Tema 4.1: Grammar. Used to and would.

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TEMA 1: USED TO AND WOULD.

VG.4.1.1. Video de la clase.

GRAMMAR

USED TO Y WOULD

USED TO AND WOULD

Sometimes we need to relate events that were past habits but that are no longer done. For that, we use “used to” and “would” according to the following grammatical rules:

1) We use “used to” to talk about past habits. The use of this structure is always correct:

Examples:

                                           AG.4.1.1

a) When I was a child, my parents used to take me to the river.
b) She used to play video games after doing the home work.

2) In the negative case, “never used to” is more used than “didn’t use to”:

Examples:

                                           AG.4.1.2

a) I didn't use to go to the soccer practices on Saturdays.
b) We never used to be late for school.

3) We only used “would” when we executed a repeated action in a specific period:

Examples:

                                           AG.4.1.3

a) When I was 15, I would study math at 8 PM.
b) As college students, they would stay late in the library.

Note the periods in which these actions were repeated. In a) the actions were repeated “When I was 15”, while in b) the actions were repeated “When they were university students”.

4) In the interrogative case, “would” is not used.

Examples:

                                           AG.4.1.4

a) Did your dog use to bite your shoes when you were not at home?
b) Did you use to bleed from your nose when you were in the sun too much?

5) If the case is that an action cannot be recognized as a repeated action, only the past simple is used.

                                           AG.4.1.5

a) Did the snake crawl under the bed?
b) Did you grind the corn to make the dough?

Exercise

Translate into English the following sentences with the teacher:

1. Durante las vacaciones de verano, mi familia y yo íbamos a la playa todos los años.

2. Cuando vivía en el campo, los vecinos nos invitaban a cenar a menudo.

3. Solía tocar el piano, pero lo dejé cuando entré en la universidad.

4. Antes, solía ir al cine cada fin de semana con mis amigos.

5. Antes, solía hablar con mi mejor amigo por teléfono todas las noches.

6. Cuando éramos niños, mi abuela siempre nos contaba historias antes de dormir.

7. En mi infancia, mis hermanos y yo nos reuníamos cada tarde después de la escuela.

8. Cuando era estudiante universitario, siempre me levantaba temprano los sábados.

9. Cuando era joven, yo solía nadar en el río todos los veranos.

10. De niño, solía tener miedo a la oscuridad.

SOLVED EXERCISES ERG.4.1.1.

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EJERCICIOS PROPUESTOS

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