USED TO, WOULD, USUALLY AND PHRASAL VERBS

Used to, would, usually and phrasal verbs

Used to

We use USED TO + INFINITIVE to talk about habits or situations that were true in the past but are not true now. They can be states or actions.

I USED TO hate classical music but now I love it.

He USED TO smoke a packet of cigarettes a day.

We form the negative and questions like other regular verbs in the past simple.

He didn't use to do any exercise.

Did you use to live in this street?

We often use a mixture between USED TO and the Past Simple when we describe past situations. It sounds unnatural to use USED TO with every verb.

I used to do a lot of exercise when I was at school. I played tennis every weekend and I went swimming three of four times a week.

Used to

We use the past simple, not USED TO, when we talk about things that happened only once, or when we say how many times something happened.

I got a job three years ago.

We went to Rio three times when I was young.

We often use never USED TO instead of didn't use to.

He never used to call me but now he calls me every day.

The neighbours never used to make so much noise!

WOULD

We use WOULD + VERB for repeated past actions.

She WOULD often go to noisy London nightclubs.

WOULD + VERB is not used for past states.

We say: - I love gardening. - I used to love gardening. We don't say: - I would love gardening.

WOULD is more likely than USED TO when you describe more than one past action.

+ info

I'd come home late, and my mother would worry about me, and she'd get upset, and we'd start arguing.

USUALLY

Used to only refers to the past. We use USUALLY or NORMALLY + PRESENT SIMPLE to talk about situations and habits which are true now.

On Sundays, I usually have eggs for breakfast.

Steve usually runs about 120 km a week.

We can also use USUALLY in the past. It has a similar meaning to used to.

We usually had dinner together every evening.

PHRASAL verbs

Phrasal verbs are a group of words that combine a verb with an adverb or a preposition. Together, these words act as a single verb and take on a whole new meaning that's independent from the meanings of the individual words.

For example:

• get out
• calm down
• give away
• put up with

The two or three words that make up a phrasal verb form a short "phrase" - which is why we call them "phrasal verbs". But a phrasal verb is still a verb.

PHRASAL verbs

You can see that there are three types of phrasal verb formed from a single-word verb:

PHRASAL verbs

VERB + ADVERB

For example:

• put off
• turn down
• get up
• break down
• break up
• sign up

VERB + ADVERB + PREPOSITION

For example:

• get on with
• put up with
• look forward to
• run out of

VERB + PREPOSITION

For example:

• believe in
• look after
• talk about
• wait for