Past Habits

This guide explores the various structures used to express habitual actions and states in the past. It’s important to understand the subtle differences between these forms and when to use each one appropriately.

1. Simple Past

The simple past can express past habits, repeated actions, and states.

Form:

  • Subject + verb in past tense

Examples:

  • “I went to bed at 6:00 every night.”
  • “She walked to school each morning.”
  • “We had a small apartment in the city center.”

When to use it:

  • For both actions and states in the past
  • Often used with time expressions (every day, each week, on Sundays)
  • Can be used for habits that may or may not continue in the present
  • For single completed actions in the past (unlike “would” or “used to”)

2. Past Continuous

The past continuous can be used for repeated actions in the past, especially when emphasizing their duration or frequency.

Form:

  • Subject + was/were + verb-ing

Examples:

  • “When I was a teenager, I was always arguing with my parents.”
  • “Back then, they were constantly moving from one place to another.”

When to use it:

  • Often used with adverbs like “always,” “constantly,” or “forever”
  • To emphasize the repetitive or annoying nature of a past habit

3. Used to / Would + Base Form

Used to

“Used to” expresses past habits, repeated actions, and states that are no longer true in the present.

Form:

  • Affirmative: Subject + used to + base form
  • Negative: Subject + didn’t use to + base form
  • Question: Did + subject + use to + base form?

Examples:

  • We used to make phone calls, but now we just text.
  • They didn’t use to have internet at home.
  • Did you use to take piano lessons?
  • She never used to eat breakfast.

When to use it:

  • For habits that no longer happen
  • For past states that are no longer true
  • When the time reference is (not) clearly established
  • Works with both action verbs and stative verbs

Note: In negative forms and questions, the correct form is “use to” (not “used to”).

Would

“Would” expresses past habits and repeated actions, but not states.

Form:

  • Affirmative: Subject + would (‘d) + base form
  • Negative: Subject + would not (wouldn’t) + base form
  • Question: Would + subject + base form?

Examples:

  • “We would text each other every night.”
  • “She would always laugh at his jokes.”
  • “Would you often visit your grandparents on Sundays?”

When to use it:

  • Only for habitual actions or behaviors, not states
  • Only when the time frame is clear from context
  • For actions with a sense of typicality or predictability

Important limitation: “Would” cannot be used with stative verbs to describe past states.

Incorrect: I would have a big cell phone.
Correct: I used to have a big cell phone.

Stative Verbs

Stative verbs describe states rather than actions. With past habits, these verbs can be used with “used to” but not with “would.”

Common stative verbs:

  • Mental states: believe, know, think, understand, remember, forget, prefer, want, need
  • Emotions: love, hate, like, dislike, fear, envy
  • Possession: have, own, possess, belong
  • Senses: see, hear, smell, taste, feel
  • Being and appearing: be, exist, seem, appear, look
  • Others: cost, weigh, contain, consist, depend, involve

Examples:

  • I used to like classical music. ✓
  • I would like classical music. 
  • She used to be very shy. ✓
  • She would be very shy. 
  • They used to have a large house. ✓
  • They would have a large house.
Feature "Used to" "Would"
States Can express past states Cannot express past states
Time reference Can be used when time reference is unclear Requires a clear time reference
Emphasis Emphasizes the contrast with the present Emphasizes the habitual nature
Verb types Works with all verb types Only works with action verbs

Comparison

Structure Usage Works with Stative Verbs? Time Reference Required?
Used to Past habits, repeated actions, and states that no longer exist Yes No
Would Past habits and repeated actions only (not states) No Yes
Simple Past Past habits, repeated actions, states, and single completed actions Yes Often used with time expressions
Past Continuous Repeated actions with emphasis on duration or frequency Rarely (only with temporary states) Usually with adverbs like "always," "constantly"
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