Used to and Past Habits Quiz

Used to

• Indicates a habitual action or state in the past that is no longer true in the present.
• Implies a contrast between the past and the present.
• Forms a past tense, but describes a past habit, not a single completed action.
• Used to + infinitive verb (e.g., "used to play," "used to like")
• Often implies a sense of regret or nostalgia for the past habit.

Past Habits

• Describes actions or states that were repeated in the past but are not happening now.
• Often refers to a regular or frequent activity.
• Can be expressed using various grammatical structures, including "used to" (see above), the simple past tense (e.g., "often went," "usually ate"), or the past continuous tense (e.g., "was always playing").
• The choice of structure depends on the nuance and focus of the description.

Comparative Forms

• Used to compare two or more things.

• Can compare similarities or differences.

• Formation depends on the adjective or adverb being used.

• Comparative adjective rules:

  • One-syllable adjectives: add "-er" (e.g., "taller," "faster").
  • Two-syllable adjectives (sometimes): add "-er" (e.g., "happier"), but many use "more" (e.g., "more careful").
  • Two or more syllables: use "more" before the adjective (e.g., "more intelligent," "more beautiful").

• Comparative adverb rules:

  • Add "-er" (e.g., "faster," "more carefully") or use "more" (e.g., "more frequently", "more politely").

• Inequality/Comparison indicators:

  • "than": used to introduce the element being compared (e.g., "taller than her sister," "runs faster than John).
  • The comparative form shows that one thing is greater, lesser, or different in degree from another thing.

Affirmative Sentences

• Express statements that are true.
• Examples:
  • "I used to play soccer every Saturday."
  • "She was always very kind."
  • "They usually went to the park on Sunday afternoons."

Interrogative Forms

• Used to form questions.
• Forming questions using "used to":
  • "Did + subject + use to + verb?" (e.g., "Did you use to live in New York?")
• For actions in the past, also use the auxiliary verb "did" in the interrogative form of the simple past tense (e.g., "Did you live in Paris?'")
• Interrogative sentences seek to gather information about past actions, habits, or states and use auxiliary verbs to form the questions.