Learn to Talk About Past Habits Through Real Stories

Welcome back to another episode of the Peach Teach English Podcast! In this episode, we explore the grammar of used to and would — two powerful structures English speakers use to talk about past habits and routines. Instead of memorizing rules, you’ll hear how these forms are used naturally through real-life stories from my childhood, hobbies, and past jobs.

Whether you’re reviewing this grammar for the first time or still confused about the difference between action verbs and state verbs, this episode will give you clear explanations, real-world examples, and practical tips to help you feel more confident using this grammar in conversation.

This episode + transcript is ideal for intermediate and advanced English learners who want to practice listening comprehension, improve their grammar through context, and hear what fluent English sounds like in everyday stories.

Watch & Listen to the Peach Teach English Podcast:

📝 Episode 36 Transcript:

 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

Welcome back to the Peach Teach English podcast. I'm Frankie Mesmer, your host, and this podcast is dedicated to helping you go from intermediate to fluent English through real stories, natural grammar, and listening practice. And today's topic, we're going to be looking at the grammar of used to and would.

So I'm gonna start off with a simple, quick explanation, and then we're gonna dive into some real stories of me using this grammar naturally.

00:33 – Understanding ‘Used to’ and ‘Would’

 So basically used to and would are grammar structures that we use in English to talk about past habits. Generally, these are  actions that we did in the past many times, and we don't do them now.

 So, for example, I used to play with Barbies, or I would hang out with my friends after school.  So now I don't play with Barbies. Now I don't go to school. I don't hang out with my friends, so I used to, or I would do these actions. And basically used to and would can be used in most of the same contexts. But there is one exception, and that is the idea of action verbs.

State verbs. So we can use used to with action and state verbs, but would we can only use with action verbs. So what's the difference? Action verbs are verbs that actually require an action. Probably some type of movement, something like cooking, jumping, walking. These are all actions that we do, but there are also verbs called state verbs. They're not really actions, but they are still verbs. So these are things like opinions, emotions, using our senses. So when you use those state verbs, we cannot use would. Also in this context, it's not common to use would in questions or negatives. So my tip for you, when in doubt, use used to.

You'll probably be correct.

02:25 – Childhood Memories and School Days

 So now that you know when to use used to and would, let's go ahead and dive into some stories from my past so that you can see this grammar used naturally. So I'm going to start off by telling you what my childhood experience was like, especially with my hobbies and going to school.

I used to attend a public school when I was a little girl. I actually started going to school when I was three years old, but I officially started elementary school when I was five years old, and my mom used to be the school nurse there. So generally, I would ride with her to school. And when the school day ended,

I would go to the nurse's office and wait for my mom to finish work, and then we would go home. And once I got home, generally I would have to do homework, and my mom would make some kind of snack for us, maybe like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or something. And then when I finished my homework, I would go play with my friends.

I used to ride my bike around the neighborhood, usually to one of their houses. And we used to play with Barbies or just games outside. We used to play house, and as technology advanced, we used to go to like barbie.com and play different games on the internet, and that was a lot of fun. But I remember being at one of my friends' houses.

Her name was Kara, and she lived with her grandparents. And sometimes, we would be on barbie.com, and her grandma would yell, "Get off the internet. I need to make a phone call", because back then you couldn't be on the internet and use your home phone at the same time because people used to use dial up internet, which is very different from the internet that we use today.

So those are some of my biggest memories that I have from my elementary school years.

04:50 – Changing Tastes and Interests

So as we get older, some of the things that we like and dislike change. So when I was a really little kid, I didn't use to like mayonnaise, so I would not put mayo on anything. And also, I had one bad experience where someone gave me a hot dog, and the bread, in English, we call it a bun, and it was kind of wet and very soggy, and I really hated the texture.

And so for many, many years, I used to hate eating hot dogs with the bun. I would only eat the hot dog wiener or sausage, but without any bread. But now I will eat mayo, and I will eat a hot dog bun. No problem. Another thing that changed for me was when I was in school, I didn't use to like studying languages.

I remember being in high school, and I had a choice. I needed to choose French or Spanish, and I really liked the French teacher, so I decided to take French classes. And I didn't hate it, but I really didn't have a lot of interest in learning French. The school only required us to do two semesters, so I did them, and I finished all of my foreign language classes in high school, but

now I actually speak many languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, some French, and I even started learning Turkish. And I absolutely love learning languages, and it's one of my passions. So it's really interesting how the things we like and dislike can change. I'd be interested to know what do you like and dislike now that maybe you didn't when you were younger?

Why don't you share that with us in the comments?

06:57 – Favorite Childhood Hobbies and Sports

So now I wanna share with you some of my favorite hobbies when I was a kid. So my parents actually had me play a lot of sports from a very young age. I think I actually started playing my first sport when I was about three years old, which in the US is called T-Ball.

