Unit 2 - People
Would / Used to / Would Rather
Describe past habits, preferences, and polite choices with nuanced modal structures.
1. Past Habits — used to & would
B1 reminder: I used to live in Paris. / They used to play tennis every weekend.
| Structure | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| used to + base verb | Past habits/states now finished | I used to smoke, but I don’t anymore. |
| would + base verb | Repeated past actions (not states) | On Sundays we would visit my grandparents. |
Notes:
- Don’t use would for past states: ❌ He would be shy. → ✅ He used to be shy.
- Combine for emphasis: When I was a child, I used to wake up early and would watch cartoons.
2. Would Rather — Expressing Preference
- would rather + base verb → current preference.
- I’d rather stay home tonight.
- would rather + subject + past simple → preference about someone else’s action.
- I’d rather you called later.
Negative form: would rather not + base verb → She’d rather not discuss it now.
Spoken contractions
In fluent speech, would almost always contracts: I’d rather, you’d rather, we’d rather.
3. Practice
- Write five sentences about your childhood using used to and would.
- Express three preferences using would rather (including one negative).
- Change a direct request into a polite preference: Could we start later? → I’d rather we started later.
Quick Review
- Used to → past habits or states that no longer happen.
- Would + base verb → repeated past actions (not states).
- Would rather → show current preferences politely.