General English C1 · Lesson 2A

Grammar Bank

The rules behind this lesson — form, use, model sentences and the mistakes to avoid.

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Grammar focus of this lesson

the past: habitual events and specific incidents

1 structure

The past: habitual events and specific incidents
Choosing between used to, would, and the past simple.
I've got this
Rules & form
- ›used to + base verb: past habits and past states, both now over.
- ›would + base verb: repeated past actions in nostalgic narrative — never for states.
- ›Past simple: one specific incident, or a habit with a fixed number of times.
- ›Past continuous with always for irritating recurrence.
Examples
- “We used to have an office in Rome; every August we would close for two weeks.”
- “One winter the pipes froze and we lost a week's production.”
- “He was always volunteering other people's time.”
Watch out · I would be a shy child ✗ — states need used to or the past simple.
Your own example