2.5.8: Past Modal Verbs Used in the Simple Past Time

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Don Bissonnette
South Seattle Community College

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Past Modal Verbs Used in the Simple Past Time

For Repeated Actions in the Past:

Used to, Could, and Would = Simple Past Tense

Used to       base form                   Past situations; no longer exist;          Past
                    of the verb                  used by native speakers to
                     introduce repeated situations
                                                       in the past.

I used to live in Massachusetts.
My sister used to go fishing with my father and me.
I used to travel a lot.
I used to be a good walker.
I used to go hunting with my grandfather.
My sons used to play with toys.

__________ _________________________ ______________

Could base form Ability to do something Repeated past ability
of the verb

To be able to                    For a single event in the past,
(was, were)                     use was/were able to; for repeated
                                        past events, use could.

When I was a young boy and I visited my grandparents, I could do almost anything I wanted to do. First of all, I could walk to my grandparents’ house because we lived close to their house. I could eat whatever I wanted to eat because I was my grandmother’s favorite grandchild. I could watch TV or I could play with my grandfather’s hunting dogs. Sometimes I could go hunting for rabbits and birds with my grandfather and uncle, too. They would let me shoot their guns. My mother would never let me shoot guns.

__________ _________________________ ______________

Would Repeated actions in the past Repeated past ability

I used to live with my parents. I would eat my mother's food every day.

I would go fishing with my father. I would go to school every day. We would all have fun at home together. We would always joke around with each other. We would laugh a lot, too.

Exercise 44: Answer the following questions using used to, would, or could, please.

1. At what time would you eat dinner when you were in your native country?

2. Who would prepare dinner for your family when you were a child?

3. What could you do as a child that you can’t do now?

4. Who used to take care of you when you were very young?

5. Where would your mother go shopping a long time ago?

6. Who could you visit in your country that you can’t visit anymore?

7. Who did you use to see every day when you were in your country?

8. Who would you play with when you were very young?

9. At what time would you wake up when you lived in your native country?

10. What kind of food would you eat as a child?

11. What sports could you play in your native country?

12. Who used to teach you when you lived with your parents?

13. What would you do on most days when you were about 10 years old?

14. Would you speak English with other people when you lived in your native country?