Talking about past habits and past ability: used to, had to, was/were able to

🔊 المعلّمة تقرأ لك

In Mesopotamia, the Sumerians built what is probably the world's earliest civilization. Three short sentences describe their way of life: « They used to barter their goods. » « They had to import many of the raw materials necessary for civilized life. » « They were able to control the Euphrates. » Three verbs in the past — and each one says something different about the Sumerians. You already know these three forms; this lesson makes sure you can use them to describe people's past habits, lifestyles and achievements. So what exactly does each form tell us about the past?

🎓في نهاية هذا الدرس ستكون قادرا على:

التعبير عن ممارسة ثابتة ومتكرّرة في الماضي لم تعد قائمة اليوم، بـ ⁦used to⁩ متبوعة بالمصدر
التعبير عن إلزام في الماضي بـ ⁦had to⁩، وعن قدرة في الماضي بـ ⁦was able to⁩ أو ⁦were able to⁩ بحسب الفاعل
اختيار الصيغة المناسبة من الثلاث لإتمام نصّ عن ماضي شعب، بالاستناد إلى قرائن النصّ مثل ⁦forced⁩ و ⁦today⁩
عدم الخلط بين ⁦used to⁩ متبوعة بالمصدر (عادة ماضية) و ⁦be used to⁩ متبوعة بصيغة ⁦-ing⁩ (التعوّد على الشيء) و ⁦it is used to⁩ (الغرض من الشيء)

🔑يفترض هذا الدرس أنّك تتقن:

الماضي البسيط للفعل ⁦be⁩: ⁦was⁩ و ⁦were⁩
الماضي البسيط للأفعال المنتظمة والشاذّة
صيغة المصدر للفعل ⁦(the infinitive)⁩
صيغة الفعل المنتهية بـ ⁦-ing⁩

1. Habits, obligations and abilities in the past

ثلاث صيغ لوصف حياة الناس في الماضي: ⁦used to⁩ للعادة التي انقطعت، و ⁦had to⁩ لما كانوا ملزمين به، و ⁦was able to⁩ أو ⁦were able to⁩ لما كانوا قادرين عليه.

To describe how people lived in the past — their customs, their obligations, their achievements — English uses three forms. Each of them is followed by a verb in the infinitive: barter, import, control. used to + infinitive indicates a constant and frequent practice in the past, which is no longer true now: « I used to dance when I was a child. » (But now I no longer do it.) It is the form for speaking about the habits, customs and beliefs of the past. had to + infinitive tells an obligation in the past: something people were obliged to do. was able to or were able to + infinitive tells an ability in the past: something people were capable of doing. The verb be is in the past simple: was or were, according to the subject.

The Sumerians — three sentences

1. The Sumerians had to import many of the raw materials necessary for civilized life because those were not available in Mesopotamia. 2. They were able to control the Euphrates. 3. They used to barter their goods.

Which form, and what does it tell?

Form in the sentence	Structure	What it tells
had to import	had to + infinitive	an obligation: the raw materials were not available in Mesopotamia
were able to control	were able to + infinitive	an ability: something the Sumerians were capable of doing
used to barter	used to + infinitive	a constant and frequent practice: they exchanged goods for other goods

used to: a past habit · had to: a past obligation · was or were able to: a past ability — always followed by the infinitive.

Task 1 — In sentence 1, what shows that importing raw materials was an obligation, not a choice?

في الجملة الأولى: ما الذي يدلّ على أنّ استيراد المواد الخام كان إلزاما لا اختيارا؟

The reason that follows because: « those were not available in Mesopotamia ». The Sumerians needed these raw materials for civilized life, and their land did not have them — so they had to import them. When a text gives a reason that leaves no choice, had to is the form that says it.

Task 2 — « They bartered their goods » is also correct. So what does used to add?

الجملة ⁦They bartered their goods⁩ صحيحة أيضا، فماذا تضيف ⁦used to⁩؟

The past simple bartered states a fact of the past. used to barter says more: bartering was a constant and frequent practice of the Sumerians, part of their way of life. That is why used to is the form for customs and lifestyles: it tells what people did again and again, not a single event.

2. Used to — do not confuse it

تتكرّر الكلمتان ⁦used to⁩ في ثلاثة تراكيب مختلفة: عادة ماضية، والتعوّد على الشيء، والغرض من الشيء. العادة الماضية وحدها موضوع هذا الدرس.

