Unit 8 - Life-Changing Decisions
Reporting Habits
Describe repeated past behaviour and routines when retelling someone’s story.
1. Linking to B1 Habits
- They used to play tennis every weekend.
- He could run very fast when he was young.
Use these structures when reporting what someone said about habitual actions.
2. Reported Speech for Habits
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| “I go jogging every morning.” | She said she went jogging every morning. |
| “I used to smoke.” | He admitted he used to smoke. |
| “We would visit our grandparents.” | They told us they would visit their grandparents. |
3. Choosing the Structure
- Past Simple → factual routine in the past.
- used to → emphasise the habit no longer continues.
- would + base verb → narrative feel for repeated actions.
- Combine with time markers: He explained that every spring they would plant vegetables.
Keep logical tense shifts
Backshift the verb only if the reporting verb is in the past and the habit has ended.
4. Practice
- Write a paragraph reporting someone else’s daily routine using Past Simple.
- Add sentences that show habits that stopped, using used to.
- Rewrite the paragraph inserting would for repeated actions.
Quick Review
- Use Past Simple, used to, and would to report habits accurately.
- Decide whether the habit still continues to choose the right tense.
- Maintain consistent backshifting in reported speech.