Present and Past Habits in English
This page outlines the various tenses and structures used to express habitual actions and states in both present and past contexts in English.
Present Habits
The guide explains three main ways to express present habits:
- Present Simple: Used for current recurring actions or states.
Example: "When I get home, I practise the violin."
- Present Continuous + always: Expresses constantly recurring behaviors that may cause irritation.
Example: "She's always putting things off."
- Will + Infinitive: Describes typical present behaviors or actions (not states) characteristic of a person.
Example: "She will watch TV or play games all day."
Past Habits
The page then transitions to discussing past habits, presenting four structures:
- Past Simple: Used for actions, states, or habits that repeated in the past.
Example: "My father picked me up from school until I was nine."
- Past Continuous + always: Expresses constant, recurring behaviors in the past that caused irritation.
Example: "She was always putting things off."
- Used to + Infinitive: Describes states or actions that repeated in the past, never for one-time events.
Example: "I didn't use to fall behind with my schoolwork."
Highlight: The structure "used to" is particularly important for expressing past habits that no longer occur.
- Would + Infinitive: Expresses recurring, typical behaviors or actions (not states) of a person in the past.
Example: "Our English teacher would give us loads of homework."
This comprehensive overview provides students with a clear understanding of how to express habits across different time frames in English, enhancing their ability to describe recurring actions and states accurately.