Used to (do)

     A. Study this example situation:   Dennis stopped smoking two years ago. He doesn't smoke any more.   But he used to smoke.   He used to smoke 40 cigarettes a day.   'He used to smoke' = he smoked regularly for some time in the past, but he doesn't smoke now. He was a smoker, but now he isn't     B. 'Something used...

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Have and have got

A. Have and have got (= possess, own etc.)   We often use have got rather than have alone. So you can say:   * We've got a new car. or We have a new car.   * Ann has got two sisters. or Ann has two sisters.   We use have got or have for illnesses, pains etc.:   * I've got a headache. or I have a headache.   In questions and negative sentences...

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Past perfect continuous (I had been doing)

A. Study this example situation:   Yesterday morning I got up and looked out of the window. The sun was shining but the ground was very wet.   It had been raining.   It was not raining when I looked out of the window; the sun was shining. But it had been raining before. That's why the ground was wet.   Had been ~ing is the past perfect continuous:   I/we/you/they...

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Past perfect (I had done)

A. Study this example situation:   Sarah went to a party last week. Paul went to the party too but they didn't see each other. Paul went home at 10.30 and Sarah arrived at 11 o'clock. So:   When Sarah arrived at the party, Paul wasn't there. He had gone home.   Had gone is the past perfect (simple):   I/we/they/you or he/she/it had (= I'd etc./he'd...

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Present perfect and past (2) (I have done and I did)

A. Do not use the present perfect (I have done) when you talk about a finished time (for example, yesterday/ten minutes ago/in 1985/when I was a child). Use a past tense:   * The weather was nice yesterday. (not 'has been nice')   * They arrived ten minutes ago. (not 'have arrived')   * I ate a lot of sweets when I was a child. (not 'have eaten')  ...

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