It is sometimes said that there is nothing new in the world of fashion. Annabelle was a well-known model during the seventies. When her children were in their early teens they 1) were enjoying / used to enjoylooking at her old photo albums. They 2) were finding / foundit hard to believe that she 3) was wearing / used to wearsuch strange clothes. 4) Did people really use to think / Were people really thinkingflared trousers looked good? And those ugly platform shoes! She 5) was admitting / admittedthat people 6) were often falling / often used to fallover because the heels were so high. In the early nineties, however, Annabelle noticed to her amusement that seventies styles 7) were / used to bein fashion again. “I 8) planned / was planning tothrow all my old clothes away”, she said, “ but my daughter went to a party last week, and guess what she 9) used to wear / was wearing– that’s right, some of my old clothes!”
46. Write a sentence for each of the following using used to / didn’t use to.
1 I had a lot of money but I lost it all when my business failed.
I used to be rich...
2I quite like classical music now, although I wasn’t keen on it when I was younger.
3 I seem to have lost interest in my work.
4My sister can’t borrow my jeans any more, she’s put on so much weight.
5I don’t mind air travel now that I can afford First Class.
6My brother had his hair cut short when he left college.
7I gave up smoking five years ago.
8My parents lived in the USA when I was a child.
9When he was younger , my uncle was a national swimming champion.
10Since we’ve lived in the countryside, we’ve been much happier.
Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or the past continuous.
AThe sun 1).....(shine)and the birds 2).....(sing)as Mike 3)..... (drive)down the country lane. He 4).....(smile), because he 5).....(look forward)to the journey ahead. Mike 6).....(enjoy)driving, especially when he 7).....(go)somewhere new. Then, suddenly, the engine 8).....(begin)to make a strange noise and the car 9).....(stop)dead in the middle of the road. Mike 10).....(try)to startit, but nothing 11).....(happen). He 12).....(sigh), then 13).....(get out)of the car. As he 14).....(push)the car to the side of the road,Mike 15).....(start)to wish he had stayed at home.
BJohn 1).....(enter)his flat and 2).....(close)the door. He 3).....(hang up)his coat when he 4).....(hear)a strange noise. A tap 5).....(run)in the kitchen. He 6).....(walk)into the kitchen and 7).....(turn)it off. Then, he 8).....(freeze). Someone 9).....(stand)behind him. He 10).....(take)a deep breath and 11).....(turn)around. His flatmate, Steve, 12).....(lean)in the doorway. “You 13).....(give)me a fright!” John exclaimed. Steve 14).....(laugh)at him.John 15).....(start)to laugh, too. “I 16).....(think)you had goneto London today,” he said. “No,” 17).....(reply)Steve. “Unfortunately,I 18).....(miss)the train.”
PAST FORMS
PAST PERFECT
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
We use the past perfect:
a) for an action which happened before another past action or before a stated time in the past.
She had finishedwork when she met her friends for coffee.
We use the past perfect continuous:
a) to put emphasis on the duration of an action which started and finished in the past before another past action or a stated time in the past, usually with sinceor for.
They had been looking fora house for six months before they found one they liked.
b) for an action which finished in the past and whose result was visible in the past.
He was happy. He had signedan important contract.
b) for an action which lasted for some time in the past and whose result was visible in the past.
Last Friday Ron had to fly to New York. His flight was delayed. He was annoyed. He had been waitingat the airport for three hours.
Note:
The past perfect is the past equivalent of the present perfect.
e.g. a) He had fixedthe old armchair. It lookedbrand new. (The action – had fixed –happened in the past. The result – lookedbrand new – was also visible in the past.)
b) He has fixedthe old armchair. It looks brand new. (The action–has fixed–happened in the past. The result – looks brand new – is still visible in the present.)
Note:
The past perfect continuous is the past equivalent of the present perfect continuous.
e.g. a) I had been drivingfor ten hours, so I feltexhausted. (The action – had been driving – lasted for some time in the past. The result – felt exhausted – was also visible in the past.)
b) I have been drivingfor ten hours, so I feel exhausted. ( The action – have been driving – started in the past. The result – feel exhausted - is still visible in the present.)
TIME EXPRESSIONS
PAST PERFECT
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
The past perfect is used with the following time expressions: before, after, already, just, for, since, till / until, when, by, by the time, never,etc.
Note:
We can use the past perfect or the past simple with beforeor afterwithout any difference in meaning.
e.g. They went out afterit had stopped / stoppedraining.
The past perfect continuous is used with the following time expressions: for, since, how long, before, until, etc.