1. Read sentences 1-6 and circle the world would where it is used incorrectly.
1 My grandma would live in France as a child.
2 Every summer, our family would go camping for a month in the mountains.
3 When I was at primary school, the school bus was unreliable and would often arrive late.
4 Before becoming a teacher five years ago, my uncle would have a job in a factory.
5 Before the age of five, I wouldn’t be keen on swimming.
6 When I was in my first year at school, my favourite subject would be music.
Answer
Students circle sentences 1, 4, 5 and 6.
2. Rewrite the sentences from exercise 1 which use would incorrectly. Use used to instead.
……………………………………………………
……………………………………………………
……………………………………………………
……………………………………………………
……………………………………………………
……………………………………………………
Answer
1 My grandma used to live in France as a child.
4 … my uncle used to have a job in a factory.
5 … I didn’t use to be keen on swimming.
6 … my favourite subject used to be music.
3. Rewrite the sentences using the present or past continuous with always, constantly or forever.
1 I hate playing my brother at chess because he will cheat!
…………………………………………….
2 Kyle is a good friend, but he will message me in the middle of the night!
…………………………………………….
3 I liked my primary-school teachers, but they would make us sing in the morning.
…………………………………………….
4 My dad will embarrass me in front of my friends.
…………………………………………….
5 When our dog was a puppy, he would chew my trainers.
…………………………………………….
6 My mum will make me up early for no reason at weekends.
…………………………………………….
Answer
Suggested answers:
1 … because he is forever cheating.
2 … but he is always messaging me in the middle of the night.
3 … but they were always making us sing in the morning.
4 My dad is forever embarrassing me in front of my friends.
5 … he was constantly chewing my trainers.
6 My mum is always waking me up early for no reason …
4. Choose the correct words (a-d) to complete the text.
When I was a kid, I (1) …………… use to spend much time with my brother. Being eight years older than me, he (2) …………… to go out with his friends rather than stay at home with his baby brother. I (3) …………… asking him to play with me but usually he’d say no! He (4) …………… never unkind to me; but the age gap was too wide. When I was ten, he went off to university and I only (5) …………… to see him during the holidays. I had a (6) …………… to follow him around all the time – perhaps because I’d missed him – and he was (7) …………… to get annoyed with me. Now we’re both adults, the age gap seems less important. We get on well and (8) …………… often meet for a quick coffee in town.
1 a didn’t b wouldn’t c won’t d wasn’t
2 a kept b use c would d tended
3 a tended b was c would d kept
4 a used b was c kept d tended
5 a used b would c wouldn’t d was
6 a habit b tendency c prone d use
7 a apt b used c tendency d habit
8 a tend b will c keep d forever
Answer
1 a 2 d 3 d 4 b
5 a 6 b 7 a 8 b
5. Complete these sentences about things you regularly do now and things you often did in the past.
1 At weekends, I’ll ……………………………………………….
2 I have a tendency to ……………………………………………….
3 I keep ……………………………………………….
4 I tend to ……………………………………………….
5 As I child, I’d ……………………………………………….
6 I often used to ……………………………………………….
7 I was always ……………………………………………….
8 I had a habit of ……………………………………………….
Answer
Your own answers
6. Tick (✓) the correct sentences and rewrite the others, correcting 1-2 words.
1 When I was a child, my parents forever took me to the zoo.
………………………………………
2 My dog wouldn’t hurt anyone, but he would bark.
………………………………………
3 Dan’s always arrive late when we agree to meet.
………………………………………
4 You’ve become very rude. You used not be like this.
………………………………………
5 People will gossip – it’s human nature.
………………………………………
6 We used live there. I wonder who lives there now.
………………………………………
7 Ana would always borrowing my things when we were kids.
………………………………………
8 Helen is reminding continually people that I used to fancy Josh. It’s really embarrassing.
………………………………………
Answer
1 … my parents always took me to the zoo.
2 … but he will / does bark.
3 Dan always arrives late …
4 didn’t use to be
5 ✓
6 We used to live there.
7 Ana was always borrowing …
8 Helen is continually reminding people …
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