Describing a Repeated Action in the Past

To talk about something that happened regularly in the past, but does not happen any longer, we use would or used to. Both would and used to can describe repeated actions in the past.

(a) Mij would follow me without a lead and come to me when I called his name.

(b) He would play for hours with a selection of toys.

(c)On his way home... Mij would tug me to this wall.

(d) When I was five years old, I used to follow my brother all over the place.

(e) He used to tease me when mother was not around.

To describe repeated states or situations in the past, however, we use only used to.(We cannot use would for states or situations in the past.) So we do not use would with verbs like be, have, believe, etc. Look at the following sentences.

(a) When we were young, we used to believe there were ghosts in school. (Note: belief shows a state of mind.)

(b) Thirty years ago, more women used to be housewives than now. (Note: be here describes a situation.)

From the table below, make as many correct sentences as you can using would and/ or used to, as appropriate. (Hint: First decide whether the words in italics show an action, or a state or situation, in the past.) Then add two or three sentences of your own to it.

Emperor Akbar		Be fond of musical evening
Every evening we	would	Take long walks on the beach
Fifty years ago, very few people		Own cars
Till the 1980s, Shanghai	Used to	Have very dirty streets
My uncle		Spend his holidays by the sea

Maxwell in the story speaks for the otter, Mij. He tells us what the otter feels and thinks on different occasions. Given below are some things the otter does. Complete the column on the right to say what Maxwell says about what Mij feels and thinks.

Read the story and find the sentences where Maxwell describes his pet otter. Then choose and arrange your sentences to illustrate those statements below that you think are true. Maxwell description

(i) Makes Mij seem almost human, like a small boy.

(ii) Shows that he is often irritated with what Mij does.

(iii) Shows that he is often surprised by what Mij does.

(iv) of Mij's antics is comical.

(v) Shows that he observes the antics of Mij very carefully.

(vi) Shows that he thinks Mij is a very ordinary otter.

(vii) Shows that he thinks the otter is very unusual.

Look at these examples from the text and say whether the modifiers (in italics) are nouns, proper nouns, or adjective plus noun.

(i) An otter fixation

(ii) The iron railings

(iii) The Tigris marshes

(iv) The London streets

(v) Soft velvet fur

(vi) A four-footed soccer player

Given below are some nouns, and a set of modifiers (in the box). Combine the nouns and modifiers to make as many appropriate phrases as you can. (Hint: The nouns and modifiers are all from the texts in this book.)

Temple – girls – triangle - Dresses

Person – thoughts – boys - roar

Gifts – scream – farewell - expression

Time – subject – landscape - handkerchief

Crossing – flight – chatterbox - profession

Physique – coffee - view - celebration

College – rough – hundred – Stone - ordinary

Love - Uncomfortable - white - slang - slack

Bare – railroad – tremendous – family - marriage

Plump – invigorating – panoramic – heartbreaking - birthday

Incorrigible – Ridiculous – loud – first - three