It's very similar to baseball, but instead of someone like throwing the ball at you or a machine throwing the ball at you, there's just like this stable piece of equipment, and you put the ball on top, which is better for kids of a very young age. So, Tee Ball was my first sport, and as I got older, I started playing other sports.

So I used to play softball, which is basically like women's version of baseball. And then I started playing basketball, and I used to also play soccer. And I really spent a lot of time developing my skills in softball and basketball, basically because my dad was my coach and he had a lot more experience and expertise in those sports.

But really, as I got older, soccer became my favorite sport, I think because it was less serious for me. It was more I would just go out and play with my friends, and I could focus on having a good time and not necessarily being one of the best athletes on the field. But before I really got into soccer, basketball used to be my favorite sport.

When I was about six, seven years old, I would tell people that I wanted to grow up and be a professional basketball player. Unfortunately, I only grew to be like five foot two, which in centimeters I believe is like 158-159 centimeters, so that definitely wasn't in my favor of achieving that dream, but anything is possible, right?

But as I got older, I focused more on softball. So softball used to be one of my favorite sports as well. And every summer, I would play with a traveling team. We would go to different cities and play in different tournaments.

09:19 – Adult Soccer, Weightlifting, & Watching Sports

I was actually very good at it, but once I turned like 18 and I went on to university, I wasn't as interested in softball anymore. I think it became more like a job than something I enjoyed doing. So I actually spent more time playing soccer. And if you don't know, I'm originally from the United States, but now I live in Colombia. Before I moved to Colombia, I used to play soccer a lot with my friends. I actually used to be part of a soccer league, and usually like one day during the week, I would either go compete with my team or I would go play with some friends in a park somewhere.

And then every Sunday, I would usually play a couple games with my teams. So, I was on a few different teams. I was on one team, which was all women, and then I was on another team, which had men and women. And in English, we call this co-ed. So I would play on a co-ed team and an all-women's team every Sunday.

And sometimes I really miss it because it was a great way to stay active, hang out with my friends. And actually, one time we even got first place in the league. You know, it's always fun when you win the championship. So now that I've moved to Colombia, I don't really play sports anymore. I used to go to the gym very consistently for like six years, and I really enjoyed that habit.

I like the process of getting stronger and more fit. But last year I made the decision to leave the gym. I was actually having a little bit of health problems, and I was losing some of my strength, and I had to go to physical therapy. And there's just some other changes happening in my life where I probably won't have easy access to a gym.

So if I'm gonna continue lifting weights, I will have to make a home gym because I'm planning on moving to the countryside. So now my exercise routine is completely different. Generally, every day I try to take at least a 30-minute walk because exercise and health is very important to me, and I think with more technology

we are starting to have very sedentary lives, so something as simple as a 30-minute walk is something I really encourage all of us to do and something that I have put into my daily practice. But yeah, my sports activities look completely different today than they did when I was a little girl, but I still love watching sports as well.

I'm actually a really big fan of American football, and I love watching soccer as well, especially the World Cup, and I'm looking forward to watch this next World Cup in the U.S. I don't plan on going to like a live game, but I know that I will watch it on TV. I used to watch sports more when I lived in the US because

a lot of my friends were also sports fans, so we would watch like the Premier League or the Champions League for soccer during the week. And then on the weekends, I would watch American football with my friends, but I still try to watch at least college football on Saturdays. I'm a really big fan of the Georgia Bulldogs.

My brother went to that university, and I got my medical interpretation certificate from that university as well. So my family and I, we are really big fans of that team, and we try to support them every Saturday. So even though I'm not playing sports anymore, I really like the sports culture, and it's very important to me.

13:43 – Past Jobs and Work Experience

And the final topic I wanna share with you guys is about my past work experience. So before I became a teacher, I used to do some other jobs. So my first job ever was actually as a baseball umpire. If you don't know what that is, that's basically the person that calls the game. They decide who is out, who is safe, what is good, what is bad, kind of, you know, like the judge of the game.

I was only 16 years old and technically, it was my first job, but I only worked two days. And then I went to my dad and I told him, I really hate this job. Please don't make me do it. And he said, "You know what? You went to the training you tried. If you don't like it, you don't have to do it." And I didn't get another job until I was 17, and that's when I got my second job.

And that one, I actually stayed at, and I started working at a restaurant called Cracker Barrel. And there I used to be a hostess for about one year. Basically, the hostess is the person that greets you in the restaurant, asks you how many people are in your party, and takes you to the table, gives you the menu so that your waiter or waitress can take care of you.

