WOULD, USED TO, BE + ALWAYS + -ING

Used to + verb describes a past situation that is no longer true

I used to go scuba diving.
It is best to avoid using ‘used to’ in negative forms or questions although some native speakers do this in informal situations. It is better to use the Past Simple in those situations.

1 A past habit

'Used to' describes something was an old habit that stopped in the past. It shows that there was repetition in the past but it probably doesn’t occur now.

My dad used to do Aikido.

We used to go skiing every winter.
I used to love sushi but I seem to have gone off it now.

2 Facts and generalisations in the past

'Used to' can also describe past facts or generalisations that are no longer true.

Danny used to live in England.
Most people in the south of the country used to be farmers.
Fred used to have a stressful job.
Tess used to be fat. Now she has a great figure.

Used to – Past Simple

'Used to' and the Past Simple can both describe past habits, facts and generalisations but 'used to' is better when an emphasis is required especially if the repetition is the emphasis of the sentence. However with questions and negative sentences Past Simple is preferred.
You used to do ballet.

Did you do ballet when you were young?
You did not do ballet when you were young.

Would (always/never)

Like 'used to' and the Past Simple, 'would' with 'always' suggests an old habit that stopped in the past. Unlike 'used to' or the Past Simple 'would always' suggests a willingness to do the action or amusement and/or annoyance. It can also suggest an extreme habit. The opposite is expressed with 'would never'.

My grandmother would always get me a book for Christmas.
Sarah would always come late to work on Mondays.
Danny would not always come out with us.
Alison would always end up in a relationship with the strangest men.
We would not always go abroad for the summer holidays.

It is important to remember that 'would always' is not the same as ‘used to’ or the Past Simple. Would cannot be used to speak about past facts or generalisations, only past repeated actions.

I used to be painfully shy when I was young.
NOT I would always be painfully shy when I was young.
BUT I would always be shy when I met new people when I was a young boy. (In this case 'would always' is describing a repeated action – meeting new people)

'Would' can also be used with; constantly, often or simply alone i.e. 'would' but attention must be given so as not to confuse this function with conditional structures.

Past habit – used to/would/past simple

When we talk about things that happened in the past but don’t happen anymore we can do it in different ways.

Used to

·         We used to live in New York when I was a kid.

·         There didn’t use to be a petrol station there. When was it built?

We can use ‘used to’ to talk about past states ….

·         I used to go swimming every Thursday when I was at school.

·         I used to smoke but I gave up a few years ago.

… or we can use ‘used to’ to talk about repeated past actions

Remember that ‘used to’ is only for past states/actions that don’t happen now – we can’t use it for things that still happen now. Also, ‘used to + infinitive’ should not be confused with ‘be/get used to + ‘ing’ form’ – this is covered in a separate section.

Would

·         Every Saturday I would go on a long bike ride.

·         My teachers would always say “Sit down and shut up!”

We can use ‘would’ to talk about repeated past actions.

Often either ‘would’ or ‘used to’ is possible. Both of these sentences are possible.

·         Every Saturday, I would go on a long bike ride.

·         Every Saturday I used to go on a long bike ride.

However, only ‘used to’ is possible when we talk about past states.

·         We used to live in New York when I was a kid.

·         We would live in New York when I was a kid.

Would versus Used (to)

WOULD – FORMER ROUTINE
Would and used (to) have very similar meanings and can often be used in the same situations.  Would expresses that an activity was routine, typical behavior, having duration orfrequently repeated.
SUBJECT	PREDICATE	COMP / ADJUNCT
NP	MODAL V	PLAIN FORM VERB
We	would	go to the beach after school.
We	would	put on our swimsuits.
We	would	rush into the waves.
We kids	would	jump in and swim our worries away.
(You) →	Would you Wouldn't you	do the same?
USED (TO) – FORMER HABIT
Use (to) (used in the past tense) expresses that an activity was a past habit; it occurred at an earlier stage of life but not now. It focuses on the habit, not its duration or frequency.
SUBJECT	PREDICATE	COMP / ADJUNCT
NP	V (PAST)	INFIN CLS
We	used	to go to the beach after school, but then we moved.
We	used	to put on our swimsuits on the beach.
We	used	to rush into the waves, but now we check for jellyfish first.
We kids	used	to swim our worries away, but we cannot do that anymore.
(You) →	Did you use² Didn't you use²	to do the same?

Be + always + -ing

Habitod en presente y en pasado.

Habito en presente

you are always talking in class.

 

Habito en pasado

You are always paying attention.