Habits & Customs
Discussing Habits, Customs and Routines
Descriptions of customs or routines tend to use the present non-progressive tense.
Greek Easter
Easter, in my country, is the most sacred and celebrated of all the Greek holidays. The Gregorian calendar determines the date. This year, we are celebrating Orthodox Easter a month later than the western Easter. Orthodox Easter begins with a 40-day fast. We only eat "natural" products, no beef, pork, lamb or chicken. On Palm Sunday, we serve only fish courses. On Saturday before Easter, we take the food we will serve on Easter to the church where the priest blesses it. On Easter Sunday, roast lamb is the centerpiece of the table. In the early morning, the spits turn in backyards and courtyards as the lamb is slowly cooked. We color eggs bright red and bake them into bread, "tsoureki". This tradition bonds one generation to the next and always is the highlight of the year.
Present vs. Present Progressive
| PRESENT | PRESENT PROGRESSIVE |
|---|---|
| For an activity, celebration, habit or custom that is:
|
For an activity that is:
|
We only eat "natural" products. |
This week, I am not eating fish, olive oil or dairy products. |
The priest blesses the food. |
This year, we are celebrating Orthodox Easter a month later. |
We color eggs bright red. |
Today, we are dying eggs red. |
This tradition bonds one generation to the next. |
This morning, we are preparing special dishes. |
Adverbs
| ADVERBS USED WITH HABITS AND CUSTOMS | ADVERBS USED WITH TEMPORARY ACTIVITIES |
|---|---|
Telling us How Often?
|
Telling us When?
|
Practice 1
Habits & Temporary Changes
- Select the correct verb tense. Pay attention to the adverbs.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.
Word Order
Emphasizing Time Words (Adverbs)
Use of a comma depends on whether the adverb is initial, mid-sentence or final position.
- INITIAL: Usually, my family eats dinner at 6:30 p.m. (Emphasis; a comma is placed after the adverb.)
- MID: My family usually eats dinner at 6:30 p.m. (Standard word order)
- FINAL: My family eats dinner at 6:30 p.m. usually. (Standard word order, especially for time phrases)
| INITIAL | SUBJECT | MID-SENTENCE | VERB | OBJECT PHRASE | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Emphasis; comma goes after adverb, |
|
No emphasis; no comma is used |
|
|
no comma |
Most of
the time, |
my family |
always |
eats |
dinner at 6:30 p.m. |
most of
the time. |
*Sounds awkward. Multiple word expressions are usually placed at the end of the sentence.
Usage may vary.
Practice 2
Adverb Use in Various Sentence Positions
- Select the correct verb tense. Pay attention to the adverbs.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.
Additional practice: Present vs. Present Progressive
Index Grammar-Quizzes | Previous At the Moment | Next Pres v. progressive