And I liked that job better. I think I'm very good at customer service, and I like being friendly and helping people. And then when I turned 18 years old, I became a waitress and I used to be a waitress all throughout my university years, and I actually worked at a few restaurants, so I started out at Cracker Barrel and then I used to work at a burger restaurant called B&D Burgers, and then I moved on to a rooftop bar called Topdeck, which is in

the downtown area of Savannah, my hometown, and I even did some other jobs. So I used to be a barista. So basically, I would make coffee in the morning for people. And I used to be a manager at a Jamaican restaurant for a few months. They were a new restaurant, and they were just getting started, so I didn't stay there very long, but I did used to be a manager there for them. And I used to also work in the international office at my university. Basically, I was an assistant and I would help my boss organize documents and help new students adapt to college life in the United States. I would teach some of them English or help them with their subjects.

And I would help American students learn about study abroad projects and just doing internationally based events on campus, where we would do dance, food, movies, and all types of celebrations to make sure that international students felt at home while American students were also getting an amazing cultural experience.

17:17 – Becoming an English Teacher

And now I am a teacher. I have been a teacher since 2018, teaching English as a second language. I actually used to work at a public school here in Colombia as a co-teacher, helping the Colombian teachers teach English in the classroom. And then after that, I went to a language institute. So I used to teach English at a private institute to teenagers and adults.

Then eventually I moved to online, like I'm doing now. I used to work for a few different platforms, but now I have Peach Teach English, where I can teach you guys English right here through videos and through my online classes. I have a conversation club, which are group-based classes. I have my one-on-one coaching plans where I really help students get that intentional practice to become more fluent and confident in English every day.

So if you'd like more information about those courses, I can offer you one free consultation to answer any of your questions and get you started with my classes.

18:31 – Conclusion

 Guys, that wraps up my stories using the grammar topic of used to and would I know that this episode really helped you to see how we use this grammar naturally, and I wanna challenge you to use it as well.

So please leave a comment and share some of your childhood habits using used to and would. And if you have any questions about this topic, please also ask that in the comments, and I will be sure to respond to them. Thanks so much for listening to this episode, and see you next time.

🔁 Used To vs Would – Study Guide

Grammar for Talking About Past Habits

NOTE: Both used to and would help you describe past actions or routines that no longer happen. But they are not always interchangeable — this guide will show you how and when to use them naturally.

🧠 Quick Grammar Rules

• Used to = for habits or states in the past
  ➤ I used to live in the U.S.
  ➤ She used to love chocolate.

• Would = for repeated actions in the past
  ➤ Every summer, we would visit my grandparents.
  ➤ After school, I would ride my bike around the neighborhood.

• Important Difference:
  ❌ Would cannot be used with state verbs (know, like, love, be, feel, etc.)
  ✔️ Use used to with state verbs.

✏️ State Verbs vs Action Verbs

To understand the difference between used to and would, it’s important to know the difference between action verbs and state verbs.

✅ Action Verbs
These verbs describe things you do — they often involve movement or visible actions.

Examples: walk, play, run, eat, visit, ride

⚠️ State Verbs
These verbs describe senses, opinions, possession, feelings, conditions, or thoughts — not physical actions.

Examples: know, like, believe, be, love, feel

📌 You can use used to and would with action verbs.
📌 You can only use used to with state verbs — not would.

Examples:
✔️ I used to love cartoons.
❌ I would love cartoons.

📚 Real-Life Examples from the Podcast

• I used to play with Barbies.

• My mom used to be the school nurse.

• We would go to different cities for softball tournaments.

• I didn’t use to like mayonnaise.

• I would wait in the nurse’s office after school.

🗣️ Speaking Tips

• When in doubt, use used to — it’s more flexible and can be used in questions and negatives.

• Don’t say “Would you used to…?” → ❌

• Say: “Did you use to…?” → ✔️

💬 Practice Prompts

Use these to write or say your own examples:

1. What’s something you used to do when you were a kid but don’t do anymore?

2. What’s a routine you would do every day after school?

3. Share one thing you didn't use to like but now you do.

4. Can you describe a weekend activity you would do with your family?

💡 Grammar Structures

• Used to + base verb → I used to swim every summer.

• Would + base verb → We would watch movies on Fridays.

• Didn’t use to → I didn’t use to like coffee.

• Did you use to...? → Did you use to play an instrument?

🎯 Want to Practice English with Me?

English classes at Peach Teach English help you practice real conversation and natural grammar so you can speak more confidently. Want to learn more?

👉 Book your free consultation now: http://peachteachenglish.com/free-consultation

💖 Support the Podcast

Love this episode? Support the Peach Teach English Podcast for just $5/month and unlock bonus English courses and resources!
👉 http://peachteachenglish.substack.com/subscribe

Want to Level Up Your English?

This lesson is part of a series taking you from B1 to B2 level in English. Want to learn more about other topics to help you go from B1-intermediate level to B2-English fluency? Check out the guide below and follow along as I walk you through the process each week.

Check Out the B1 to B2 Study Guide