Present Simple Adverbs of frequency come before the main verb, but after the verb to be We hardly ever

go out She frequently forgets what shes doing We dont usually eat fish I rarely watch TV these days We are seldome at home in the mornings Is he normally so bad-tempered?

Sometimes, usually, and occasionally can be used at the beginning or the end of a sentence Sometimes we play cards We play cards sometimes I usually walk to school We eat curry occasionally

Present Continuous The present continuous can be used to express a habit which happens often and perhaps unexpectedly. It happens more than is usual. I like Walter. Hes always smiling Shes always giving people presents

There is usually an adverb of frequency with this use. Im always losing my keys Shes forever leaving the door open, and then the dog escapes

Will and Would Express typical usual behavior. They describe pleasant and unpleasant habits. Hell sit in his chair for hours, just watching telly. Shed spent all they long gossiping with the neighbors.

We cant use would to describe a state. Hed live in a large house

Will and would can also express an annoying habit He will come into the house and smoke his smelly pipe She would make us clean the bathroom with a toothbrush

Used to + infinitive a) b) c) This structure expresses a past action and/or a state. It has not present equivalent. When I was a child, I used to go on holiday to the beach [action]. He used to live in a big house with swimming pool. Notice how the form for negatives and questions are formed. Where did you use to go? We didnt use to do anything on our own, but now We cannot use used to with a time reference + a number We used to have holidays there for 10 years/3 times BUT We used to go there every year In a narrative, when expressing a series of past actions, it is common to begin with USED TO, then continue with WOULD, for reasons of style. This will help your piece flow and seem more natural. When I was a child, we used to go on holiday to the beach. Wed play and swim, then wed have a picnic, ham and cheese sandwiches with real sand.

Be/get used to + noun + ing form a) This is completely different from used to + infinitive. It expresses an action that was difficult, strange or unusual before, but is now longer so. Here USED is an adjective, and it means familiar with or accustomed to. I found it difficult getting around the city when I first arrived, but Im used it now. Im used to getting around the town on public transport. b) Notice the use of GET express the process of change. Im getting used to the food. Dont panic. Youll get used to driving on the other side.