with my
drink coffee in • To describe repetitive classmates now.
the evening. behaviour perceived as
exaggerated or annoying.
She’s constantly checking
her phone to see if she’s DESCRIBING PAST HABITS AND
got messages. ROUTINES
My neighbours are forever
spying on us through the Routines
window.
used to + infinitive
He’s always telling lies!
• To describe routines that have changed in the
present, past habits or states.
OTHER WAYS TO DESCRIBE
REPETITIVE BEHAVIOUR I used to smoke ten cigarettes a day, but I quit
smoking years ago.
Did she use to play volleyball when she was
On (and on), keep (on), carry on, go on a student?
(and on)
He didn’t use to be very strong, but now he’s
• To
 continue doing something. started training and it shows!
We were totally lost, but he just drove on (and Typical behaviour
on) hoping to find his way.
He keeps (on) telling me that he doesn’t need would + infinitive *
help… but he does! • To describe characteristic behaviour in the
They carried on arguing after I had left. past.
I went on working until my boss told me to When he was young, he was very foolish.
take a break. He would do drugs, and he’d drink and drive
every weekend.
I told her to stop insulting me, but she went on
(and on) until I lost my temper. As a student, I would always study for exams
the night before.
verb + and + verb
She insisted and insisted until she managed to
*We never use would to describe qualities in the past:
talk to the manager.
I used to be (would) very thin when I was young.
He just talks and talks but no one actually listens
to him.
 Grammar Reference

SHOWING IMPATIENCE AND

INSULTING

• In
 English, it is quite frequent to use religious words
like God or Jesus to show impatience and anger.
However, this is considered disrespectful language
and it can easily offend people. Therefore, people
often use the word goodness to avoid saying God.
A
 similar thing happens with the word hell, which
is frequent in expressions like What the hell…?,
Where the hell…?, Who the hell…?, etc. It is safer to
use alternatives like the heck (very colloquial), on
earth (more neutral) or in heaven’s name.
Oh my goodness! Look at you! You look so pretty!
Who the heck are you?
How on earth did the dog get in here?
What in heaven’s name do you think you are
doing?

• When we want to insult someone, we usually

address them with the word you + noun.
Why on earth did you have to do that, you fool?
Of course they wanted to keep your money, you idiot!

• When we don’t want to insult the listener but a third

person, we can use the + noun.
Look at John trying to climb that tree, the fool!