The words used to appear in three different structures, and only the first one is the semi-modal of this lesson (a helping verb, like can or must, followed by a verb in the infinitive). used to + infinitive indicates a constant and frequent practice in the past: « I used to dance when I was a child. » be used to + verb-ing means be accustomed to: « I'm used to cutting wood. » (= I'm accustomed to cutting wood.) Here used to comes after the verb be, and it is followed by the -ing form. it is used to + infinitive expresses the purpose of an object — what we use it for: « It's used to cut wood. »

Three look-alikes

Structure	Example	Meaning
used to + infinitive	I used to dance when I was a child.	a past habit, now finished
be used to + verb-ing	I'm used to cutting wood.	be accustomed to
it is used to + infinitive	It's used to cut wood.	the purpose of an object

Only the first one tells a past habit. The other two contain the verb be.

Which used to is it?

a) My grandfather used to walk to school. b) She is used to getting up early. c) This knife is used to cut bread.

Task 3 — Which sentence tells a past habit?

أيّ هذه الجمل الثلاث تعبّر عن عادة في الماضي؟

a) used to walk — used to + infinitive: a past habit. The grandfather walked to school again and again, and he no longer does.
b) is used to getting up — be used to + -ing: she is accustomed to getting up early. It is not a past habit: is is in the present.
c) is used to cut — the purpose of the knife: what we use it for.

Only sentence a) tells a past habit.

3. Choosing the right form in a text

لاختيار الصيغة المناسبة في نصّ اسأل: عادة أم إلزام أم قدرة؟ ثمّ ابحث عن القرينة في النصّ.

Add used to, was/were able to or had to to the verbs in brackets.

Today, most Native Americans live in reservations, and nearly 97% of them west of the Mississippi. But centuries ago, their ancestors (live) all over America. They (hunt) the buffalo in the prairies. They also (farm) maize, manioc, potatoes, peanuts, cocoa and pepper. But after 1830, most of them (migrate) westward to reservations as a result of the US government's policy of forced migration. Though the living conditions in the reservations were difficult, the Indians (survive) and (contribute) to what is called American civilization today.

Task 4 — the answers, and the clue in the text

في كلّ فعل اسأل: عادة أم إلزام أم قدرة؟ ثمّ ابحث عن القرينة في النصّ.

1. used to live — a situation of the past that is no longer true: « Today, most Native Americans live in reservations ».
2. used to hunt — a constant and frequent practice of their ancestors.
3. used to farm — another practice of the same way of life.
4. had to migrate — an obligation: the clue is « forced migration ».
5. were able to survive and contribute — an ability, in spite of the difficult living conditions: the two verbs share the same were able to.

The text gives the clues: centuries ago set against today points to used to; forced points to had to; people who survive difficult conditions point to were able to.

Do this alone, in writing. Write three sentences about your own childhood: one thing you used to do and no longer do, one thing you had to do, and one thing you were able to do. Then check each verb with the question of this lesson: a habit, an obligation or an ability?

اكتب وحدك ثلاث جمل عن طفولتك: عادة انقطعت، وأمر كنت ملزما به، وشيء كنت قادرا عليه.

A model answer

When I was a child, I used to dance every evening — but now I no longer do it. On school days, I had to get up early. At the age of six, I was able to read short stories on my own. Notice was able to, not were able to: the subject is I.

In the exam, these forms are tested inside sentences and short texts: the verb is given in brackets and you must add the right form, as in the Native Americans text. Before you choose, ask one question — a habit, an obligation or an ability? Have three things ready: ① used to + infinitive for a constant and frequent practice that is over; ② had to + infinitive for an obligation — look for a clue such as forced, or a reason that leaves no choice; ③ was able to or were able to, according to the subject. The frequent mistake is to confuse used to + infinitive (a past habit) with be used to + -ing (be accustomed to).

What I keep — To describe how people lived in the past, I use three forms, each followed by a verb in the infinitive. used to indicates a constant and frequent practice that is no longer true (They used to barter their goods). had to tells an obligation in the past (They had to import raw materials). was able to or were able to tells an ability in the past (They were able to control the Euphrates). And be used to + -ing is another structure: it means be accustomed to.

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