HABITS: PRESENT & PAST

Presentation

Talking about habits

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Television presentation

index

Past Simple

Used to

Present + usually

Get used to

Be used to

Not ... any more

Thanks

Past Simple

Talking about past habits

PAST SIMPLE + FREQUENCY ADVERBS

We can use the past simple to talk about habits in the past. We can combine the past simple with frequency adverbs or time phrases. Frequency adverbs: always, usually, normally, often, sometimes, hardly ever, never... Time phrases: every day, every night, every year, every summer, once a month...

Used to + bare infinitive

Talking about past habits

USED TO + BARE INFINITIVE

We can use the modal verb used to in order to talk about past habits. Take into account that these habits do not happen in the present. REMEMBER: The modal verb used to can be used in the past only. It has no present form. To talk about present habits, we use the present simple with usually / normally.

Present Simple + usually

Talking about present habits

PRESENT SIMPLE + USUALLY / NORMALLY

• Tim usually goes to bed at midnight.
• British houses normally have gardens.
• I don't normally go out during the week.
• Do you usually walk to work?

To get used to + gerund

In the process of developing a habit

TO GET USED TO + GERUND

We use get used to in order to say that we are trying to acquire a habit.

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To be used to + gerund

Having the habit

TO BE USED TO + GERUND

We use be used to in order to talk about habits that we have already acquired.

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Not ... any more

Out of a habit

NOT ... ANY MORE & NO LONGER

NOT + VERB + ANY MORE

SUBJECT + NO LONGER + VERB

• We use these structures to talk about things we normally did in the past but we have stopped doing them. In the present we don't do them.

GET USED TO or BE USED TO?

GET USED TO + GERUND

We used get used to when we are trying to acquire a habit, i.e. we are in the process.

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BE USED TO + GERUND

We use be used to when we want to say we have a habit.

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Video

USED TO, get used to or be used to?

They might be confusing, as they are quite similar, but they mean different things. Watch this video in order to get familiar with the expressions.

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NOT ... ANY MORE or NO LONGER?

NOT ... ANY MORE

The structure not ... any more is more common in everyday speech. It requires a negative verb.

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NO LONGER

The structure no longer rather more formal. It requires a positive verb.

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THANKS!