There are several ways to talk about past habits in English:

| Tense | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple past | Talk about a single action that happened in the past. | I went to the park yesterday. She played tennis last week. |
| Adverb of frequency + simple past | Talk about a past habit or state that is no longer true. It implies a repeated action in the past. | When I was a child, I often played in the park. He always drank coffee in the morning |
| Used to | Talk about a past habit or state that is no longer true. It implies a repeated action. | I used to smoke, but I quit. I used to be very shy. |
| Would | Talk about repeated actions in the past. It implies a habitual or repeated action. | When I was a child, I would play with my toys every day. |
| Simple past | Talk about a past state that is no longer true. | I was very shy when I was a child. They were very active when they were younger. I lived on a farm when I was a child. |
Grammar Practice
Speaking Practice
Board Game
🎲 Students take turns rolling the dice and moving their piece on the board.
🛑 When a student lands on a square, they answer the question using the correct tense.
🗣️ Example: “I used to go to the country side on holiday.”
👂 The other players listen and decide if the answer is right or wrong.
✅ If the answer is right, the student stays on that square.
❌ If the answer is wrong, they go back to their previous square.
🏆 The first student to reach the finish square wins the game!
💪 To make the game more challenging answer your questions with other alternatives such as would or usually + simple past
Writing Practice
How was your life when you were growing up? Write a short paragraph.
