TALKING ABOUT PAST, CURRENT, AND FUTURE HABITS

Dear learners, there are short expressions that allow you to express past, current and future habits that you often neglect, either because you do not know them or simply because you do not think of using them. 

The goal of this post is to make you take them into consideration when talking about habits because they are useful for expressing things in a synthetic and precise way.

I. USED TO + INFINITIVE VERB = PAST HABITS

A) USE: 

Refers to a habit that occurred in the past and is no longer in effect as we speak. We have given up this habit now.

B) GRAMMATICAL FORMS:

- In a question: did + subject + use to + infinitive verb (Did you get use to ride a bicycle?).

- In a positive statement: subject + used to + infinitive verb (I used to ride a bicycle).

- In a negative statement: subject + didn't + use to + infinitive verb (I didn't get use to ride a bicycle).

II. BE USED TO + ING VERB = CURRENT HABITS

A) USE:

Refers to a habit that is still in effect as we speak. It means that we are still in the habit.

B) GRAMMATICAL FORMS:

- In a question: am, is, are + subject + used to + ing verb (Is she used to speaking English?).

- In a positive statement: subject + am, is, are + used to + ing verb (She is used to speaking English).

- In a negative statement: subject + am, is, are + not + used to + ing verb (She is not used to speaking English).

III. BE USED TO + ING VERB WITH A PAST MEANING = INSISTING ON THE PAST HABITS

A) USE:

Can also be used in the past to insist even more greatly on the bygone habit.

B) GRAMMATICAL FORMS:

- In a question: was, were + subject + used to + ing verb (Were they used to doing DIY?).

- In a positive statement: subject + was, were + used to + ing verb (They were used to doing DIY).

- In a negative statement: subject + was, were + not + used to + ing verb (They were not used to doing DIY).

IV. GET USED TO + ING VERB = FUTURE HABITS

A) USE:

Refers to a habit that we are just starting, we are entering a new regular practice.

B) GRAMMATICAL FORMS:

- In a question: am, is, are + subject + getting + used to + ing verb (Are we getting used to working out?).

- In a positive statement: subject + am, is, are + getting + used to + ing verb (We are getting used to working out).

- In a negative statement: subject + am, is, are + not + getting + used to + ing verb (We are not getting used to working out).

V. OTHER USES OF GET USED TO  = IN THE PAST AND IN THE FUTURE

A) USE:

Can also be used in other tenses such as the past (to know if you entered a habit back then) and the future (to know if you will start a habit in the future).

B) GRAMMATICAL FORMS OF GET USED TO IN THE PAST:

- In a question: did + subject + get + used to + ing verb (Did she get used to cooking her own meals?)

- In a positive statement: subject + got + used to + ing verb (She got used to cooking her own meals).

- In a negative statement: subject + didn't + get + used to + ing verb (She didn't get used to cooking her own meals).

C) GRAMMATICAL FORMS OF GET USED TO IN THE FUTURE:

- In a question: will + subject + get + used to + ing verb (Will he get used to travelling abroad?)

- In a positive statement: subject + will + get + used to + ing verb (He will get used to travelling abroad).

- In a negative statement: subject + will not (won't) + get + used to + ing verb (He will not get used to travelling abroad).