Talking about Past Habits in English

Talking about Past Habits in English: Used to, Would, and Past Simple

When we talk about our childhood, our school years, or “the good old days”, we often talk about things that happened again and again:

• I played outside every day.
• My grandpa told us stories every evening.
• We went to the same place on holiday every summer.

In English, there are three main ways to talk about past habits and repeated actions:

• used to
• would
• past simple

They are similar — but not identical. And in Cambridge exams (B2 First, C1 Advanced), choosing the right one really matters.

Let’s make this simple and clear.

Used to – past habits and past states (now finished)

We use used to + infinitive to talk about past habits and past states that are no longer true now.

• We used to go to Spain every summer when we were kids.
• Sandra used to walk her dog every morning. Now she has a cat.
• People used to think that the Earth was flat.

The idea is always – this was true in the past. It is not true now.

Negative form

didn’t use to + infinitive

• We didn’t use to go out much on weekdays.
• Helen didn’t use to be so patient when she was younger.

Questions

Did … use to + infinitive?

• Did Paul use to learn French?
• Did your mother use to work in the garden before she retired?

Would – past habits and repeated actions (NOT states)

We can also use would + infinitive to talk about repeated actions in the past — very often in stories and memories.

• When I was little, I would play football every day.
• Mark would cycle to work when he lived in Spain.
• Our grandma would read us a story every night.

This often sounds more narrative, more story-like and more emotional / nostalgic.

Very important: would is NOT used for states

We cannot say:

❌ Michael would be the best student in class.

We must say:

✅ Michael used to be the best student in class.

More examples:

• They used to have a cottage in the country.
• I used to love going to the city museum.

(Not: would have, would love in this meaning.)

Past Simple – habits in stories and finished time periods

We often use the past simple to talk about repeated actions in the past, especially when the time period is finished or clearly mentioned.

• We always went to the same place on holiday in the 90s.
• We usually had breakfast in the kitchen and dinner in the dining room.
• Simon never had a steady job, so he decided to start his own business.
• Fiona didn’t like vegetables when she was a child.

This is very common in stories, biographies, narratives and exam writing.

So… which one should you choose?

Here is a simple decision guide:

Use used to when you talk about past habits OR states and they are not true now.

• I used to live in the countryside. (Now I don’t.)

Use would when you talk about repeated past actions, especially in storytelling and NOT for states.

• Every summer, we would go camping.

Use the past simple when you describe a past routine in the past, or when you’re telling a story.

• When I was a child, we always spent holidays by the sea.

Typical exam mistakes

❌ I would be very shy as a child.

✅ I used to be very shy as a child.

❌ We used to go there yesterday.

✅ We went there yesterday.

❌ Did you used to live here?

✅ Did you use to live here?

A small style tip for advanced students

In good writing, you can mix these forms:

• When I was a child, we used to live near the river. Every summer, we would swim there and play until sunset.

That sounds natural, fluent and very C1-level.

Final thought

Talking about past habits is not just grammar. It’s storytelling. And if you can use used to, would and past simple correctly and confidently, your English immediately sounds more natural, more mature and much more exam-ready.

Download the exercise for this lesson in PDF here

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