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🔁 Compendium
Grammar
EN
English — would for past habits
To describe actions that were repeated regularly in the past, English uses would + base verb: Every summer we would go to the coast. It highlights a recurring routine that no longer happens.
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How it works
✓ Rule
Use would + base verb for repeated past actions and habits: When I was a child, my grandfather would tell us stories and we would sit by the fire. Would works only for actions you did again and again, not for one-off events.
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Examples
| Example | What it expresses |
|---|---|
| Every summer we would go to the coast. | Repeated action — would is fine |
| She would read to us every night. | Habit — would is fine |
| We used to live in Rome. (NOT: We would live…) | Past state — only used to |
| I used to have a dog. (NOT: I would have a dog.) | Possession/state — only used to |
| He would wake up at dawn and go fishing. | Routine — would is fine |
| They used to be neighbours. (NOT: They would be neighbours.) | State (be) — only used to |
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Good to know
⚠ Note
Would is not used for past states with verbs like be, have, know, like or love: say We used to live here, not We would live here. Used to covers both habits and states, so it is the safer choice when you are unsure; would only replaces it with repeated actions.