Encontre Inglês Professores
Antonina
"Used to have" or "had"?
- When I was a teacher I used to have a lot of students.
Why not "I had a lot of students"?
28 de jul de 2019 15:37
Respostas · 3
3
There is a difference in meaning.
1 - "I had" is the simple past of "to have". It refers to a specific moment in the past.
2 - "I used to have" is the (pseudo) modal "to use to (do)". It compares a moment in the past with the present. It describes a situation that is no longer true.
I recommend English Grammar in Use by Murphy. Unit 18. A paper edition is cheap and there is a PDF available on the net.
28 de julho de 2019
Both work grammatically. ‘Used to’ gives a bit more sense of ongoing or habitual action in the past. It also implies you don’t do it / have it any more. When I was child I used to eat a lot of sweets, (but now I am grown up I don’t eat so many).
Good explanation here https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-m_used-to-do.htm
28 de julho de 2019
Ainda não encontrou suas respostas?
Escreva suas perguntas e deixe os falantes nativos ajudá-lo!
Antonina
Habilidades linguísticas
Inglês, Francês, Alemão, Russo
Idioma de aprendizado
Inglês, Alemão
Artigos que Você Pode Gostar Também

The Power of Storytelling in Business Communication
44 votados positivos · 9 Comentários

Back-to-School English: 15 Must-Know Phrases for the Classroom
31 votados positivos · 6 Comentários

Ten Tourist towns in Portugal that nobody remembers
59 votados positivos · 23 Comentários
Mais artigos