Present simpleI hardly ever go out these days.As a rule, I don’t watch mucht TV.

- You can use tend to to talk about present habits.

I tend to stay in during the week.I don’t tend to read much (or I tend not to read

much)

Will/won’tIt’s more emphatic than present simple.

I’ll usually listen to some music before I go to bed.

I won’t normally get up before 11 at the weekend.

Present continuousOften used to talk about annoying habits.

He’s always watching TV!He’ s always losing his keys!

Remember there are some verbs, called state verbs, which are not usually used in the continuous form.

Some state verbs.THOUGHTS: believe, know, mean, realise, recognise, remember, suppose, understand, feel, think.FEELINGS: adore, dislike, despise, hate, love, want, wish, prefer,…BELONGING: belong, have/have got (=posses), own, posses,…SENSES: smell, taste, hear, see.OTHER STATE VERBS: seem, look, look like, matter,…

Talking about past habits

Past simpleI did it every day for 10 years but then I gave up.

Used to & wouldUsed to

I never used to read much when I was a kid.I used to eat a lot but I can’t afford to these days.

Don’t say *use to* in the present, say usually.

You can usewould for repeated actions in the pastWhen I was in France I would always eat croissants fro breakfast.

You can’t use would with state verbs: I didn’t recognize him. He *wouldn’t* have a beard.

How often do you…?More than before/I used to/shouldNot as much as I’d like to/I used to/shouldWhenever I can/I get the chanceAll the time(not) as a rule, (not) usuallyOn the whole, generallyBy and large, generallyNow and again, once in a while, from time to

timeOnce in a blue moon

Btw, what’s a blue moon? What’s the meaning of once in a blue

moon?

Be used to/get used to + ing

Don’t confuse used to with be used to/get used to + ing.

I am not used to getting up early in the morning because I work in the evening. I’m getting used to my new students this year.

Choose the correct word in italics.

I didn’t use to/wasn’t used to like cooking very much.

I’m getting used to work/working from home. I’m used to/I used to living on my own.

My family would/were used to always stay in a caravan for their summer holidays.

It’s difficult to get/getting used to a different way of life.

Choose the correct word in italics.

I didn’t use/wasn’t used to like cooking very much.didn’t use

I’m getting used to work/working from home. workingI’m used to/I used to living on my own.

I’m used to My family would/were used to always stay in

a caravan for their summer holidays.would

It’s difficult to get/getting used to a different way of life. get

Tell your partner about…a singer/band you used to like when you were

younger (and now you are embarrased about).what you would do after school when you

were a child.a machine you would use a lot but now you

don’t.a change at work/school/family that was a

problem at first but now you are used to .a piece of technology you found difficult to use

at first but now you are used to using.